Cleaning and Eating Channel Catfish in Manitoba

A delicious fish that you should try!

A simple and easy preparation will lend favour to creating many great and new dishes to land on your dinner table.
Catfish are one of the top consumed fish on the planet but less consumed in Manitoba, mostly due to misconceptions. The flesh is tender yet has great texture, is extremely versatile and packs a lot of flavour.

I spent many years under the assumption that channel catfish out of our local rivers and streams weren't something that you'd want to eat. I heard all of the stories, however, after doing some curious investigating I soon realized that this was all second or fourth-hand information. I also know very well that through my lifelong journey of learning the most that I can about wild food, that more often than not if someone tells you that something is inedible, but seems like it should be edible, they probably had a bad experience presented by someone who didn't quite know what they were doing.

After digging around and having some great experiences eating catfish at restaurants, it was time to start keeping a few cats from my fishing adventures which led me to a pleasant revelation; these fish are delicious and there's no reason why you shouldn't be eating them.

If you were to ask my kids what their favourite fish is to eat, they'd tell you that it's "popcorn catfish", which is small chunks of meat, coated well in a dry flour batter and deep-fried. Two other favourite preparations are to simply season and pan fry or to brine and smoke.

When it comes to angling the right catfish, finding an "eater sized" fish can be more difficult in the Red River, as there are so many large and Master Angler class fish. Focusing on the Assiniboine River, Lake Winnipeg and the Winnipeg River system are usually my first choices. You can pick a spot from shore on any of those bodies of water, toss in a pickerel rig with salted minnow and find a bite all summer long.

For more information on how to clean a channel catfish and some tips on how to prepare it for cooking, check out our Youtube video on how to fillet a catfish.

Author

Josh McFaddin | Hunt Fish Social Media

Josh McFaddin is a well known hunter, fisherman, gatherer, and wild game chef in Manitoba with an undying passion for the great outdoors.

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