Lake Erie has been responsible for several of the state's largest channel cats during the past few years.

With a blue collar persona to match its whiskered mug, catfish are low on the gamefish glamour list. But if pugnacity, and impressive dimensions are attributes you seek, then they are worth their while.

Channel cats, forktails in cattin' lingo, are the foundation of the state's catfishing opportunities. Well distributed across much of Pennsylvania, this working-class whiskerfish can be found in rivers, streams and reservoirs.

Channel catfisheries can host good numbers of modest-sized fish or big fish, while sometimes having both. Currently, the channel catfish record stands at 35 pounds, 2.5 ounces. Caught from the Lehigh Canal by Austin Roth III, the record has stood since 1991.

Roth's trophy came from an eastern Pennsylvania water, where channel cats have been successfully introduced over the years. It is believed, however, that channel cats aren't native to the waters of the Atlantic slope, which in Pennsylvania include the Susquehanna, Delaware and Potomac river drainages.

Native channel catfish waters occur in the western portion of the state. The Ohio River drainage is considered the native range of the species.

Native or exotic, solid channel catfish fisheries exist in most areas of the state. In many instances, the populations are self-supporting. In cases where habitat limitations or other factors limit channel catfish reproduction, forktail numbers are bolstered by maintenance stocking by the Fish and Boat Commission.

Channel cats could be classified as both scavenger and predator. Traditional channel catfishing tactics often include using smelly non-living offerings like chicken liver, cut bait and commercial catfish concoctions.

But the opportunistic channel cat is not shy about hitting an artificial, such as a jig or crankbait. Three of the top five channel cats registered in 2007 in the annual big fish contest came from Lake Erie, where anglers often hook up on big forktails when pursing other species.

The lures listed for these catches, which included the top channel cat of the year at 24 pounds, were Erie Dearie, drop-shot rig and tube jig.

Across the state, channel cats commonly slam crankbaits intended for bass or walleyes. So you could say they are aggressive fish, willing to bite on a variety of presentations, which makes them a winner in most people's books.

Flathead catfish represent a smaller, but still significant, piece of the overall catfish picture. Like channel cats, flatheads are native to the Ohio River watershed.

In recent years, flatheads have been found in waters of the Susquehanna and Delaware rivers. In fact, the current state-record flathead was taken from the spillway section of Blue Marsh Lake. The 48-pound, 6-ounce shovelhead topped a 47-pound Ohio River fish that formerly held the record.

Flatheads show up in some odd places. A few years ago, fisheries management personnel discovered two big flatheads in Cambria County's Lake Rowena, a 13-acre lake best known for providing good action for stocked trout. It's believed the flatheads might have been introduced to the lake during channel cat stockings.

The best flathead fisheries tend to be in the native range of the fish. Decent numbers of flathead have been found in the Schuylkill River, though that population could negatively affect panfish species in that river section.

Whereas channel cats hit an assortment of baits and lures, flatheads are pretty much predators, preferring livebait.

The final component of the catfish puzzle is the bullhead. Though commonly pan-sized, both brown and yellow bullheads can grow to decent proportions.

Each year bullheads in the two- to –four-pound range are taken from state waters, though most catches run from 10 to 16 inches. Bullheads are eager biters, a plentiful resource often untapped in most waters and an excellent species to keep the attention of novice anglers.