He’s only 19, but Illinois angler Dylan Borbely has enough catfishing experience under
his belt to be considered a true expert. He caught this nice flathead in the Fox River near Chicago.
Why We Catfish: A Guest Editorial
by Dylan Borbely
Nineteen-year-old Illinois angler Dylan Borbely shares memories of growing up fishing with his father.
I’ve lived in the northern Illinois all of my 19 years on this beautiful planet. My most vivid catfishing memory began when I was just nine years old while at a campsite with my dad in East Rockford, Illinois.
There had been recent reports of a huge catfish in this pond, but no one truly knew how big this fish was. One afternoon my father and I decided to walk down to the pond and throw out two lines for this monster cat, with a nightcrawler on one and cut bratwurst on the other. Hours went by. Nothing. But as we decided to call it a night, the rod with the nightcrawler folded over so far that the rod tip was practically touching the water.
My dad ran to the rod and immediately handed it to me. I fought the fish for about eight minutes and, as I landed it, I remember my dad being so proud and crying tears of joy that I had caught this fish. I knew in that moment that fishing was going to play a huge part in my life.
As I’ve become more experienced with fishing, I’ve often heard that as you go north, catfish get smaller. The more south you go, the bigger fish there are. I can tell you as an avid catfish angler, that is actually far from the truth. Upon putting hours and hours on the water searching for giant whiskerfish, I’ve encountered many adversities. I often have to adapt and change tactics. These fish are not easy to catch, but the experience can be very rewarding when you hook one.
Many times, I will start my fishing sessions either the crack of dawn or dusk, which is when I encounter most of my big bites. Catfish are generally nocturnal, although you will occasionally catch fish in the middle of the day. Some of my biggest catches have come accidentally while fishing for smallmouth bass, crappie and walleyes.
There are many great fishing rivers and lakes up here in northern Illinois, one of them being the Fox River. I’ve been fishing the Fox for about eight years, and it’s one of the better rivers I’ve fished for multiple species, including giant channel catfish and flathead catfish.
My personal go-to fishing rig is a circle weight with a floating jig-head about eight to 10 inches below the weight. As for the bait, baby bluegills or cut-bait work the most efficiently. Always be sure to check your local DNR website for rules and restrictions on what bait is allowed in each body of water and the catch/release rules for the body of water you are fishing.
These fish provide so much joy and entertainment. They’re perfect for families who would like to sit down on the picnic table next to the river and toss out a few catfish lines while playing some bags and cooking out with family and friends.