If you were raised in a catfishing home like mine, I’m sure you’ve heard lots of catfish myths that are passed off as facts with little or no evidence. Like so many other outdoor related topics, the second hand recollection of a story, repeated third hand from the original, by someone’s, brother’s, cousin, becomes irrefutable fact. This article will address some of the most common myths, and discuss whether they’re fact, fiction, or somewhere in between.

Myth: Catfish only eat dead, rotting, nasty, smelly baits.  

Busted: Catfish have a very diverse diet that isn’t limited to stinky dead things. Cats love natural baits including freshly caught cut bait, fish, amphibians, nightcrawlers, insects, crawdads, and even mulberries and corn. They also routinely inhale manufactured baits including hot dogs, dough balls, and commercial cheese and punch baits. Shockingly, cats can even be caught with bar soap!

While I’ve never tried it, or seen anybody use it, Ivory soap and the Mexican brand Zote soap are renowned for their catfish catching properties. In fact, a quick internet search revealed countless first hand videos and support from nationally syndicated outdoor publications espousing the soaps’ effectiveness. While the exact reasons these specific brands of soap attract catfish is not fully understood, the common understanding is that catfish are attracted to the lye (Ivory) and lard (Zote) in these two brands. The best part is after you're done handling a slimy catfish you can simply wash your hands with your bait.  

Myth: Catfish only bite at night

Busted: Like most fish species, catfish feed throughout the day. While some parts of the day can be better depending on the time of year, water depth, and available cover, anglers should never limit their catfishing to hooting with the owls. In my experience, during the hottest months of the summer, mornings and evenings are typically better for numbers of fish. However, in the spring and fall, anglers don’t have to get up early or stay late to find hungry fish.

Myth: Catfish have venomous “whiskers”  

Busted: Catfish barbels or “whiskers” do not cause stings or contain venom. They are sensory organs only used for navigation and locating food and mates.  

True: In 2009, a study from the University of Michigan found that more than 1,200 freshwater and saltwater catfish species worldwide are venomous. Catfish carry their venom in sharp, bony spines in their dorsal and pectoral fins that induce symptoms like severe pain, reduced blood flow, muscle spasms and respiratory distress. In some cases, catfish venom can deliver a sting with deadly effects, but these usually occur in more dangerous varieties found outside the U.S.(https://www.ksnt.com/kansasoutdoors/very-immediate-very-intense-pain-catfish-venom-a-worry-for-anglers-biologists/).  

This one surprised me as I prepared for this article. I always believed this was an old-wives’ tale simply based on the pain caused by getting poked by a catfish or bullhead. As it turns out, this myth is mostly true, with the exception that the barbels or whiskers don’t do the stinging.  

The good news is that there is an effective, albeit strange, treatment for the pain and discomfort. The next time you get stuck by a dorsal or pectoral spine, immediately rub the wound on the fish’s skin. There is at least anecdotal evidence that chemicals in the fish’s slime layer contain properties that will soothe the sting and mitigate the effects of the venom.  

While being careful not to get poked by the sharp barbs, make sure to look out for the serrated back side of catfish spines as well. Careless handling can lead to deep lacerations in the web of flesh between the thumb and index finger. Ask me how I know…  

Myth: Catfish are slow, lethargic, lazy scavengers.  

Busted: Catfish are active and aggressive predators. They can be caught while drifting, jigging, casting, and trolling. In many lakes and river systems, anglers trolling for bass, crappies and walleyes are harassed by hungry channel and flathead catfish that eagerly pounce on crankbaits, spoons, and nightcrawler harnesses. Over the years, these observations inspired the array of catfish-specific trolling rigs available to modern anglers today.  

Myth: Catfish can and do grow big enough to eat people.

Possible: Every catfish angler worth their salt has heard about the leviathan catfish that live under the (insert name) dam. These stories insist that a friend of a friend’s brother knows divers that inspected the base of the dam and were assaulted by catfish with “Jaws” like proportions. These divers always escaped by the skin of their teeth, living to tell the tale of the “Mississippi Giant” or similarly named legend.

While researching this article, I didn’t find evidence of unprovoked catfish attacks on people in the US. However, a quick internet search revealed many examples of folks that bit off more than they could chew while noodling (hand fishing) for flathead catfish in the southern US. Noodling falls into the “extreme sports” category for me, and while I enjoy watching folks do it from the comfort of my home, you won’t ever catch me going toe to toe with a 60 pound flathead in some muddy river in their house.

True: There are documented cases of unprovoked attacks on humans by exotic catfish from outside the US. A few examples of these include the Goonch catfish from India, Wels catfish from Europe, and Piraiba catfish from the Amazon basin. These fish grow to extraordinary size, and their aggression is well-known and feared in many countries. Stories of these legendary monster catfish captured the attention of Jeremy Wade, and he chronicled his pursuit and success landing giant examples of each species on the popular Animal Planet series “River Monsters”.

Most popular game fish enjoy an air of drama and romance, and catfish are no stranger. Like Shrek, the unattractive appearance of catfish belies their true nature. Peeling back the onion on these intriguing fish reveals surprising and unique traits that appeal to a tremendous number of anglers worldwide. With this level of popularity, rivalries amongst anglers are common, and the accompanying one-upmanship breeds the types of myths discussed in this article. While most of these myths were short on facts, as a young angler these stories inspired me to catch my own river monsters. Let’s hope these and other myths continue to inspire and drive young people to seek muddy waters to hunt for our favorite whiskered fish.