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
Story and photos by Brad Durick
Learning how to fish using more simple methods can help you become a better catfish angler.
I was going to start this article with, “Remember the time?” and reminisce about fishing before there were fancy electronics and specific rods for every occasion. It was a great idea until I realized that many who will read this won’t know of a time like that. I guess that idea might be old school, or I am remembering it because just now I’m what they call a “veteran.”
When I started catfishing in the very early 2000’s if you wanted a catfish specific rod you were mostly limited to Ugly Stik catfish and Cabela’s King Kat rods. Most other rods were one size fits all. Many of us scoured the internet or any catalog we could find to find a rod we could make work for catfishing.
Looking back on those days, it is kind of funny because now with a quick web search you can find dozens of catfish rods of every length, color and specific use you could ever want. You can also still find the original Ugly Stik catfish rod that for most catfishing still does the job as good as any others.
Learn the Fish
I meet many people in the fishing world, catfishing in particular. A line I hear a lot in conversations is, “I could see them on the screen and nothing.” I always ask, “If that doesn’t work, do you ever just go with your gut?”
The only thing that has changed in fishing over the past decades is us, humans. We have adapted and become much smarter anglers in many ways. Add in electronics and fish have nowhere to hide any more. On the other side of that, the fish are the same and do the same things they have done forever. Learning these behaviors and knowing how to adapt is still much more important than the gear or electronics you fish with.
Keeping things simple, especially when you are newer to angling can make you a much better angler in the long run. For the rest of this article, I am going to assume you have a boat. Not a fast, fully rigged boat but a small get-you-around boat with basic electronics. If you are a shore angler, much of this can easily adapt to you also.
Because you are not able to get anywhere fast, break the river down into one- to two-mile sections—even smaller if you want. We know that the bends in a river hold fish most of the time, so we will concentrate on a couple bends to get started.
First, learn where the hole on the outside of the bend begins and ends, how deep the deepest point of the hole is and if the hole contains any debris or snags. This will be the go-to area to start fishing.
As you learn these bends and how the hole is situated, learn where the current break to the inside corner is and where the current decreases. Also note if there are any snags or debris in the slower water.
When you fish these locations, systematically working through them, keep note of where the most fish are being caught and the general time of year, conditions and bait you used. You will eventually put together a system of how to fish these areas completely and maybe even learn how to skip steps and parts of the area during certain times to become even more efficient.
Once you learn this mile or two of river, you can choose to stay within that area or take what you learned and expand into more miles of river. Do a little recon to learn the general lay of the land and soon you will be fishing.
How I Used These Same Concepts
This is exactly how I learned the Red River 25 years ago using small boat with a 15-horse motor. I broke the river down into these small sections and learned the spots based on corners. As my boat got bigger, I was able to be more mobile and learn more spots. As electronics progressed, I learned to use the technology to break down spots even faster and even find the fish within those areas.
Over time and with more experience, I was able to utilize mapping to mark spots. Combined with the knowledge of what variables make catfish do what they do, I was able to fine tune and become even more efficient.
Now, in 2025, thanks to more horsepower, I run about 45 to 60 miles of river utilizing the exact same methods. I find that I use my map, coordinates and gut to stay on fish. I use a very simple system of experience to move around and stay on fish. In fact, I can literally go days without using a graph or other imaging technology.
Back in the early years, with that small boat, I covered about three miles of river, venturing out to maybe six miles if time permitted. At the same time, I searched up and down for the perfect rod. I had some of the Ugly Stik Striper and Catfish rods because they were available. I bought many rods over the years, from custom rods to trolling rods to catfish rods. Some I liked. Some I didn’t. Now I’m back to using Ugly Stik Catfish rods.
The lesson here is KEEP IT SIMPLE. Learn the fish and use what works for you and you will have a much better and probably more successful time on the water.
(Captain Brad Durick is a nationally recognized catfish guide on the Red River of the North, seminar speaker and author of the books “Cracking the Channel Catfish Code” and “Advanced Catfishing Made Easy.” For more information, go to redrivercatfish.com.)
