Re: weird channel catfish
Last year I caught several channels from one lake that had from very minor to major kinks in their tails. I call a F&G biologist, and they told me they were hatchery fish, and that sometimes a major water temp change when they are fry, could cause weird tail deformities.
this is a cooling lake. but its a flooded well heres a pic. easier than a long discription. the blue dot is powerplant. and blue hatched is intake area. the red is the discharge canal. red hatched is the area betwen dewitt and weldon bridges that is warm water. and i mean real warm right now lol. so thats is one thing thats possible. as a fry if it moved from one area to the other it would have experienced real differences in temps. that water is real warm in the winter as well.
as far as hatchery fish. that i am certain its not.
from the dnr
CHANNEL CATFISH: Channel catfish have been a major part of the fishery in Clinton Lake. The population is self sustaining. Good numbers of catfish ranging in size from 8 to 16 pounds are caught each year. The majority of the catfish are caught in front of the discharge canal which opens to fishing on April 1 of each year. Also anglers will find catfish near the bridge openings that cross the lake. Water depth is good in these areas and there is a slight current coming through the openings. The discharge area of the lake is closed to fishing from October 10 through April 1. Trotline and jug fishing are restricted to the area eat of Parnell Bridge in the Salt Creek Arm of the lake, and to the area of the lake located north of the Davenport Bridge in the North Fork Arm of the lake. The trotlines must be attended at least once every 24 hours, and jug anglers must keep their jugs under constant surveillance, picking them up before leaving the lake.
