Catfish NOW – November 2022

Farewell

Welcome to the November issue of CatfishNow (CFN). The time has come for me to say farewell to my position as editor of CatfishNOW. October 2022 marks six years since embarking on my journey with the catfish community through the publication and it is the month of my 81st birthday. I have decided it is time to end the life of deadlines and live a more loosely determined schedule.

I am not leaving CatfishNOW completely. I will remain connected with the publication as time goes forward. I have made many new friends, enjoyed working with many anglers on stories, and found great delight in fishing with many of you. I thank you all for your support.

Road Trips for Channel Cats

Trophy channel cats like this 30-pound-plus hawg from the Red River near Selkirk, Manitoba can be caught in prime waters from coast to coast in North America. (Keith Sutton Photo)   5 Hotspots for Monster Channel Cats by Keith “Catfish” Sutton Waters where channel cats exceed 20 pounds are few and far between, but these […]

Channel Catfish Hotspot

Captain Richard Simms has found that the quality of channel catfish in tailwater areas on the Tennessee River tends to be better during spring and fall than during the rest of the year. (Richard Simms Photo)   Overlooked Tennessee River Channel Catfish by Jeff Samsel You know about the Tennessee River’s goliath blues & flatheads. […]

The Original Lake Moultrie Cat

Channel catfish are abundant at Lake Moultrie and according to recent biological data, this fishery can handle more fishing pressure. (T. Madewell Photo)   The Forgotten Catfish at Lake Moultrie by Terry Madewell Lake Moultrie in South Carolina is a world-class fishery for big, blue catfish. The result is a channel catfish resource that has […]

Electronics by Wiegmann

Mobile Apps for Fishing by Brad Wiegmann They have an app for everything. So it should come as no surprise to find out boating, navigation, or fishing apps available for Android or iOS operating systems for mobile devices. What is a surprise is how advanced these apps are when it comes to charting, overlays, map […]

Catfish Basics #147—November Channel Cats with Stan Liberty

Usually in October thru November and possibly December, if there is no ice in lakes and reservoirs, I will start looking for big channel cats on ledges, drop-offs, and underwater creek and river channels. The water is cooling rapidly at that time of year here in the Midwest. Consequently, the bait will be headed to […]

Catfish Basics #148—River Channel Cats with Zachariah Stelting

Channel cat fishing in November can be fantastic. They really live up to their name in the late fall. In reservoirs I would seek out deeper channels, looking for any current no matter how slight. On river systems, I would look for deeper flats (typically 20 to 35 feet in depth) that have slower currents. […]

Catfish Gear #58—Livewells for Life

Nicole Petrowski Photo     Catfish Livewells — The SeaArk Version SeaArk Boats create large livewells for a reason. More and more anglers are catching more and more trophy cats.     SeaArk Boats are highly desired in various user circles, especially the catfish community. They are known to be well-made boats with a reputation […]

#CatfishClass

The Caring Side of the Catfish Community by Ron Presley Each year more and more tournaments have used the popularity of catfishing to benefit various recipients in need.   In my six years as editor of CatfishNOW I have witnessed a definite trend to use the sport of catfishing to aid individuals in need or […]

Why We Catfish: A Guest Editorial by Secody Howard

Catfishing for Fun by Secody Howard The mystery of not knowing what the next bite might bring motivates me to keep coming back for more.   I migrated north from Texas a few years ago. I am originally from Killeen, Texas but have lived in Huntsville, Alabama for the past 5 of my 30 years. […]

Catfish Bait Selection

One of the questions catfish anglers ask time and time again is, “What bait should I be using right now?” Mitch Baker of Catfish Pro Catfish Bait  says to try to fish with what’s natural in your waters. Check out the video to hear his full answer!

Boat Positioning

A common problem for catfish anglers fishing current flowing in one direction with the wind coming from another. It can create a problem of keeping lines straight out behind the boat for anchored anglers. In this video B’n’M Pro-Staff angler Ty Konkle explains boat positioning and how he uses a drift sock to overcome the […]