# River Catfish - favorite to eat fried?



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Ive been testing them all (channel, blue, & flatheads). Just finished a big meal of flatheads. My family all agree that our favorite fried catfish is Blue Cats!! Pretty sure channels would barely beat flatheads for second. They are all incredibly good. So what's your favorite???


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

Channel cats! Gotta love fresh, fried channel cats.


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## c_stowers (Jan 10, 2012)

Channel cats for me as well. I think the size matters most though. Larger fish don't taste as good IMO.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

Flatheads hands down. The rest taste to much like mud to me. And flatheads eat primarily live bait where as the other 2 will eat a turd if it floats by...


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Flatheads are my favorite closely followed by butter cats, then blues ,then channels.


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## gastonfish (Mar 24, 2012)

flathead for me and the family for sure. Blue cat second


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Flathead sliced into thin strips then deep fried. Small channel cats are a close second...


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## TeaSea (Sep 28, 2013)

Flatheads for me too. Under 4 lb is best and the closer to the tail, the better the flavor.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Its not even a question in my book. Flatheads are comparable to grouper.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

jcoss15 said:


> Flathead sliced into thin strips then deep fried. Small channel cats are a close second...


 guess I need to slice them thin and try flatties again - how thin?


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## TeaSea (Sep 28, 2013)

I just fillet the smaller ones and the big ones I cut into chunks an inch to an inch and a half square. Shake 'em in a bag with cornmeal based fish coating (like Zatterain's) and deep fry in really hot grease. They'll sink initially. When they float back to top they are done -- and it doesn't take long!!!!! I used to use a cast iron kettle on a propane burner and a full can of crisco. Fry your french fries first and wrap them in several layers of paper towels. Open a jar of bread and butter pickles, a little cole slaw on the side.........oh yeah, a yeungling in your left hand


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Try'n Hard said:


> guess I need to slice them thin and try flatties again - how thin?


 I like them about finger size maybe two fingers. IMO that's really the key to frying them and keeping them from being mushy. Big pieces or chucks are harder to fry all the way through and be firm.


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

Flat heads for sure


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

i like the flats myself also. does anyone other than me fry the small ones on the bone whole? probably my favorite way to eat them when I can get them that size.


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Flatheads #1, small (1 - 2 lb) blues or channels next fried whole, over 5 lbs, blue or channel fillets. Man I'm hungry...


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

I'm surprised that butter cats aka. bullheads, pollywoggs didn't make anyone else's list.


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

GROUPERKING said:


> I'm surprised that butter cats aka. bullheads, pollywoggs didn't make anyone else's list.


Oh yeah those are fine too, honestly I've never turned my nose up at any fried catfish...


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

GROUPERKING said:


> I'm surprised that butter cats aka. bullheads, pollywoggs didn't make anyone else's list.


Do those have a yellow looking meat. Skin and color look like a flat head? If it is we caught those in pond creek when I was a kid and yes I remember them being very good


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

That's the ones Tr'n.


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