Every day is different on the water - one day it’s blowing 30-40, the next day it blows in the opposite direction, and the following day he is hitting the creek. Pinpointing a strategy requires you to look at the day and the weather and adjust accordingly. Following a couple days of heavy rain, CatDaddy says he spent some time hitting the creek because he knew it would be running. Throwing shad guts, he says the catfish scooped them up almost immediately. On a windy day, after the water receded a bit and the creek wasn’t flowing as fast, CatDaddy says he honed in on the wind laden banks. In the places where water hits the red clay and creates a mud slick he says it causes a frenzy of action where the catfish head in and out, eating all of the available food and nutrients like night crawlers, mud, grass, and more.
In fisheries with an influx of water and a steady availability of bait, what kind of bait will trigger strikes from catfish? CatDaddy says you need to have a variety, 4 to 5 or more, of different bait options. Shrimp, night crawlers, stink bait, dip bait, punch bait, shad entrails, cut shad, shad heads, June bugs and more – anything and everything goes, says CatDaddy.
Because the lakes are so full of water, the catfish tend to spread out and when they do feed they can be more difficult to find. So, CatDaddy says he is looks for places that experience less dramatic, yo-yo like, rises and falls. This has been the craziest year in fishing he has ever experienced throughout his decades of guiding. It’s not a lost cause out there, the fishing is fantastic, you just have to find your new sweet spot.
“It’s time to go fishing,” CatDaddy says. If you want to have a blast chasing monster catfish this summer, be sure to hit up CatDaddy and secure a trip.
Rip some whiskers,
Trav