Catfish managers and researchers were asked to participate in an online survey describing current information needs, sampling techniques, and known gear biases for projects during 2002-2006. One hundred eighty two responses were collected in a four-month period in early 2006. Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were the most targeted species, followed by flathead (Pylodictis olivaris) and blue (I. furcatus) catfish, respectively. A variety of methods were used to collect catfishes. Flathead and blue catfish were most often sampled by low-frequency electrofishing (30 Hz or less), whereas channel catfish were often sampled with a variety of gears. Sixty-one percent of respondents indicated a need for information concerning sampling gear efficiency and gear bias. Limited quantitative information exists regarding bias of gears used to sample catfish, especially low-frequency electrofishing. As catfish sampling increases, future research should focus on quantifying the bias associated with various collection techniques so that the associated population metrics can be validated.
