Catfish NOW – February 2024

Industry Associations Provide Big Benefits

Dan Dannenmueller, Publisher

In January, I started off the year attending and presenting at the annual National Professional Anglers Association conference held in Ft. Meyers, Florida. With more than 100 fisher people, industry representatives, speakers and fishing educators, it was an awesome event. This association is for all fishing industry professionals and fisher men and women.

The conference spans two-and-a-half days and is packed with very informational presentations, round tables and discussions between the best of the best. Whether you want to work or play in the fishing industry, be a guide, tournament angler or learn more about how to fish for various species, this is the association.

For Sue and I, we got to sit down and have lunch, dinner, breaks, etc. with some of our sponsor’s leadership such as the President of Bass Cat Boats, Yamaha leadership and other non-sponsors such as Skeeter Boats, Caymas Boats, Mercury Outboards and numerous others.

Lake Murray: Overlooked Destination for South Carolina Catfish By Terry Madewell

Catfish guide William Attaway with a big Lake Murray blue catfish that’s a realistic target for catfishermen.   Lake Murray: Overlooked Destination for South Carolina Catfish By Terry Madewell Lake Murray is an often-ignored fishery for trophy catfish. This lake offers excellent fishing for several species, including catfish, because of an excellent forage base. Catfishing [...]

Missouri: The Big-Cat State By Brent Frazee

Jake Nalley (right) and Scott Linton performed some heavy lifting when they displayed two of the trophy catfish they caught on the Mississippi River during a Twisted Cat tournament.     Missouri: The Big-Cat State By Brent Frazee Searching for a giant blue catfish? Head to the Big Rivers State, Missouri.   Not far from […]

Tennessee River: A 652-Mile Catfish Factory by Richard Simms

Capt. Sam Simons shows off a monster blue taken inside the city limits of Chattanooga, in the tailwaters of Chickamauga Dam. While TVA dams built 80 years ago negatively impacted some species, biologists say the creation of the reservoirs actually favored catfish.   Tennessee River: A 652-Mile Catfish Factory by Richard Simms The nine reservoirs […]

3 Hot Lakes for Texas Catfish By Keith “Catfish” Sutton

Cody Mullennix, left, caught this 121.5-pound former world-record blue cat in 2004 while fishing in Lake Texoma, one of the Lone Star State’s top destinations for trophy whiskerfish.   3 Hot Lakes for Texas Catfish By Keith “Catfish” Sutton For great catfishing in the Lone Star State, the trio of reservoirs described here are hard […]

Why You Should Use Live Imaging Sonar Grid Lines by Brad Wiegmann

LIS grid lines can be turned on or off by going to the menu.   Why You Should Use Live Imaging Sonar Grid Lines by Brad Wiegmann LIS grid lines are great for telling the size of the baitfish or fish you are trying to catch.    The first thing many anglers remove from their […]

Catfish Basics #163—with Joey Pounders

Catfish pro Joey Pounders of Caledonia, Mississippi brings in some big catches of big catfish by studying current and river levels where he fishes this time of year.   Catfish Basics #163—with Joey Pounders   This time of year, the water where I usually fish is around 50 degrees or lower. There are two main […]

B’n’M Fishing’s New EZ Sinker Slides By Keith “Catfish” Sutton

B’n’M Fishing’s New EZ Sinker Slides By Keith “Catfish” Sutton Catfishing just got simpler with this innovative new product from B’n’M Poles.   One of the new terminal tackle items from our friends at B’n’M Poles in West Point, Mississippi is the revolutionary EZ Sinker Slide. What makes this product unique is that you can […]

Scioto Madtom Declared Extinct

The little Scioto madtom has not been documented since 1957 and was recently declared extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (credit: Dave Neely, Ohio DNR)   Scioto Madtom Declared Extinct Source: Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources A fish so tiny with such a restricted range might seem unimportant in the grand scheme of […]

Feds Deny Blue Catfish Disaster Declaration Request

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has launched a statewide campaign to teach citizens about the impact of blue and flathead catfish and encourage anglers to remove these invasive species from local waters. (credit: Keith Sutton)     Feds Deny Blue Catfish Disaster Declaration Request Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources Anglers are encouraged to […]

Why We Catfish: by Keith “Catfish” Sutton

Keith Sutton’s passion for catfishing has taken him to remote destinations throughout the Western Hemisphere, including Brazil’s Rio Negro where he caught this piraiba. Why We Catfish by Keith “Catfish” Sutton CatfishNOW editor Keith Sutton shares some of the reasons catfishing is near and dear to him.   My love of catfishing began at the […]

CFN How-to Video with Jay Gallop

CFN How-to Video With Jay Gallop – Keeping Catfish Alive in Your Livewell Most of today’s catfish anglers practice catch and release—returning fish to the water after tournament weigh-ins or culling. In this video, B’n’M Poles pro staffer Jay Gallop of Caledonia, Mississippi shows one way you can be sure that fish in your livewell […]

The Cumberland Catfish As told by Robert Wolfender

The Cumberland Catfish As told by Robert Wolfender In their book “Folklore from the Working Folk of America” (1973), authors T.P. Coffin and Henig Cohen share a catfish tale given to them by Robert Wolfender of Etowah, Tennessee.  The year was 1945. Wolfender has just finished catfishing on the Cumberland River, and as he carries […]