SUNBURY —
One of the species in our river that often gets overlooked is the good old channel catfish.
I must admit that I have forsaken this whiskered battler for the past few years. I was into it for a while, but my catfish rod has now gathered a respectable layer of dust. When the smallmouth bite gets tough, it might be a good idea to put some new line on the old cat rod, add a drop or two of oil to the reel, and see if the Coleman lantern still works.
Channel cats will hit just about anything. When bass fishing, I have had them hit topwaters, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. They hit like a Mack truck, and I’m not sure why I’m a little disappointed to see it’s an 8-pound channel cat instead of a 5-pound smallmouth. I still smile though. I’ve had a couple of hits from channel cats that nearly tore the rod out of my hands.
But if you want to catch channel cats consistently, you can’t beat still fishing with a box of nightcrawlers, a forked stick and, if it’s a warm night, a lantern.
If you are really into the cats, you hope a fallfish finds the worm. It’s hard to beat a chunk of “river chub” for catties. Any kind of good-sized minnow works, too. I like to take the tip of my knife and poke holes all through the minnow. Old whiskers will find the blood trail.
There are lots of commercially made prepared baits that work well, too. They stink to high heaven and a pair of plastic gloves are nice to have when using the stuff. Push the hook into the bait, then sort of mold the bait around the hook. Chicken liver is another old standby, along with cheese and just about anything else that has a healthy (or unhealthy) odor.
Any old rod and reel will do, as long as the drag works and you have good line. Twelve-pound test would be the minimum line I would use, but I’m a lot more comfortable with 17 or 20. There are cats out there that will tear you up and I’ve heard stories of heavier line than that getting snapped on a freight-train run of what probably was a monster cat.
Channel cats are found throughout the river, just about anywhere you can wet a line, you’ll likely find some catfish. The best areas, especially in the evenings, are the heads of deep holes. As light fades, the bigger cats move out of holding areas and hunt upstream.
There are a couple of tried-and-true laws of trophy channel cattin’. To increase your odds, don’t take a camera along. To further increase your odds, don’t take a net. And lastly, the chances of a truly large catfish are increased both proportionately to the distance you get away from your rod, and to the lesser degree of attention you are paying to the rod tip.
Munching out on a sandwich, getting a drink and telling or listening to a good fish story all increase your odds. Telling your buddy to watch your rod while you make a trip to the bushes is a sure way to have your buddy catch the biggest cat of his life, on your rod, no less.
Yup, I think it’s time to get the cat rod out.
n Ken Maurer, Herndon, is a licensed fishing guide and a regular contributor to the outdoors page. Email comments to kenrose@tds.net
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