Gafftopsail catfish

US fish and state coverage

Bagre marinus

A state link is a recorded source association, not a catch guarantee or confirmation that targeting is legal. Check current regulations with the responsible state agency.

Peak months
Typical depth
Typical size
Up to 27 inches (10 pounds) Coastal waters; may enter brackish waters A good food-fish that is usually less common than the hardhead catfish
Catch minimum
National record

See state records · Browse all fishing records

Biology, seasons and size reflect the canonical source record, which may contain Florida context. They are not state-specific guidance for every linked state. Missing fields remain unfilled.

Overview

Habitat summary
Coastal waters; may enter brackish waters
Water type
saltwater

When to fish

Good months
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec

Where to fish

Habitat summary
Coastal waters; may enter brackish waters
Habitat zone
inshore
Fishing zone
brackish

How to catch

Techniques
bottom fishing on cut bait

Bait & lures

Preferred bait
cut bait; shrimp

Size

Typical size
Up to 27 inches (10 pounds) Coastal waters; may enter brackish waters A good food-fish that is usually less common than the hardhead catfish

Records

Recorded catches retain their source scope; state and world catches are not national records.

state record evidence

Source context: Florida

Record type
florida state
Record weight lb
9.0
Record location
Jupiter
Record date
03/14/2013
Record angler
Dale Jordan
Record catch text
9.0 lb; by Dale Jordan; on 03/14/2013; at Jupiter

Browse sourced catches for this species

Related states & places

Place links are planning context, not proof of local species presence. Florida city links marked local context follow existing directory relationships, not catch reports.

Source-linked directories

Real local listings currently cover Florida only. Boat-ramp, charter and creator links below follow existing Florida species relationships. Bait-shop links are city context only, not species-targeting evidence.

Boat ramps — Florida

Selected examples from 1020 source-linked directory records.

Browse the Florida boat ramps directory

Charter captains: no matching local listing in the source for this species.

Bait shops — Florida

Selected examples from 621 source-linked city-context records.

Browse the Florida bait shops directory

Fishing creators — Florida

Selected examples from 7 source-linked directory records.

Browse the Florida fishing creators directory

For other linked states, local listings are not in the source yet; use the state and species guides above.

Related species

Navigation links share a recorded scientific genus or a source state and water-type grouping. This is not a claim of identical habitat or legal targeting.

Source evidence by state

LoveToFish is a national fishing guide. Fish species coverage spans all 50 states. Ramp, charter, bait shop, and creator directories currently cover Florida. Verify current local regulations with the responsible agency.