Article Library

Mississippi River Monsters 2024 — How They Fished

MRM Win Goes to Chad Vice and Dustin Jones Big Fish honors and 3rd place went to the team of Delmar Wagler, Justin Arthur, and Kevin Childress. By Ron Presley Photos courtesy of MRM The 2024 Mississippi River Monsters tournament out of Memphis, TN saw plenty of Big Muddy trophy catfish come to the scales […]

Page From the Past: Mississippi River Fishing As told by Bluegrass Storyteller Chuck Larkin

Page From the Past: Mississippi River Fishing As told by Bluegrass Storyteller Chuck Larkin In the 1980s, Chuck Larkin hosted the WPBA-TV variety show “Tonight at Ferlinghetti’s,” a PBS music series taped in front of a live studio audience.  He died in 2003 at the age of 71, but not before becoming one of the […]

CFN How-to Video—Catching Skipjacks With a Sabiki Rig with Rodney Crimm

CFN How-to Video—Catching Skipjacks With a Sabiki Rig with Rodney Crimm For the best catfishing action, anglers need fresh bait, and nothing beats fresh skipjack herring. You’ll have more skipjacks to fish with if you use a sabiki rig that entices these baitfish with several small jig-like lures. In this video, B’n’M Poles pro staffer […]

Why We Catfish: A Guest Editorial with Benji Brown Written by Terry Madewell

South Carolina cat man Benji Brown with a hefty blue cat caught in Lake Moultrie, one of the famed Santee Cooper lakes, on a rainy August day. (Photo by Terry Madewell) Why We Catfish: A Guest Editorial with Benji Brown  Written by Terry Madewell For Benji Brown of Spartanburg South Carolina, catfishing is not merely […]

KDWP Commissioners Approve New Blue Catfish Regulation Source: Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks

KDWP Commissioners Approve New Blue Catfish Regulation Source: Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks New harvest limits aim to balance fisheries and enhance angler opportunities. Commissioners with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) approved a new blue catfish harvest regulation for Clinton, El Dorado, Elk City, Glen Elder, John Redmond and Melvern reservoirs […]

Catfish Gear #80

Boss Kat Octopus Circle Hook BK11Z By Keith “Catfish” Sutton When you need one hook that does it all, consider Boss Kat’s versatile Octopus Circle. Boss Kat combined the best features of their Super Boss Circle Hook and a Boss Kat Octopus Hook to create the Boss Kat Octopus Circle Hook, an outstanding live bait […]

Channel Cats vs Blue Cats: Know the Difference by Capt. Richard Simms

Fisheries biologists say that color is sometimes the worst way to distinguish one fish species from another. For various reasons outlined below, there are times when even big channel catfish like this one have a color similar to a blue catfish. Photo by Brad Durick   Channel Cats vs Blue Cats: Know the Difference by […]

What’s New in Electronics 2024 Story and photos by Brad Wiegmann

Lowrance’s Eagle Eye was one of the new products released at ICAST.   What’s New in Electronics 2024 Story and photos by Brad Wiegmann One year ago, most anglers couldn’t afford forward-facing sonar (FFS), but with the release of Lowrance’s Eagle Eye, you can expect any one on the fence of buying an FFS unit […]

Anchoring or Drift Fishing: Which is Best for You? Story and photos by Terry Madewell

Big catfish are caught via drifting or by anchor-fishing tactics.   Anchoring or Drift Fishing: Which is Best for You? Story and photos by Terry Madewell Catfish are caught in excellent numbers using drifting or anchor-fishing tactics. For best results, pick the right tactic for the conditions being fished and your personal style. Catfishing techniques […]

A Guide to Hiring a Catfish Guide Story and photos by Brad Durick

How could anyone not love a smile like this? Seeing reactions like this let’s you know it’s a great guide trip.   A Guide to Hiring a Catfish Guide Story and photos by Brad Durick Hiring a guide can be a great way to have a fun, educational and productive fishing trip without the headaches […]

Finding Active Catfish Without Electronics By Brad Hierstetter

On this nautical chart, the author has identified several drop-offs from which he has consistently caught blue catfish within a stretch of Maryland’s Wicomico River. NOAA charts like this feature a lot of information about structure that is useful for pinpointing actively biting catfish. (Brad Hierstetter photo)   Finding Active Catfish Without Electronics By Brad […]

Catfishing’s Biggest Check! By Ron Presley Photos courtesy of MRM

Catfishing’s Biggest Check! By Ron Presley Photos courtesy of MRM The MRM event at Vicksburg produced the largest payout in tournament catfishing history, including a first-place check for $100,000. Qualifying day for the Bill Dance Mississippi River Monsters (MRM) Mega Buc$ Pro Series Vicksburg event was Saturday, July 27, 2024. The catfish tournament was an […]