Lake & Reservoir catfishing tips
From a guides point of veiw
Anchoring
Above is a good example of an ideal anchoring location.Its a point extending all the way out to the main river channel with flats on each side.The lightest shade of blue indicates the shallowest water.Blues, channels and flatheads use areas like this to lay in, hide, ambush and feed in.The river channel is like a highway for them to travel in also.In late summer through winter, when the oxygen levels are ideal on the bottom in deep water, the cats usually lay in the channel, both the bottom of it and on the ledges when they are not aggressive.As they become aggressive, they will move up the ledges, feeding as they go and continue roaming and feeding on the flats and up on points and humps.
A spot like this allows you to cover a variety of different areas all at the same time.
1. You have a couple of baits right near an almost vertical drop right off into the channel.(prime spot from late summer till early spring)
2. You have flats on each side of the point, where cats will be roaming.
3. You have baits up on the point and on the ledges of each side of the point.
All of these are good areas but put together usually makes them very good areas.Areas like this on most lakes are usually worth sitting on for a good while.Find an area like this with lots of timber or rocks or both and you have a good flathead spot.This is what I call a high traveled area and the fish are gonna feed at some point.Being there when they do can pay off big, it just might take some patience sometimes.On certain lakes, I will give a spot like this as long as an hour and 30 minutes, sometimes longer if its a proven spot.
Anchoring on flats alone is a little different.Most of the time when catfish are roaming flats, they are usually in a feeding mood.If the fish dont start feeding with-in 25 to 35 minutes after you cast your last bait in the water then its usually best to move on.The move dont always have to be to far.Sometimes just 100 yards or so on the same flat can put you in the action.When fishing on flats, I'll give a spot 10 to 15 minutes after the last fish is caught before I decide to move.
Theres lots of different situations that call for different anchoring locations and how long to sit.Tournament fishing, big fish fishing, numbers of small fish fishing and different seasons are just to name a few.More of that will be covered in the future, keep checking in.
A spot like this allows you to cover a variety of different areas all at the same time.
1. You have a couple of baits right near an almost vertical drop right off into the channel.(prime spot from late summer till early spring)
2. You have flats on each side of the point, where cats will be roaming.
3. You have baits up on the point and on the ledges of each side of the point.
All of these are good areas but put together usually makes them very good areas.Areas like this on most lakes are usually worth sitting on for a good while.Find an area like this with lots of timber or rocks or both and you have a good flathead spot.This is what I call a high traveled area and the fish are gonna feed at some point.Being there when they do can pay off big, it just might take some patience sometimes.On certain lakes, I will give a spot like this as long as an hour and 30 minutes, sometimes longer if its a proven spot.
Anchoring on flats alone is a little different.Most of the time when catfish are roaming flats, they are usually in a feeding mood.If the fish dont start feeding with-in 25 to 35 minutes after you cast your last bait in the water then its usually best to move on.The move dont always have to be to far.Sometimes just 100 yards or so on the same flat can put you in the action.When fishing on flats, I'll give a spot 10 to 15 minutes after the last fish is caught before I decide to move.
Theres lots of different situations that call for different anchoring locations and how long to sit.Tournament fishing, big fish fishing, numbers of small fish fishing and different seasons are just to name a few.More of that will be covered in the future, keep checking in.
