How long do channel catfish live?

<h2>1 Yellowstone River > Montana</h2>“For sheer numbers of channel catfish, it’s tough to beat the Yellowstone River near Sidney in eastern Montana,” says Sidney resident Steve Harris. “They average 3 to 5 pounds, and you easily catch 20 to 30 cats a day. read more

Depending on the species, catfish can live from eight to 20 years though the Mekong giant catfish lives more than 60 years. Almost 3,000 species of catfish have been catalogued throughout the world, but it is thought that as many as 4,500 exist. read more

The world record channel catfish weighed 58 pounds, and was taken from the Santee-Cooper Reservoir in South Carolina, on July 7, 1964. Realistically, a channel catfish over 20 lb (9 kg) is a spectacular specimen, and most catfish anglers view a 10-lb (4.5-kg) fish as a very admirable catch. read more

To have a healthy pond that grows channel catfish to large sizes quickly, Herman says a disciplined feeding program must be implemented. “Since catfish are relatively cheap to buy from hatcheries, we recommend that our clients start with 8- to 12-inch stocker-size fish that retail for about $1 each,” he says. read more