Wading for catfish...

[DitchPanda]

Well I got back into this last summer in mid September, didn't take long to remember why I loved it. This year I'm gonna start a few months earlier just to get more days in. Got a bag of cut up Asian carp and I'm off til Wednesday, so tomorrow morning its go time. Anybody else enjoy wading small rivers for channel cats?

[Susky River Rat]

About once a year I’ll go catfishing. That about scratches that itch for me.  I’m just not into the sit and wait game. I enjoy casting. I am not discrediting the skill behind it to be good at it either. Just not something that gets me excited. 

[Bluebasser86]

3 hours ago, Darnold335 said:

About once a year I’ll go catfishing. That about scratches that itch for me.  I’m just not into the sit and wait game. I enjoy casting. I am not discrediting the skill behind it to be good at it either. Just not something that gets me excited. 

Wading for them isn't really a waiting game, it's almost as mobile as bass fishing. I fish a spot for 5 minutes tops without a bite before I'm on the move again. Drift a bait under a bobber to cover water just like a moving bait for bass, it's a good time. 

[DitchPanda]

17 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Wading for them isn't really a waiting game, it's almost as mobile as bass fishing. I fish a spot for 5 minutes tops without a bite before I'm on the move again. Drift a bait under a bobber to cover water just like a moving bait for bass, it's a good time. 

That's my style to...move move move until I find active fish.

[Susky River Rat]

51 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Wading for them isn't really a waiting game, it's almost as mobile as bass fishing. I fish a spot for 5 minutes tops without a bite before I'm on the move again. Drift a bait under a bobber to cover water just like a moving bait for bass, it's a good time. 

I’ve never seen it or heard of people doing that around here. Most people do 30 minutes to an hour in a spot.

[T-Billy]

I take the wife catfishing once or twice a year. We fish from the boat, but as @Bluebasser86 mentioned if there's fish in a spot, there's not much waiting involved. We hit the local river and run spot to spot, not waiting more than 5-10 minutes for a bite. If they're there, it doesn't take em long to find your bait. 

I just anchor on the upstream side of a log jam or hole, and drop baits back into it.

[DitchPanda]

1 hour ago, Darnold335 said:

I’ve never seen it or heard of people doing that around here. Most people do 30 minutes to an hour in a spot.

That's the old school approach...the way my dad and grandpa taught me to do it. Once I started reading Doug Stanges cat fishing articles it completely changed my approach.

[Susky River Rat]

2 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

That's the old school approach...the way my dad and grandpa taught me to do it. Once I started reading Doug Stanges cat fishing articles it completely changed my approach.

I do know one guy who gives each area 15 minutes. They are either there or not. He is still the abnormal around here with that. I do know they will make drifts for blue cats in the summer down below the wingo.

[TnRiver46]

Heck yeah, channel cats are some mean son guns 

[Bluebasser86]

14 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

That's the old school approach...the way my dad and grandpa taught me to do it. Once I started reading Doug Stanges cat fishing articles it completely changed my approach.

I grew up watching Doug Stange and Otis "Toad" Smith wading for catfish. Then my dad and I use to go out to the little creeks and catch them below the riffles usually. We used punch bait on a sponge back then, I'm strictly a cutbait guy now.

Back when I use to eat the fish I caught. 

[DitchPanda]

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I grew up watching Doug Stange and Otis "Toad" Smith wading for catfish. Then my dad and I use to go out to the little creeks and catch them below the riffles usually. We used punch bait on a sponge back then, I'm strictly a cutbait guy now.

Back when I use to eat the fish I caught. 

I'm primarily cutbait now, but there's something about stinkbait especially when the rivers really low and hot. I still watch some of those old In fisherman catfish dvds...good stuff.

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

I'm primarily cutbait now, but there's something about stinkbait especially when the rivers really low and hot. I still watch some of those old In fisherman catfish dvds...good stuff.

I had them too, but they were VHS ?

[DitchPanda]

59 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I had them too, but they were VHS ?

Had those first then "upgraded"

[VolFan]

I do a lot of drifting and pulling for catfish…it’s mostly replaced bass fishing for me on my major lakes. Great action and fish from 2 lbs up to 40+. It’s as great time.