Jill Bruce said catfishing is special, but she loves fishing for all species of fish.
Raised on the Water: Jill Bruce’s Lifelong Love of Catfishing
Story and photos by Terry Madewell
Jill Bruce’s love for catfishing and for fishing for any species was planted with deep roots in her youth, and that love has always burned hot in her fishing spirit. It ensured that her enjoyment of fishing for multiple species has remained consistent throughout her life.
Now, at the core of her fishing as an adult, catfishing is a prime player because her husband, Capt. Jay Bruce, is a professional fishing guide who specializes in catfish, crappie and stripers. But her youth spent fishing for various species first forged her bond with the sport.
The reasons for this strong bond are simple to understand. First, the genetics for fishing run strong in Jill’s family history, with most family members confirmed anglers for various species. Her dad was a diehard bass-and-striper/hybrid fisherman, and she always relished the opportunity to fish with him. The mentoring from her dad was enough to create many memories, ensuring a lifetime appreciation for the sport.
But her foundation for becoming a serious angler was firmly set in stone during the summers of her youth.
From the time she was six years old through the time she ventured into life on her own as a young adult, every summer break from school was spent camping on the shores of Clarks Hill Lake on the South Carolina/Georgia border. Literally, for the entire summer, that lake was her playground.
“From the time school let out in spring until the time to return to class in late summer, we camped on the lake,” she said. “And I loved it. First thing in the morning, we’d go fishing, and then we’d come back to eat, play and swim during the day.
“Then, typically, we’d fish again in the evening,” she continued. “While Dad preferred fishing for bass and stripers, we also fished for everything in the lake, and I enjoyed catfishing, bream and crappie fishing. Sometimes at night, some family members would fish under lanterns around the bridges and typically caught a variety of species. But I didn’t always go on those trips when I was really young. I was often exhausted from the busy days.”
And now, decades later, that love of fishing still burns, and being married to a professional fishing guide has enhanced her opportunities to go fishing. Whether fishing for fun or going with Jay on guide trips as his first mate, catfish rank high on her list of fun fish to catch.
“I love catfishing because we have so many variable ways to catch them,” she said. “Of course, one method is to target big fish, and that’s certainly fun. For those with patience, the reward is awesome,” she said. “The thrill and fight of a big catfish is about as much fun as I can handle. The power of a big blue or flathead is amazing.”
Her biggest catfish was a big blue that pulled the scales just past 40 pounds, and she recently caught a 27-pound flathead, her biggest to date for that species. Jill said sharing those moments while fishing with Jay enhanced the thrill.
“That’s certainly part of the fun of catfishing. It’s the type of fishing where we can share that big fish experience with his clients because of the nature of how we present the baits and wait for the big fish to bite,” she said.
But that’s not her only way to enjoy catfishing.
“Another way I love to fish is for the fast-paced action when we can expect lots of bites from smaller catfish,” she said. “Some days when targeting numbers of fish, it’s almost like bream fishing in terms of action. I love seeing rods nosedive into the water, and fishing two or three rods with catfish hooked on multiple rigs simultaneously is exciting for me. I love the fast-paced fishing we can enjoy during hot weather on lakes like Monticello in the central part of South Carolina.”
This lake has a strong reputation for producing trophy fish as well, she said, and it’s where she caught her personal best blue catfish. But Lake Monticello has earned an equally strong reputation for producing scads of eating-sized catfish.
Still, she loves the opportunity to fish for other species of fish. Jay also fishes for stripers on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina, and he often uses live blueback herring as bait.
“Anyone who striper fishes knows that live bait can be awesome on catfish, and some days I get to hook several catfish,” she said. “And that’s how I caught my personal best flathead.”
Live-bait fishing was the kind of action she shared with her dad those many years ago, because striper fishing is about working around big schools of forage, and just about every species is apt to eat your offering. She recalls catching plenty of catfish during those summers on the lake.
She said the pace of catfishing fits her style, too, because not only does she enjoy catching fish, but she also enjoys watching and helping others catch fish. More than once on our trip, she had doubles hooked and kindly asked me to put the camera down so she could give me one of those rods to enjoy.
“It’s the type of fishing pace where I can enjoy catching fish while watching others enjoy the sport,” she said. “It’s often a high-energy type of fishing, but I also have time to simply enjoy the experience of being on the lake. But I’m always glad when a catfish rod nosedives into the water.
“I think it was ingrained in me to love fishing as a child, to enjoy the outdoors and be around people having fun fishing,” she said. “That happens when we’re catfishing.”
(Terry Madewell of Ridgeway, S.C., has been an outdoor communicator for nearly 50 years. He just completed a book, “Minnow Bucket Memories,” a collection of stories covering many outdoor topics, including stories about catfishing. Books are available on Amazon and can be found by title or author. If you want a personalized copy with a note/autograph, contact him at tmadewell50@gmail.com.)
