Virtually all of the waters in state parks across northern Louisiana have populations of channel catfish. Photo by John E. Phillips.

My brother-in-law, Roy Dupree, is a serious catfisherman. Living on Clear Lake in Natchitoches Parish, he knows he can catch channel catfish on his trotlines just about any time of year he chooses.

Dupree sets his lines differently than most trotliners. He drops the baited lines to the bottom, knowing that catfish tend to grub around in the mud for something to eat.

However, he avoids baiting his lines in summertime because oxygen levels at the bottom of the water column are low or nonexistent and any fish taking the bait quickly die from lack of oxygen.

Although Dupree's experiences confirm that there are certain methods for catfishing that should be avoided in warm weather, summer is an excellent time to catch catfish on any number of Louisiana's lakes. You just need to employ methods that keep catfish alive and kicking when brought to the net.

With summer coming on, a host of Louisianans starts tuning in to things to do outdoors when the weather heats up. Louisiana didn't get its nickname, Sportsman's Paradise, for no reason; there is plenty to do outside and ample spots to do them, especially if your preference turns to fishing for catfish.

In the Bayou State, there is no shortage of whiskerfish, which ply our state's waters from border to border. There are four main varieties of cats that call Louisiana home -- bullhead, flathead, blue and channel catfish. Since the channel cat is the most sought species in general, let's take a closer look at these fish that are fun to catch and to eat.

The Louisiana state-record channel catfish is 30.31 pounds, but the vast majority of our channel cats run significantly smaller. Even so, a 5-pounder on light tackle can give an angler a serious bout.

Channel catfish are more streamlined in shape than the other varieties of catfish in the Pelican State. They are silvery in color with scattered small black spots along the sides and sport a deeply forked tail. Channel cats are similar to appearance to blue catfish, especially in smaller models. If you catch one weighing 50 pounds, be assured it's a blue catfish, because channel catfish don't attain weights nearly as heavy.

If you want to get technical and nail down the identification, check out the anal fin. That fin on a channel catfish has up to 29 rays and is rounded, whereas the blue cat has 30 or more rays and has a straight outer edge.

If there is one thing certain about a channel catfish, its food preference runs the gamut. Channels eat just about anything, alive or dead, including red wigglers, Canadian night crawlers, catalpa worms, minnows, crawfish and crickets. They also drool over stink baits, as well as rancid cheese, congealed blood, fish guts, chicken livers and can even be caught on chunks of Ivory soap, wieners, dog food or just about anything else organic.

Channel catfish serve as the main entree at hundreds of catfish restaurants in Louisiana. The fish served at such eateries are pond-raised fish raised entirely for the market.