Art Lander’s Outdoors: Kentucky’s so-called rough fish species are taken by wide range of methods

Many anglers are familiar with the sport fish species in Kentucky’s lakes, rivers and streams.

But Kentucky waters also support a number of fish species that can grow to enormous size, that anglers may not be as familiar with, because they are not actively fished for, are of low food value, or restricted to specific habitats.

Kentucky is home to a total of 248 native fish species with an additional 19 species that have been introduced either intentionally or accidentally, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR).

Some are these fishes are the so-called rough fish species, netted by commercial fishermen and sold to fish markets. Some are gigged and snagged seasonally, or shot with arrows by bow fishermen. A few of the species are taken by both sport and commercial fishermen because of their high food value.

Here are four examples:

Paddlefish roe caviar (Photo courtesy Caviar Lover)

• Paddlefish — The Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) is found in the Tennessee, Cumberland, Green, Kentucky and Little Sandy rivers, and other tributaries to the Ohio River. Its common name is spoonbill.

The Paddlefish is a filter feeder, using the long spatulate projection of its snout to muddy up water on soft bottoms, and gill rakers to filter out plankton. Because of this feeding behavior Paddlefish are not ofter caught by anglers.

But, by regulation, if a Paddlefish is caught on hook and line the angler may keep the fish, if so desired, The daily creel limit is two, and there is no minimum size limit.

Most Paddlefish are taken by commercial fishermen. While its flesh is tough and of low food value, its dark to light gray colored eggs (roe) make excellent caviar, comparable to imported caviar.

The Kentucky state record Paddlefish weighed 106 pounds and was taken from the Ohio River on March 24, 2004.

• Catfish — Catfish are pursued by both sport anglers and commercial fishermen because of their high food value and the large size they can reach.

The three main species are:

Blue catfish sampled from Taylorsville Lake (Photo from KDFWR)

1. The Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) can attain enormous size, with 20-inch to 50-inch fish, that can weigh up to 30 pounds, being fairly common. This catfish, which thrives in current, is native to the lower Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and their major river tributaries, including the Tennessee, Cumberland, and Green. The state record Blue Catfish weighed 106.90 pounds and was caught from the Ohio River in 2018.

2. The Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is by far the most widely distributed catfish species in Kentucky. Adults are commonly 12 to 20 inches long, and on rare occasions 30 inches or more. They are tolerant of turbidity and can live in warm water. The Channel Catfish is native to all of the state’s river drainages and there are significant populations in about 20 major lakes. Populations are sustained by natural reproduction and annual or periodic stockings.

3. The Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) is more common than Blue Catfish, but less abundant than Channel Catfish. Flathead catfish can grow to enormous size. Fish ranging from 15 inches to 50 inches, weighing up to 60 pounds, are common. They can live for 20 years. The Flathead Catfish is most abundant in the Ohio River, and its major tributaries, thriving in large impoundments. Populations are sustained by natural reproduction.

While there is no daily creel limit or minimum size limit on small catfish, trophy fish creel limits and minimum size limits are in effect. Consult the regulations in the 2024-25 Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide on page 5.

(Image from Bing Images)

• Carp — With their high reproductive rate and few predators, Carp numbers can quickly climb to a high percentage of the water body’s carrying capacity of fish. In fact, all nine of the most prominent species of carp in family Cyprinidae, are considered globally invasive species.

1. The Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio), a non-native species, is found statewide, in all of Kentucky’s major river drainages, and large populations are present in many major lakes. Adults grow to about four feet and can reach 80 pounds, with individuals in the 30-inch size range weighing up to 20 pounds.

Most anglers consider the Common Carp to be a nuisance “trash” fish, a bottom feeder of poor quality flesh. The Common Carp can be caught on prepared baits (dough) and worms.

The silver carp is one of three Asian carp species (Graphic from KDFWR)

2. Four species of non-native, invasive carp include the Asian Carp (Bighead, Silver, and Black) and Grass Carp. These fish are reproducing statewide and threaten Kentucky’s aquatic ecology by outcompeting native fishes for forage (zooplankton and fry). Their populations in some areas are expanding at an alarming rate. The Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), often referred to as the white amur, has been stocked in Kentucky waters for years.

Adults can grow to about four feet in length and weigh up to 100 pounds, although most fish reported from Kentucky are less than 50 pounds. The Grass Carp can eat up to 40 percent of its body weight in aquatic plants every day. The triploid, non-reproducing, grass carp have been introduced into farm ponds, small lakes and a few major lakes as biological control for unwanted aquatic vegetation, but escapees from these stockings are taken regularly by hook and line anglers and bow fishermen from larger streams and rivers, particularly in western Kentucky.

• Gar — There are four species of gar in Kentucky with the highest populations in western Kentucky’s rivers, lakes and wetlands.

Alligator gar (Image from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

1. The Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spathula) is the largest of the living gar species and one of the largest freshwater fishes in North America.

Now in its 15th year, Kentucky’s Alligator Gar restoration program continues with its long-term goal of restoring self-sustaining populations of this iconic, native species back into suitable habitat in the state. Alligator Gar may not be creeled, it’s a catch and release fishery.

2. The Longnose Gar (Lepisosteus osseus) is easily distinguished from other gars by having an extremely long and narrow snout. The Longnose Gar is the most abundant of the four species in Kentucky, capable of growing to six feet in length and weighing up to 50 pounds.

3. The Spotted Gar ( Lepisosteus oculatus) has a unique pattern of large spots on the top of head and body. Coloration is brown to olive green, becoming paler on the sides and whitish to pale yellowish below.

4. The Shortnose Gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) is similar to spotted gar, but lacks spots on head and body.

The Spotted Gar and Shortnose Gar are rather small, usually less than three feet in length and weighing five to 10 pounds.

Gar are fish eaters. They can be caught still fishing live minnows, and casting small floating/diving crankbaits. They are a challenging target for bow fishermen. Their bony flesh is not considered high quality tablefare, and their eggs are toxic to humans.

Commercial fishing

The rough fish that have economic value and are harvested by licensed commercial fishermen from Kentucky’s rivers and lakes are Asian Carp, Paddlefish eggs (roe), Catfish, and three species of Buffalo (Bigmouth, Smallmouth and Black Buffalo). These species bring in the most dollars to commercial fishermen.

In 2021 Kentucky had 278 licensed commercial fishermen. Commercial fishing tackle includes trotlines, gill nets, hoop nets, slat traps and seines. By regulation, commercial fishermen must place metal “gear tags” on their nets, as a form of identification. Not all lakes, their tailwaters, and rivers are open to commercial fishing. Consult the regulations.

Art Lander Jr. is outdoors editor for the Northern Kentucky Tribune. He is a native Kentuckian, a graduate of Western Kentucky University and a life-long hunter, angler, gardener and nature enthusiast. He has worked as a newspaper columnist, magazine journalist and author and is a former staff writer for Kentucky Afield Magazine, editor of the annual Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide and Kentucky Spring Hunting Guide, and co-writer of the Kentucky Afield Outdoors newspaper column.