Article Library

CFN How-to Video with Keith “Catfish” Sutton—Don’t Overlook Mountain Stream Catfish

CFN How-to Video with Keith “Catfish” Sutton—Don’t Overlook Mountain Stream Catfish Think you need a big river to catch a big catfish? Think again. Small, clear mountain streams like Arkansas’ Buffalo National River may not look like trophy-cat waters, but they can be loaded with eating-size channel cats, and every now and then, a serious […]

Capt. David Magness Finds Catfish and Peace on the Mighty Mississippi

On the Mississippi River, Capt. David Magness says a mixed bag is always a possibility, but he mostly catches blue cats. (Photos courtesy Capt. David Magness, Cat’n Aroun’ Guide Service)   Capt. David Magness Finds Catfish and Peace on the Mighty Mississippi By Capt. Richard Simms   For Capt. David Magness, owner of Cat’n Aroun’ [...]

New Pennsylvania regulations will help protect blue catfish and trophy flatheads in the Ohio River Basin beginning in 2027.   River Rumors: Pennsylvania Protects Ohio River Catfish Source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission   Pennsylvania is taking steps to protect two of the Ohio River’s premier catfish species with new fishing regulations that take effect […]

New Legislation Takes Aim at Cormorant Management

Double-crested cormorants are efficient fish predators, but large concentrations can create significant challenges for catfish farmers and fisheries managers. (photo by Keith Sutton)   New Legislation Takes Aim at Cormorant Management By Keith “Catfish” Sutton   Double-crested cormorants are nothing new to catfish farmers, anglers or fisheries managers. The fish-eating birds have been a management […]

Catfish Gear: Boss Kat BK84 Series Hooks

Catfish Gear: Boss Kat BK84 Series Hooks By Keith “Catfish” Sutton   A good catfish hook has one job: catch the fish and stay hooked up. That sounds simple, but when you’re dealing with big blues, flatheads and channel cats, the demands on a hook can be anything but simple. That’s where the Boss Kat […]

Catfish Kids: Future Fisherman Foundation Gets New Home With Fishing’s Future

Catfish Kids: Future Fisherman Foundation Gets New Home With Fishing’s Future Courtesy of The Fishing Wire   In September, Fishing’s Future, a national leader in family‑centered angling education, announced the acquisition of the Future Fisherman Foundation (F3), an organization whose programs have supported national angler recruitment, educator training and youth fishing initiatives for four decades. […]

Catfish Basics: How to Find Catfish When Water Levels Change

Rivers change constantly—rising and falling as weather and other conditions dictate. Knowing how to react to these changes can determine whether or not an angler experiences success or failure on a given day.   Catfish Basics: How to Find Catfish When Water Levels Change Story and photo by Keith “Catfish” Sutton   One of the […]

An International Catfish Man of Mystery

Sutton captured this beautifully colored redtail catfish in Brazil’s Rio Negro. It was just one of the species often caught by Sutton as he pursued his lifelong passion.   An International Catfish Man of Mystery by Capt. Richard Simms Photos courtesy of Keith Sutton   Most know Keith Sutton perhaps as the editor of CatfishNOW, […]

A World-Wide Approach to Catching Big Catfish

Greg Thompson poses with a surubim catfish caught in Guyana.   A World-Wide Approach to Catching Big Catfish By Brent Frazee Photos courtesy of Greg Thompson   Greg Thompson knew he wasn’t in Missouri anymore when he got an unusual trade offer for one of the lures he was using to catch fish. Deep in […]

As Big As Me

Anietra Hamper measuring up size against a 7.5-foot-long wels catfish caught in the River Ebro in Spain.   As Big As Me Story and photos by Anietra Hamper   Do you ever ponder the genesis of a moment that changed the trajectory of your life? It’s hard to imagine such a dramatic notion when it […]

CFN How-to Video with Keith “Catfish” Sutton—Don’t Forget to Set Your Drag

A properly set drag can make the difference between landing a big catfish and watching it swim away. In our latest how-to video, CatfishNOW editor Keith Sutton explains why setting the drag on your fishing reel is so important and how the right adjustment allows a fish to take line without breaking your line or […]

Guide of the Month: Billy Clabough – Tennessee River Valley Guide Service

Capt. Billy Clabough loves to take kids of all ages fishing, but kids under 16 years old fish for free on his charter trips.   Guide of the Month: Billy Clabough – Tennessee River Valley Guide Service by Capt. Richard Simms Photos courtesy of Capt. Billy Clabough   Sometimes life’s biggest setbacks become its greatest […]