It may come as a surprise to a lot of my trout fishing
buddies but one of my favorite species to pursue is the channel catfish. It’s
not a fish I chase for table fare or for its photogenic appearance. I pursue
channel cats because they really put up a fight! They also allow me the
opportunity to get nocturnal and get away from the crowds to relax. There is
something therapeutic about launching my boat under the moonlight and heading
to one of my favorite holes on the river for a little cat fishing.
Channel
cats are most active at night. They have a few traits that make them such
efficient night time hunters. First, they are armed with a very high amount of
olfactory receptors in their nostrils that give them an incredible sense of
smell. They are also equipped with four pair of whiskers that are covered with
taste buds. They are actually omnivores and will take a variety of baits. Savvy
anglers however choose baits that appeal to their two strongest senses, their
sense of smell and their external taste buds.
I’ve
experimented with a variety of different bait choices that included
commercially processed stink bait pellets, dead suckers, night crawlers and dip
baits. My confidence bait however for late summer cats is the lowly chicken
liver. A tub of chicken livers from your grocer’s meat department will last an
evening of fishing. It will also create a scent slick in the water that will
call cats in from long distances. We’ve set up one rod with night crawlers and
the other with chicken livers and caught 5 fish to 1 on the chicken livers, on
several different occasions. The hard part can be getting them to stay on the
hook. We listen carefully after casts and if a second splash is heard we reel
in and re-bait.
When
fishing at night I like to keep my rigs as simple as possible to avoid tangles.
It’s funny how we can go months without seeing a tangled line when fishing
during the day but as soon as we step foot in the boat after sunset we inevitably
have a rod tangled. A simple bottom fishing rig consisting of a large egg
sinker and 18” of leader is all that is needed. Spool up with a fluorescent 20
pound test monofilament. Catfish have very hard mouths so I choose to ante up
for the premium hooks that are chemically sharpened. I’ve taken my nieces and
nephews out and had success on circle hooks but for me not being able to set
the hook takes away from the experience. I prefer a 3/0 octopus style hook.
Before putting the rod into the holders I attach a glow stick to my rod tip for
visibility. I like the Cliplight from Starlite because it attaches directly to
the rod tip without tape or awkward attachments that come off during casts.
Many anglers will attach bells to their rod tips to signal strikes but I
personally tend to lose them when casting.
At night
channel cats are on the move feeding but you still want to position yourself in
a high percentage area. My favorite spots are at the heads of holes. I try and
set up where I can fish close to the drop off where the swifter water stops.
Other traditional spots to look for include wing dams, fallen trees and other
major current breaks. Channel cats will hunker down in deeper holes during the
day and come up shallow to feed at night. Two rod holders off the back of the
boat will allow you to anchor off the bow and keep lines tight to signal
strikes. Shore fishing is also a great option in many areas. Anglers use sand
spike rod holders to hold rods in place as they refresh baits and tend to the
fire.
While a ten
pound fish is very respectable, bigger specimens are possible. Trophy caliber
channel cats of 20 plus pounds are landed every year. The biggest specimen ever
caught was 58 pounds taken from the Santee Cooper Reservoir in South
Carolina .
Contrary to
popular belief the whiskers of a catfish are completely harmless and will not
sting you. When handling cats the part you want to avoid is the sharp spines on
the pectoral and dorsal fins. I usually grab catfish by the tail and place my
other hand under the belly to support the fish.
Get out and
chase channel cats whenever you get the opportunity. I used to fish cats with a
guy that claimed his biggest fish always came when the barometer was falling. I
would get late night phone calls claiming that the big cats were going to be “on”
and to grab my gear. Some nights they were and others not, so the jury is still
out on this theory. Make a stop at the grocery store for some chicken livers
and get nocturnal for big cats!
By: Garett Svir
Photography: Kim Svir
