Blue cats somewhat resemble a channel cat. The tail is deeply forked, but the color is more of a slate blue, and dark spots are absent. As described above, the distinguishing characteristic is the anal fin with a straight margin.

GEARING UP
Catfishing gear need not be complicated, but it must be up to the challenge of landing a large fish from the rough neighborhoods they live in. Winching a big fish out of a pile of timber is not for ultralight tackle. A heavy-duty spinning or baitcasting outfit spooled with 20-pound or heavier monofilament or braided line, a few strong 4/0 or larger baithooks, and a pocketful of heavy slip-sinkers are all that is needed. A reel with the "baitclicker" feature is nice but not absolutely necessary.

A simple fishfinder rig -- a slip-sinker ahead of a swivel, followed by a couple of feet of leader, and then the hook -- will be the ticket. This rig is easy to cast, and lets a fish take the bait without feeling the resistance of the heavy weight. The size of the weight depends on the current. In slack conditions, a 1/2-ounce sinker should be fine. Strong current may call for 2 ounces or more of lead to keep your bait firmly anchored to the bottom.

One key to keeping the number of snags to a minimum is to get your bait on bottom and keep it pegged to one spot. Large fish call for large bait, which catches a lot of water. In current, using just enough weight to get the bait to the bottom results in lost rigs. The current pushes against the bait and slowly moves it along the bottom dragging the lead until it snags.

When it comes to bait, shad are hard to beat. A big live shad catches the eye of trophy catfish looking to fill their bellies in one gulp. For lots of action, just about any size catfish will find a piece of cut bait. Cut a shad in half making sure to leave the guts with the head and cast that part out. It shouldn't take long for the rod tip to start bouncing.

Other old standby baits like chicken livers, night crawlers, and dead shrimp attract a lot of strikes too, but it is sometimes difficult to get the little fish to leave your bait alone long enough for the "keepers" to catch a whiff and mosey over to have a taste.

Acquiring bait is as simple as finding a spot where shad congregate. A few good throws with a cast net should give you all you need. If shad are hard to come by, bream can be used for bait. Bream cannot be legally taken in a cast net, but a few minutes work with a bream pole, tiny hook, and pinch of worm around some shallow rocks or brush should put bait in your bucket.

Catfish feed best under the cover of darkness and during low light conditions, but good fishing can be had during the day too. Contrary to the stereotype of an old, grizzled river rat camped out for days at a time waiting on that one big bite, the most productive catfish anglers know when to hold them and when to fold them. Set up on a likely spot like a deep hole or channel drop-off and put out your bait. If things aren't going your way in 30 minutes or so, don't be afraid to head for greener pastures. The move need not be far. Sometimes just relocating a few cast lengths away is all it takes to improve your fortunes.