Small waters such as ponds can provide excellent catfishing action if you know where to fish.
Big Catfish Lessons from Small Waters
by Terry Madewell
Small waters are often overlooked by catfish anglers because their limited size seems to convey limited resources. Granted, with trophy-sized fish swimming around in big water, the concept that big water means big fish gets into our heads. And that’s often true.
Some anglers believe that if the size of the resource is small, it equally equates to their chance of catching quality fish or fish in significant numbers. Anglers have told me that if the pond is small, the resource must be limited and perhaps not worth the trouble.
But think again.
One of my best trips to a small-water catfish hole was a pond isolated in the middle of a few hundred acres of prime turkey-hunting territory. I’d been given permission to hunt, but fell in love with the small pond at first sight.
Flat terrain on one side, with a steep hill bordering the other side, just screamed topographic relief in this small water. The pond was fed by a small stream, and the dam had an overflow when the water level rose too high during wet weather.
At the end of the hunt, I asked the owner if the pond had fish.
“I don’t know,” he said. “We had it dug and stocked a few years ago with bream, bass and channel catfish, but its primary function is a water-supply source for deer and turkeys. I’ve never gotten around to fishing it, and no one else has even asked.”
We immediately became fishing pals, and a couple of mornings later, I was back at dawn. Turkey season had ended, and I was fishing.
I was armed with multiple spinning rigs, and catfish baits included worms, live minnows and Doc’s Catfish Stinkbait—my triumvirate of baits for checking new catfish locations. I used a wheeled cooler for mobility to scout the three-acre pond. I’d have the water to myself for a few hours before the owner showed up to view the results.
While designed for wild game, the pond had features for shoreline fishing. The first to catch my eye was a shallow point that dropped deeper on both sides and at the end of the point. This was target one. I rigged a minnow, a nightcrawler and stinkbait and cast them into the water, just as the red ball of the sun crested the eastern horizon.
It was the only time all morning that the lines on all three rods were in the water at the same time, and all three were loaded with channel cats in the 2-pound-plus range within seconds. I repeated the process, enjoying the same result, except one channel catfish was 5 pounds.
To continue the “search and find” mission, I left these fish and moved to the far end of the pond, where the small creek fed fresh water into the pond. The shoreline was beaten down with deer and turkey tracks, but it was a prized spot for catfish. Fifteen minutes later, I’d landed four more chunky channel cats and had lost one.
As the sun rose higher, I migrated to the steep shoreline on the far side and cast rigs to the deeper water, with channel catfish hookups constantly occurring. Here, with the redworms and nightcrawlers, I also hooked big bream and even a largemouth bass.
By the time the owner arrived, I had revisited these same places and explained that the pond was indeed perfect for game animals and fish.
The key to fishing was to identify areas where shallow water and deeper water met, or where the feeder stream created current, providing a supply of fresh food sources.
The shallow point that dropped into deep water was prime early that morning, but slowed by mid-morning. However, the steep-sided shoreline provided a quick drop into deep water. It remained productive from mid-morning until midday when I left.
To test the pattern, I fished some random places without obvious shallow-to-deep-water connections, or creek ditches. Because this pond had not been fished, and catfish were abundant, some were caught at most stops, but not at the pace of the other spots.
In every case where I correctly linked bottom topography changes and deeper water, the action was on fire, even when I left at midday.
The shallow-to-deep spots consistently attracted and held fish. Fishing small waters is essentially the same as fishing large lakes or rivers, with much of the water being significantly less productive than the prime areas. But find these sweet spots, and the action is wild.
The key is to mentally map the pond, creek or small river, identifying points of interest where underwater topography differences exist. Those are the prime contact points for catfish. And don’t rely on just a single catfish bait; mix it up with live minnows, worms and stinkbaits because they cover a broad range of catfish appetites. Also, small baits are often best when learning where to fish in small waters.
By turning the owner on to this fishery, I was literally given the keys to turkey hunt and fish. The owner began to enjoy this resource. As the fishery resource matured, bigger catfish were caught because the pond was not overcrowded with fish or fishermen.
This process of visually scoping an area to target catfish also works for shoreline fishing on big reservoirs. Anglers fishing from the shoreline of large lakes, even if limited to small water areas such as coves or pockets around public launching or park areas, can be productive. The visual assessment, as described for ponds, combined with actual fishing to determine specifically what’s available in terms of depth and underwater topography, is the key.
Don’t limit your fishing to a single location if possible. Many large lakes have multiple access points, and all may offer areas to fish. And you can find seasonal hotspots in these small waters.
If you’re limited to fishing by foot on ponds or big waters, it’s a good plan to maximize your opportunity to consistently hook catfish.
(Terry Madewell of Ridgeway, S.C., has been an outdoor communicator for nearly 50 years. He holds a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management and has a long career as a professional wildlife biologist/natural resources manager. He’s passionate about sharing outdoor adventures with others.)
