By: Todd Wendorf – Date Posted: May 11, 2012

We have a dilemma.  With the unusually early, warm spring the normal fishing patterns are all screwed up.  Steelhead season began and ended very early in March. Lake Michigan spring run browns and lake trout have come and gone. So what’s a guy to do?

Well, we could bite the bullet and chase some panfish around, but that’s just not in my make-up.  As soon as some lab develops a 5 lb bluegill strain … I’ll dedicate time to them. Until then, I’ll only catch gills by accident. We could venture into one of the local walleye yielding rivers and bump elbows with everyone else there, but … no thanks! Or I suppose we could try to get our 14’ boats on Lake Michigan and chase walleyes or salmon. Sorry, but that’s just not for this old guy who values his ability to breathe.

So what do we do during spring in Wisconsin? Fortunately, that question was answered for me about a month ago when a fishing buddy called me up to “share an idea.” I could tell by the giggle in his voice this wasn’t just an idea … he had already tried it out and couldn’t wait to tell me about it. Here’s a little taste of our conversation:

“I think I’ve fallen in love,” he said.

“Ok … with who?” I responded.

“Not who … what?”

“OK … with what?” I asked again.

“Catfish.”

Ten minutes later I started to feel guilty about hanging up on him so I called him back:

“Tell me about it,” I tried again.

“I was out with another buddy on Saturday and we got 9 channel cats in 3 hours. The biggest was 14 lbs and we got them all in less than 3’ of water”

“Prairie du Sac?” I asked.

“Nope.”

“Prairie du Chien?” I asked again.

“Nope.”

“OK, where?” I just had to know.

“Madison.”

This time he called me back.

“Seriously! We caught them 15 minutes from your house … on the Madison chain … and we didn’t get out there until 9:00 am.”

When he told me I could sleep in and still catch 14 lb fish that aren’t spelled CARP I decided I had to try them out. I gathered a little more information from him and the following Saturday, accompanied by my beautiful bride, I proceeded to land the two largest cats I had ever seen in my life.

NOT Expert Advice!

After this rather amazing start to my catfishing endeavor I’d like to share a few things with you that I’ve learned over the past few weeks that may benefit you if you’re crazy enough to give it a try this spring, and later in summer.

First of all, this is very simple, relaxing fishing. It took me one trip to realize that this form of fishing was just made for enjoying an adult beverage while doing it (as long as you’re of age and not driving the boat/car, of course). Our technique is to find the warmest water you can near a river inlet and soak night crawlers under a float. Once you find the right location … you sit and wait. When you’ve given it an adequate amount of time … you forget about moving and just wait some more.  And enjoy another beverage.

Still Not Expert, But More Advanced Advice.

If you wish to give advanced catfishing a try, here are a few things I’ve picked up from the numerous articles and videos I’ve watched over the past month or so.

When fishing channel cats in inland lakes, don’t think like you’re on a stinky river. As I said earlier, we found lively night crawlers to be the most effective bait early in the year. Others swear by cut bait (fresh bluegills filleted and cut into quarters) and/or chicken liver (see Wal-Mart’s meat department). I have yet to catch anything on either, but I trust my sources. And to be honest with you, I think you’d actually have better luck throwing rattling crank baits than soaking stink bait. Channel catfish have millions on taste buds on their heads and barbels, but due to their advanced lateral lines they are also VERY attracted to sound when feeding in shallow water.  One article I read even suggested tossing rocks at your floats on occasion to attract them while they roam. I haven’t gone that far yet!

Load up a sturdy rod (I prefer 7’, medium action spinning rods) with 15-20 pound braided line and an 18” flouro/mono leader. Tie on a 2/0 circle hook and set a “Rocket Bobber” at about 6” off of the bottom. Then  toss the rig as far from the boat as you can … into the warmest water you can find. When you have all your rods out … crack a cold one open. (Hint: You may want to hold off on sharing a bag of chips with your buddies if you chose to try stinkbait and they forget their fishing towel).

Keep in mind that mud warms faster than rock or sand (bottom content), that the water flowing out of a river tends to be warmer than the stuff in the main lake, that wind blows warm surface water into a shoreline, and that water temperatures tend to peak during mid-afternoons. If you’re heading out on a cooler day … sleep in an extra hour, have a nice breakfast, read the newspaper, stock the cooler, and THEN head to the lake. There’s no need to hurry at all.

Mixed Bag.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most with this new hobby is the fact that I can take my wife, kids, and fishing novices out and have a great time.  By fishing with crawlers we’ve found there are very few dull moments. We’ve caught white bass, yellow bass, sheepshead, bluegill, bass, and carp … all on the same day and in the same spot. They all seek out warm water in spring … so find a warm spot and let them come to you. Remember, know your regulations! If a species of fish is caught out of season it must be released immediately and without harm.

The last few times I’ve been out the water has been too cool for catfish (spring finally arrived), but I’ve had an absolute blast watching the float go down and guessing what’s on the other end of the line. The carp I’ve tangled with had all kinds of images running through my head … from monster catfish to big pike or a bruiser muskie. Unfortunately, when the lips surfaced I was very disappointed but had a blast catching them none the less.

Don’t Be So Serious.

My new love for catfishing has taught me two very important lessons.  First of all, don’t forget to take the leftover stink bait out of your boat before you cover it.  That’s just NOT a pleasant thing to discover the next time out. And secondly, enjoy yourself and don’t worry about the angler stereotypes or what others say or think. They’re probably just jealous of you. Channel catfish are an awesome game fish. Some of the countrys best fishermen enjoy chasing them, and they are more than happy to share their knowledge with you through magazine articles and television shows. I’m not exactly one of them, but I’m really glad I had this opportunity, and encourage you to give it try.

If experiencing a lull in fishing, grab your fishing rods, a can of crawlers, a few beverages … and jump in your boat for an afternoon of fun. And if you get one of these whiskered warriors, don’t forget that if you want catch another … you need to give that first one a big kiss for good luck!