August can be a tough bite, but very rewarding if you’re willing to stay late or get up early. I shoot for the coolest part of a day. Late evening or early morning is best.
Lake Texoma has a pretty strong thermal in August. Our cats are forced to be shallow so they’re looking for the coolest oxygenated water possible. I focus on water that is 20 feet deep or less.
Drifting works best for me in August but don’t drift too fast. My preferred speed is in the .5- to .7-mph range.
Several baits that work well for me include cut gizzard shad, cut striper, cut sand bass, and common carp. I use Spread Em’ Planer Boards to increase my coverage.
The fish in the photo was caught on August 22 at 4:45 in the morning in 18 feet of water. I waited until daybreak to get the photo, but you get the idea. It weighed 74.6 pounds in the net.
Basically, I tell my clients to think of blues just like people. Comfort and food explain our behavior. We don’t eat much midday in the heat. We eat early in the morning and then again once it cools off. During the heat, we try to find somewhere cool and conserve our energy. Blue catfish behave the same way.
Honestly, I can’t find a picture in my album of a big fish that was caught in the daytime, in August, over the last 3 years. They’ve all come at sunset and into the midnight hours or within the first hour or 2 of daylight.
It is way more comfortable at night and nothing beats sitting in almost pitch black darkness and hearing that Abu Garcia bait clicker screaming!
Editor’s Note: Phelps is owner operator of Get’n Spooled Guide Service out of Ardmore, Oklahoma. He can be reached at 580-222-8252.
