What is wrong with catfish for cats??

I have four feral cats outside and two former feral cats inside. I have been cooking
chicken (on sale) for the outside cats. I do not give them skin or bones. Also, I give them dry food. They love both.
Yesterday because catfish was on sale for 99 cents a pound, I bought about 5 pounds of it. This morning I tried to give them raw catfish (no go,) and then I cooked it in the microwave and chopped it up with a little juice (no go again.) Why is this? I am looking at a lot of catfish and I don't look forward to eating all of it.
Maybe I should invite neighbors down for coleslaw, hush puppies or cornbread, and fried cat fish? OR do the cats know something that I don't know about cat fish???