Do catfish school like some other fish?

Catfish do not school in the sense that you would think. Catfish will be found in the same areas as other catfish, but they do not huddle together as other species do. This is probably because they are a predator and need plenty of room to lash out at their prey. River cats can be considered schools because the areas that they live around are generally smaller and the food source is in one area. I like to say that no, catfish are not schooling fish. I am sure that some anglers will disagree, but I still say no. If you were to compare schools of crappie and bass to a catfish supposed school, it would look must different. You would find a few cats together where you would find large numbers of crappies and bass together in one area. Catfish are scavengers and have to be on their own to find their own source of food. If they were all together, the food source would not be enough for all of them in one area. Since catfish can become so large, they need a larger amount of food to survive and get that big. Therefore, if you hear someone or myself say that the catfish school, it is probably just a term that comes naturally to anglers when they see a small or large group of fish. However, catfish as we know them are not schooling fish in the terms as it is meant. I hope this sheds some light on the matter of schooling and catfish.