Difference Between Channel and Mud Cats?

[TroutFool]

What is the difference between the two, and can you eat both or just one of them?

Thanks!
[signature]

[Stickleback]

If you look at a few pictures you will see that the tail is a big difference. Nthe bullhead (mud cat) has a rounded tail and the channel cat has a forked tail. Color is another indicator the mud cat is an orange shade of brown typically while the channel has green to grey color with a very white belly. The color changes on the channel cat as it gets bigger. When they are little they are a little greener and go to a grey as they get bigger. The really big ones are almost a blue color and some people confuse those with blue cats but there just channel cats. The mud cats don't get very big. The state record is just over 3 pounds compared to over 32 pounds for the channel.

I don't care much for eating fish, they are safe to eat but I found the effort is not worth it since they are so small. Any fish is better than no fish but big fish is funnier than small fish.
[signature]

[ratnest]

"The color changes on the channel cat as it gets bigger. When they are little they are a little greener and go to a grey as they get bigger."

I am no expert, but regarding the color referenced above. In the Channel cats, the females are more green to olive color, while the males are more of a grey to black color, depending upon the time of year. The Males typically have a larger, flatter head also.

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]"Mud cats" are black bullheads. A separate species from channel cats. Bullheads are much smaller, seldom getting much longer than about 13 or 14 inches in Utah Lake. That is small for a channel cat, with larger specimens exceeding 30 inches and 10 pounds.

Once you have caught and properly identified both species it is unlikely you will ever have difficulty distinguishing them again. See the attached pics, including the one showing the color and shape differences in male and female channel cats.

Both are excellent eating. But bullheads...being smaller...require more time and effort to fillet. And they should both be filleted and skinned. However, if you get enough bullheads to make a meal they are well worth the effort.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[SkunkedAgain]

Also remember that channels have spots when smaller... Later J
[signature]

[RockyRaab]

I think that bullheads got their "mudcat" nickname and reputation for being poor to eat from summer anglers. When waters get overly warm, not much else is willing to bite, and the high algae content of the water taints the flesh of the bullheads.

In Spring, however, they are very tasty indeed. In many places, they are one of the most popular fish being sought for the table.
[signature]

[fishinfool]

Pat,
So I had noticed the big heads on some of cats I have been catching, can I assume they are the males?

I was out the night before last and some guy caught a very big male probably around 8-9lbs. I caught few around the cookie cutter size like in your 2nd pick.
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]There are a couple of quick visual references you can use to distinguish the males. First is the very dark grey coloring...especially during the spawn. But they remain more grey all year compared to the normally olive color of the females. Second is that the heads on males are usually visibly wider than the body. Females have heads that are about the same width as their bodies. And a third is that the lips on the males often get big and puffy. Too much smoochin' during the spawn I guess.

Attaching some pics that also show a larger female in darker colors...during the spawn. That can make it difficult to tell the gender if you have not seen it before. And not all females darken up.

Most of the year the ratio of females to males caught is much higher...with not as many males being caught. But during the spawn and afterward there are more of them showing up. As a personal matter I release all males. They are usually not as meaty and tasty as females and since they are less common I release them to keep up the numbers.

This is the time of year we see some of the larger males...and some of them are really banged up. Last year, while fishing off Lincoln Beach, I witnessed a couple of big old males "duking it out" right on the surface only a few feet from where I was fishing. They kept rolling and biting on each other until they drifted a long ways down the shoreline. Never did see who won but they were both in the 30 inch class.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[CoyoteSpinner]

I've noticed the males also have something of a cleft down the skull.
Almost look like a basketball.

[skidmarximus88]

Caught this a couple weeks ago... Is it a male channel?
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Looks more like a female in spawning colors. They do not get as dark as males but darker than usual. The head appears to be narrower than a male's would be...and the body appears to be chunkier than a male also. Best angle to tell for sure is top down...so that you can easily see the wider head.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[quote CoyoteSpinner]I've noticed the males also have something of a cleft down the skull.
Almost look like a basketball.[/quote]

[#0000FF]That's from getting dribbled and slam dunked against the rocks by other male cats.[/#0000FF]
[signature]