Glamour species like largemouth bass, walleye and crappie get most of the attention in Kansas. But as per our angling heritage, catfish have long been the finned kings of Kansas.

Journals of early explorers and travelers across “The Great American Desert” wrote of easily catching catfish for dinner. Abe Burns and Jake Washington, legendary African-American anglers, came to Lawrence, Kan., in the late 1800s, and fed giant Kansas River catfish to thousands of people in local hotels and markets.

Catfish expansion

During our first century of statehood, catching catfish was akin to taking a trip to the garden on many poor Kansas farms. Our most famous angler, Harold Ensley, host of the long-running “Gone Fishing” television fame, started angling using staples from burlap bags tied to any string to catch bullheads and channel cats. His favorite spots were the now long-gone spring-fed seeps and jump-across creeks that once laced the high plains of Lane and Gove counties.

Today, catfish still play a huge role on the Kansas angling scene. They thrive naturally in about every flowing stream and reservoir. Last year, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks stocked over 1.5 million channel catfish, many large enough to eat, to keep anglers happy and well-fed.

Good eating

Eating catfish is as much a Kansas summertime tradition as homegrown tomatoes and corn on the cob. While catfish is always good when rolled in cornmeal and fried crisp, cooks have found ways to make it faster and with less mess.

One recipe provides all the taste and even an audible “crunch” without the frying. The Jalapeno Catfish dish works well with any size of catfish, but especially those with thicker fillets. Kettle-cooked chips are the key and the jalapeno style offer just enough spice to make things interesting without overpowering the taste of the catfish. To get that crunchy texture requires some time under the broiler. Check out the recipe below.

Jalapeño Catfish

Ingredients

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut fillets into 5-inch pieces, if needed. Mix beaten egg and milk. Let each piece of fish soak a few seconds in the mixture.

Press into the finely crushed potato chips until the fish is thoroughly coated. Place the fish in a baking dish coated in cooking spray, make sure there is a half-inch or so between pieces.

Bake, uncovered, until the fish flakes easily, typically 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove, and switch the oven to broiler setting. Preheat broiler element at 500 degrees.

Spray the top of each fillet until coated with spray cooking oil or spray butter. Place the fillets back in the oven, about 2 inches below the broiler. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until the top of the crushed chips begin to become dark brown. Remove.

Let cool a few minutes and serve. Squeezing fresh lime or lemon juice on the fish can enhance the flavor.

Finding catfish

A few minutes at Kansas Outdoors website will help you find the public catfishing spots. An interactive map will direct you to locations near you.

Be sure to check out the state’s Walk-In Fishing Area program. It leases access to over 40 miles of private streambanks and 80 private impoundments. The Community Fisheries Assistance Program leases over 13,000 acres of water, from 230 impoundments owned by 127 different communities around Kansas. Federal excise taxes on fishing gear fund most of both programs.

Pearce writes from Lawrence.