PlanetCatfish.com

I just caught one this morning while fishing and I just realized how pretty they are. Only problem is they get so stinkin big. Anyone ever kept them?

They really get way too big to be considered for the home aquarium, although a very few did appear in the UK before shipments from the US became heavily regulated.

As juveniles they are very nice fish. As they mature they start to get darker and a lot more vicious. You will need a huge tank to keep these guys happy (couple hundred gallons).
They are sold in the US in almost every single LFS. This worries me because I know most people don't have big enough tanks, and they also don't know what they are buying.

I've never seen one in a lfs. What I have seen tons of in lfs's is the channel cats.

oops. I thought he was talking about channel cats. Sorry, I miss read.

Only problem is they get so stinkin big

Yeah, especially when you consider that they grow to larger sizes than channel cats.
A pity, really. Was it large enough for the grill?

hehe yeah it was about 18" and weighed in around 3lbs it was a fat one.

While on holiday in Menphis, some of the restraunts had catfish on the menu, would this be the same cat?

More likely to be channel cats. They are farm-raised after all.