# Bluecats in the Scioto?



## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Anyone ever caugh, seen, or heard of it? I used to read posts on GFO about guys catching them north of circleville but a lot of guys on that page couldnt ID a bluegill from a crappie sooo. Anyone?


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## BigChessie (Mar 12, 2005)

I doubt it, head over to the St James and pull in a 50 lb +


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## bronzebackyac (Apr 19, 2005)

I know of some Blues being caught on the River south of Chillicothe. Mostly on Cut gills. and creek chubs.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Most of the people who say they have caught a blue on the scioto have in fact caught a channel cat..My opnion is that there is no bluecats in the scioto.


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## BigChessie (Mar 12, 2005)

> Most of the people who say they have caught a blue on the scioto have in fact caught a channel cat..My opnion is that there is no bluecats in the scioto.


Guy never fails to impress me! Too bad it does not rub off on Mellon. lol


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## bronzebackyac (Apr 19, 2005)

I personally have not seen one but the guy who said he has caught them said they were in the 15+ range which is a really nice channel. Also I find it hard to believe that a Blue can be in the Ohio and not the Scioto. I know there are not many in the ohio around here and more in the latter parts toward the Misissippi. Don't some lakes around here that flow into the Scioto have Blues. Rocky Fork or Paint Creek, Deer creek? I have heard of Blues in Paint Creek, but again never confirmed. What do you think Flat?


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

There are blues in the ohio in the southwest part of the state...I think the numbers of blues farther north in the ohio are extremly small..I dont think any of those lakes you mentioned have bluecats but anything is possible...As far as a 15-lb channle, yea they are in there that size, but if they are catching alot of them that big, I guess it's possible they are bluecats


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I cant beleive I'm going to give Jack's fish free advirtisement, but here goes....


If I had caught this monster, I would have swore that it was a blue cat, but in reality it is a Channel Cat. I too think the majority of "Blues" caught in water that normally don't have Blues are really Channel Cats.


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## bronzebackyac (Apr 19, 2005)

Yeah I would think that is a blue too. You have to look at the anal fin to tell don't ya?


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## BigChessie (Mar 12, 2005)

> You have to look at the anal fin to tell don't ya?


Tell ya what. use catsfisherguys sures be ez. I'm not gonna touch this ones.


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## bronzebackyac (Apr 19, 2005)

say what?


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## Master Angler (May 26, 2004)

I agree that 99% of "blues" are really blue color phase channels. It takes about 2 seconds to tell the difference. True blue cats have a flat edge anal fin and channels have a rounded from edge anal fin. Unfortunately in Jack's pic this detail is partially obscured. I've caught channels as blue as Jack's - esp. around the spawn and always very large specimens. Color is the worst trait to go by for any fish id - too variable. You can also count the rays in the fin but I cant remember the exact range for blues and channels - but they are exclusive with blues having alot more rays.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Well I am going to ask DNR and EPA for a straight answer. Will post results.


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

From what I understand, the tail of a channel is more of a V and the blue has a more rounded V.

I would think that below the last dam and the Ohio river there would be SOME blues and north of there few and far between.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

The fish in my pic is a male channel cat in full spawn mode, swollen head and all.


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Channel cats seem to have a deeper forked tail than the Blues they also have 24-29 rays on there anal fin, Blues have 30 or more rays on there anal fin. Another trait that I have seen over the years is the Blues have sort of a hump above there eyes right in the middle of there head, seems to be more so in the bigger fish.


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## FINMAN (Apr 14, 2004)

Caught it in July of last year above Griggs dam on a gob of crawlers. I thought it was just another channel. AKLAC pointed it out when I posted the pic.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

That looks like a scioto channel cat to me.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I would have figured that to be a reg ole Channel too.


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## rockbass (Apr 16, 2004)

I see a channel cat for sure does not even look like a blue at all


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