I heard cats have special preparation requirements. There are no shortage of ways to prepare catfish, but like any fish there are a few things you need to watch out for first. The term 'fresh-fish' has unfortunately become an oxymoron in the last few years. In this day and age, our water ways are far from being pristine and pollution-free. Make sure no matter how you cook the fish that you allow any fluids from the cooking process to run off of the fish.
Some people wrap freshwater fish in foil and throw it over the heat.
While this is fast and convenient, it means that anything you 'cook off' the fish will puddle up in the foil and cook back into the fish. This is what can make you sick with any freshwater fish like Bass, Trout, Carp, Cats, or even panfish like Bluegill and Perch. Besides using an 'open' cooking method you will find that catfish can be prepared in a number of ways. Before you start cooking, some notes about cleaning Catfish. Like all fish and people, you tend to get a fair amount of Lactic Acid in your muscles after a good strenuous thrashing about.