Catfish keeping

Question
Hi Jack,
I have a friend who is new to fishing and was told that after catching a catfish she should leave it in the well or on a stringer until it "vomits" so that it will not taste bad.  Have you ever heard of such?!!?  Were they pullin her leg?  Both of our husbands fish, but have never heard of this. Truth?

Answer
Hi Betsy; I think someone has a hold of her leg and having a laughing fit while he pulls it.  I have fished for and eaten catfish for nearly 70 years and have been around a lot of catfishermen including my uncles who for years fished commercially for catfish in the Ohio River in Southern Indiana and I have never heard of this.
Also I can see no advantage of having the fish vomit to make it taste better.  The food the catfish has eaten is in the gastro-intestional system which is thrown out when dressing the fish.  Unless in dressing the fish one is careless and cuts the intestine allowing fluid to spill over the flesh of the fish this fluid has no way of affecting the fish.  However if one does vomit in the live well I would remove it and pump the well and put in fresh water.  Not to do so might affect the flavor of the fish.
I am telling you this from only experience not from a scientific approach.  Someone might take a scientific approach and test to see if a vometed fish tasts better than a non vometed one.  I still think it is someone trying to pull a fast one on your friend.

Thanks for calling on me to answer your question.  I hope it has been of some help.  If there is any other things that I can help with please contact me on All Experts.

I am
Jack L. Gaither
Lake Seminole, Georgia.