Marc Cooper and girlfriend, Katie Allen, show off a 30-pound blue taken pulling planer boards in relatively shallow water in the back end of a slough off the Tennessee River.   Marc Cooper: Saying Goodbye to Corporate Life Story and photos by Capt. Richard Simms Living the dream. We were dragging planer boards in an [...]

While waiting for a catfish to bite, Vernon Lovejoy (left), Captain Dave Magness (center) and Frayne Berg discuss some of their time in Vietnam.   Lines in the Water, Brothers at Heart Story and photos by Richard Hines After 42 years, two Vietnam veterans reunite and go catfishing on the Mississippi River. Fifty-eight years had […]

A blast from the past! The author on the Red River in 2005, fishing with a 14-foot boat and a 15-horse motor long before he started guiding. Notice the Ugly Stik rods and a simple flasher for electronics. This is about a basic as one can get for learning a river.   Keep it Simple […]

Capt. Bob Crosby (right) poses for a photo with a client—Mose Weary of Collins, Mississippi— holding a dandy Mississippi River blue cat. Fish this size are common in the waters around Vicksburg where Crosby usually fishes. Photo by Keith Sutton Monster Cats on the Big Muddy By Mike Giles Locating and catching Mississippi River Catfish […]

Catfish Basics #175, Weather Effects Story and photo by Keith “Catfish” Sutton Stormy weather can make catfishing unpredictable. One day, the fish are biting like crazy—on the next, they won’t touch a bait. Understanding how changing atmospheric pressure affects their feeding habits can help you time your trips for success. As a general rule, the […]

Off Shore Tackle Planer Board Releases In-line planer boards are gaining popularity among catfish anglers, but many quickly realize that traditional pinch-pad line releases work best with monofilament lines. Fortunately, Off Shore Tackle offers specialized line releases that allow the use of braided or fused lines while still enabling the boards to release when a […]

Virginia lawmakers hope to curb the blue catfish’s impact on the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem by encouraging more harvest and consumption of these delicious fish. (credit: Keith Sutton) Virginia Lawmakers Target Invasive Blue Catfish Source: Chesapeake Bay Foundation Lawmakers push to reel in invasive catfish and boost seafood industry. An invasive predator wreaking havoc in Virginia […]

The big smile on the face of this boy—Tucker Bina of Grand Forks, North Dakota—says it all. By following a few simple guidelines, you can help make every child’s fishing trip one they will remember for a long time.   Take a Kid Fishing! Story and photo by Zac Bernier No stress, no screens, just […]

    Page from the Past: The Bullfrog and the Bullheads From “Fishing in American Waters” by Genio C. Scott In the annals of curious catfishing tales, few rival the singular account of Dr. White and his mysterious encounter with a rather charitable bullfrog. It first was shared in print by Genio C. Scott in his […]

CFN How-to Video—Understanding Catfish Senses (Part 3, Eyesight) In the last two issues, we learned about the catfish’s incredible senses of taste and smell. Now, listen as CatfishNOW editor Keith Sutton talks about their sense of sight. While their eyes might seem small compared to their body size, whiskerfish can see much better than you […]