Rob Horken from East Grand Forks, Minnesota holds his personal
best channel cat caught October 2025. This new PB came after more
than 65 years of fishing the Red River.
Guide of the Month: Brad Durick – Red River Channel Cats
by Capt. Richard Simms
Photos courtesy of Capt. Brad Durick
As a frequent provider of exceptional articles, Capt. Brad Durick is well-known to CatfishNOW readers. He has been guiding for Red River catfish out of Grand Forks, North Dakota for nearly 20 years.
Besides being an outdoor journalist, Durick is a certified U.S. Coast Guard captain and fulltime catfish guide from May until early October (when the Red River isn’t frozen). Fishing out of a KingFisher 2025 Falcon with a 150 Yamaha, he can accommodate up to five anglers, but says it is much more comfortable fishing with parties of two or three.
“I fish for big fish,” said Capt. Durick. “Little fish just happen as we go. The Red River is a trophy channel cat fishery, and I fish accordingly. I always say, ‘By the time most people get to me, they are looking for a photo.”
Capt. Durick has kept meticulous records on his catches. He said, “Over the past 18 years, clients have caught an average of one-and-a-half to two catfish per hour on the water. That means 12-15 fish per full-day trip with any more being a bonus.”
He says generally clients can expect at least at least one channel cat larger than 15 pounds for every four hours of fishing.
“Of course, this is fishing, and things vary, but these have been very solid number targets and daily goals,” he said.
For up to three anglers, he charges $350 for a four-hour trip, $425 for six hours and $600 for eight hours. For more than three anglers, he adds 20 percent, except for kids under 18. He provides everything you need to catch fish except your North Dakota or Minnesota fishing license.
He generally prefers to practice catch and release. However, regulations allow anglers to keep five catfish per person. He does require the release of any catfish over 24 inches. “In 2025, my boat landed 2,149 catfish,” he said. “And we kept about 50.”
Clients must do their own fish cleaning.
He requires a $100 deposit to reserve a date, non-refundable, unless he must cancel a trip due to foul weather or flooding.
“The biggest issue here is flooding and ramp closures,” said Capt. Durick. “Normally, it’s just a few, but in 2022, I lost 40 plus days to summer flooding. We take it as best we can, moving dates as needed and I will refund deposits if a make-up day won’t work.”
Capt. Durick only anchor fishes on the Red River—no drift fishing or other techniques.
“I am a current-reader (reading current flows to select prime spots). Most days I can get things adjusted and dialed in within two or three stops,” he said. “I provide all bait and tackle for the day. I use a matched set of Ugly Stik Catfish rods paired with Abu Garcia 6500 Catfish Specials and all related tackle needed. I provide the bait, which is usually cut white sucker but can be goldeye or leopard frogs.”
Anglers can bring a rod or two of their own if they wish, but he prefers using his own gear since he knows it is set up perfectly for the fishing conditions.
He said he loves taking beginners and children, although he says generally youngsters at least seven years old tend to best follow directions for success.
“I love the reactions of the kids to a big fish surfacing,” he said.
Some trips stand out for Capt. Durick. On one of his last trips in 2025, he said he took the gentleman who first introduced him to catfishing many years ago.
“He is getting up in age now and does not catfish much anymore on his own, but I try to take him at least once a year,” he said. “Normally, these days are for us to just catch up, have a few laughs and hopefully catch a few fish. But this trip we started the morning with a 16- and 17-pound channel cat. We made a move, landed an 18.9 and then he caught a double—a 20-pounder and a 22-pounder, which was his personal best. Later in the day, he caught a 23.8-pounder, breaking his personal best again!
“In the end, we landed 28 catfish in just under eight hours, with only five under five pounds. And he landed six over 20 pounds, which is a stunning and unforgettable day.”
Another of his favorite memories was the time he helped researchers tag Red River channel cats. They tagged a total of 14 catfish that day, and he recorded the tag numbers of the fish they tagged in the event he should happen to catch one of them.
“They made fun of me because I tagged 14 of the 16,000 fish they had tagged in the past four years. Really, what are the chances,” he wondered.
Fast forward two years. He said one of his clients caught a tagged fish, and he felt the number seemed familiar. He went to his computer when he got home and, sure enough, it was a catfish he had actually tagged.
“We caught it two years later, and it was about 200 miles south of where I tagged it,” he said.
If you would like to create a memory with Capt. Durick, contact him via his Red River Catfishing Guide Service website. Or you can also find him on Facebook.
(From Chattanooga, Tenn., author Capt. Richard Simms is owner of Scenic City Fishing Charters, Inc. He has been a catfish guide on the Tennessee River for 20 years. He began his outdoor career as a Tennessee game warden later choosing journalism (and guiding) as his chosen profession. You can contact him at Richard@ScenicCityFishing.com or connect with him on his Facebook page.)
