[Pegleg]

This is a Armored Catfish I caught in a phosphate pit outside of Brandon,Fla. Saturday.

 

[Jared]

Yeah they are pretty cool fish. They are commonly known as Pleco (pronounced Play-Co) in the fresh water aquarium community. They also can be seen in pet stores being called algae eaters. Their real name is Plecostomus. Its pretty cool that you have them in Florida. I wonder if they are natural or an introduced foreign species.

What did ya catch him on?

 

[KeithsCatch]

They are definitely not native and the state wishes we would all kill them when caught. They are invasive. However, I have heard that the armored catfish is actually not the same as a regula Plecostemus??? They look very similar but the Armored Catfish has big scales that are tough and larger then normal Pleco's.

We have them by the millions probably down here. Some that get pretty large. Bass actually eat the small ones according to our fishery managers. I keep looking for a soft plastic immatator lure for those bass.

 

[mary dean]

Cool looking fish... nevermind those big words...

 

[Pegleg]

From what I hear those things are algae eaters. I was fishin with garlic cured liver. He kept messin with the bait but wouldn't pull the bobber under. I down sized to a #1 circle hook and finally hooked it. I hooked another one a little larger but it flipped off the hook when I lifted it.
This fish didn't seem to have scales. The skin felt like shark skin. Kind of like sandpaper.
Pegleg

 

[imonembad]

You have a recipe?

 

[sarahusmc]

I keep looking for a soft plastic immatator lure for those bass.

You could always go the the pet store and get live ones. lol. That would probably be expensive bait. Best of luck to finding a lure mimicking them! Let us know if you catch anything when you find one. That would be really neat!

 

[KeithsCatch]

Forgot all about this post. Never did find a soft plastic that looks just like them. Never did try much more after this to be honest haha.