Summertime . . .and the fishin' is lazy. If there's a single Texas fish that signifies summer, it has to be the catfish. Sure -- you catch cats year round, but right now, when the days are long, the sun is warm, and the livin' is easy, many anglers turn to Mr. Whiskers both for sport and for the skillet.

Here in the Hill Country we're blessed with three species of desirable catfish. The largest of the three is the Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus, sometimes called "Chucklehead" or "Hump." If you want to see how large a really big Blue can get, visit the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/hatchery/tffc/) four miles east of Athens, Texas on FM 2495. The star attraction is "Splash," a Texas-caught Blue Catfish, which at over 121 pounds is the world record. Central Texas anglers are usually satisfied with much smaller specimens. For eating purposes -- and for excellent sport on light tackle -- I think four or five pounds is about perfect.

Most of us who love catfish go after the mighty Blue's first cousin, the Channel Catfish Ictalurus Punctatus, sometimes called "Willowcat" or "Fiddler." Channels are raised commercially in Texas and other states and are the catfish most often offered on restaurant menus. You can find Channel Cats in virtually every waterway or lake in the Hill Country. The world record stands at 58 pounds, but the average Channel is much smaller at a couple of pounds.

The third member of the catfish triumvirate is another big boy that sometimes bumps the scale over 100 pounds. The Flathead Pylodictis olivaris, is generally called "Yellow cat" in Central Texas and "Opelousas" or simply "Op" in East Texas. Compared to Channels and Blues, Yellows are a different breed of cat, requiring different baits and sometimes different tactics.

Most catfish anglers use conventional tackle -- rods and reels or sometimes cane poles. Others use some form of set line -- trotlines or jug lines. The former is a long ma ...

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