Catfish NOW – August 2022

Maintenance Does Matter!

Maintaining our outboard motors, no matter the size, make or model is very important. Several years back, I was asked by Yamaha Marine to be an advocate for this very important message. It was easy for me to fulfill that role as I was passionate about it and still believe in it.

West Virginia State Record Blue Cat Topped Again

A Good Bite Results in State Record A man and his dog set out in West Virginia to do a little fishing. The result was a new state record for blue catfish with a little help from a friend.   Fishing alone is not a normal activity for Lancaster, OH angler Steven Price. In fact, […]

Why We Catfish: A Guest Editorial by Chris “Fud” Wallace

Wallace is shown here with a 69-pound blue from Guntersville Lake in Alabama.   My Catfishing Reboot by Chris “Fud” Wallace Anglers who experience catfishing at an early age are usually the same ones who promote conservation of the resource for the future and also find peace on the water.   My mother and father […]

Destination Colbert County, AL

Wilson Lake Dam backs up the smallest lake on the Tennessee River. Water depth varies from nearly 100 feet at the dam to the shallow rapids in trail race at Wheeler Dam some 15 miles away.   The Wilson Lake Trifecta The three main catfish species can all be targeted with good success on Wilson […]

Catfish Gear #55

Jason Aycock Relies on Boss Kat Hooks Boss Kat hooks are made by Daiichi and enjoy the same quality production process and dependability that anglers have respected for years. They offer a variety of styles to meet any angler’s specific needs. Boss Kat offers “J” hooks, circle hooks, super sharp extra heavy wire circles hooks, […]

Catfish Kids

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Photo Seven Steps to Get Young Anglers on the Line Source: Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission LITTLE ROCK — According to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fishing Education coordinator J.J. Gladden, the best partners the AGFC has in recruiting new anglers are adults willing […]

Catfish Basics #141—Food and Comfort by Jason Phelps

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 […]

Catfish Basics #142—Hook Check by Aaron Preece

There is nothing worse than missing a good bite and then examining the hook to find it dull. That’s what I call operator error. It is very important to always keep sharp hooks in the water. One of my biggest pet peeves is not having sharp hooks from beginning to end of a trip. If […]

Rare White Catfish

Edwards Tarumianz basically won the "catfishing lottery" when he captured a rare, all-white (leucistic) blue catfish from the Tennessee River near Chattanooga in June. Edwards' rare catch has been featured on websites across the country, and even around the world, thanks to social media. (Capt. Richard Simms Photo)   Rare Chattanooga Catfish Goes Viral by [...]

Electronics by Wiegmann

Traditional 2D sonar pings a single echo and is available in 200kHz or 83kHz.  (Brad Wiegmann Photo)   Is Traditional 2D and CHIRP Sonar Obsolete? by Brad Wiegmann   Do you need traditional 2D and CHIRP sonar? Is traditional 2D sonar and CHIRP obsolete? It seems like the surge of anglers purchasing units just so […]

Summertime Bullheads

Bullheads rarely exceed a pound but thanks to their abundance and hard-fighting nature, they’re favorites of many anglers. (photo by Keith Sutton)   Can’t-Miss Tips for Summertime Bullheads by Keith “Catfish” Sutton Remember the old saying, “Good things often come in small packages”? Bullhead catfish exemplify that.   During the dog days of summer when […]

Best Catfish Baits

Flatheads, much more so than channel catfish, blues or bullheads, tend to favor live bait, especially live fish that match local forage.   5 Can’t Miss Catfish Baits by Jeff Samsel Several variables impact best bait to choose for catching catfish. We’ll look at 5 highly consistent catfish producers and the best situations for using […]

Bumping Works!

First Class Delivery by Ron Presley There is no doubt about it, learning to bump a bait down the river will increase your catfishing success.   Bumping baits has been around for a long time and it is an extremely successful way to deliver the bait. The technique has evolved from only a few anglers […]

CFN How to Video with Joey Pounders—Mussel Meat

In a flashback to his childhood, Joey Pounders demonstrates how to find and use river mussels for catfish bait. Joey finds a mussel in the Alabama River near Wetumpka, AL and demonstrates how to open the mussels to extract the white meat that makes excellent blue cat bait.

B’n’M How to Video with Jay Gallop—Flatheads and Structure

B’n’M pro staff angler, Jay Gallop describes the importance of structure when flathead fishing. In this video, he is fishing for flatheads on the Alabama River in Elmore County. He urges anglers to find structure when targeting flatheads but not to worry so much about seeing fish on sonar. If it is good structure, he […]