Arkansas Game and Fish Commission district fisheries staff will be sampling channel catfish in Northwest Arkansas lakes over the next several weeks, said Jon Stein, district fisheries supervisor.
Catfish are caught in hoop nets set in the lakes.
The hoop nets are set for three days to allow catfish to find the bait and get caught. Biologists obtain valuable information on channel catfish including lengths, weights, population size (catch per net) and age. Staff can also determine how much of the population is from stocked fish.
The work should take most of summer.
Catfish are a favorite fish for anglers. Good baits for channel catfish include nightcrawlers, worms, stink bait, liver, shrimp, bacon and hot dog chunks. Flathead catfish grow larger than channel cats and prefer live bait. Small sunfish are a favorite bait for fans of the flathead. Goldfish and large minnows are excellent baits for flatheads.