Many years ago, one of our neighbors was an engineer for Alabama Power and had the opportunity to dive with a maintenance crew checking Logan Dam at Lake Martin. This gentleman was 6'4" and weighed at least 250 pounds. He tells the tale of seeing catfish larger than his considerable bulk. He immediately ended his dive trip.
On the other Lake Martin near Jackson's Gap, Alabama I had enough blue catfish strike my top water lures that I no longer think of them as bottom feeders.