Catfish in the Upper Delaware

Posted 8/21/12

NARROWSBURG, NY — Louie Gocek said he thinks channel catfish are just about the best-tasting fish in the Upper Delaware River. He posed with his catch after a night on the river.

He said he …

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Catfish in the Upper Delaware

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NARROWSBURG, NY — Louie Gocek said he thinks channel catfish are just about the best-tasting fish in the Upper Delaware River. He posed with his catch after a night on the river.

He said he first noticed the catfish in the river about 15 years ago, but now, he said, they seem to get bigger every year.

He said, “A lot of people think they are a slow, deepwater fish, but actually they hang out in the rapids. They’re real fast and they eat everything from trout to blue gill and more.”

Gocek said he recently cut one open, and found half of a 10-inch trout in the stomach.

According to information on the website of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, www.fish.state.pa.us, channel catfish are not believed to be indigenous to the river but have been well stocked in it for many years.

The site says, “Naturalized (self-sustaining) channel catfish populations now occur in the Susquehanna River and Delaware River drainages.”

While the state does stock some waters with channel catfish, such as Prompton Lake, it does not stock the Delaware River.

The website also says that channel fish are categorized as panfish and as such, “With respect to harvest management, inland regulations accommodate harvest of 50 panfish, combined species, which includes channel catfish. No minimum size limit or seasonal restrictions apply.

“Channel catfish are a prolific species in some habitats in Pennsylvania but are unable to sustain themselves in others. The reasons for this are not known. It is suspected that necessary spawning elements are not available where natural reproduction does not sustain a fishery. Channel catfish spawning requirements are rather specific. Successful reproduction requires water temperature to reach 80°F and overhead cover such as an overhanging bank, overhanging rock, or hollow log in which to construct a nest, spawn and incubate eggs.”

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