An extra day off and deep winter water produced this Presidents’ Day stringer
of channel catfish for CatfishNOW editor Keith Sutton. Photo by Alex Hinson
Presidents’ Day Catfish
By Keith “Catfish” Sutton
Looking to catch a mess of channel cats for your next fish fry? Load up your tackle and head for the nearest farm pond during the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend, February 14–16, 2026, or anytime during the month of February.
A friend and I have been doing this for years. A pond near his home holds scores of channel cats ranging from 1 to 5 pounds. During February, these fish school tightly in the deepest water available, which makes them easy to locate and, once found, easy to catch. The extra day off work that comes with Presidents’ Day gives us time to fish unhurried—and often to catch dozens.
Some we keep for the table. Some we release. Always we have fun. Here’s how we do it.
Our first stop is the grocery store, where we buy fresh—not frozen—chicken livers. They’re inexpensive and, in our experience, the best channel cat bait you can find this time of year. On a typical outing, each of us will go through a pound or more. Five dollars buys plenty, which we store on ice in a small cooler.
At the pond, we settle into a comfortable spot along the bank near the deepest water. Cold winter temperatures push catfish into these depths, so placing your bait in the deepest hole is critical. Where you catch one cat, chances are you’ll catch many more.
The rig couldn’t be simpler. Slide a ½-ounce egg sinker onto your main line and tie on a barrel swivel. To the swivel’s other eye, attach a 2-foot leader, then tie on a snap swivel. Run the eye of a 3/0 treble hook through a chunk of liver and snap it in place.
A 7- to 8-foot, medium-action spinning outfit spooled with 8- to 10-pound-test monofilament is ideal for lob-casting this bait. Power casts tend to sling liver right off the hook, but an easy sidearm toss keeps it intact and allows it to sink to the bottom—right where hungry cats are waiting.
If we don’t get a bite within five minutes, we know we missed the mark. That’s our cue to recast to another spot, always staying focused on deeper water. If we hit the strike zone and the fish are biting (they usually are), we’ll feel a thump almost as soon as the liver reaches bottom. Once that fish is unhooked, we cast back to the same spot and repeat.
It’s not unusual to pull two dozen hard-fighting, cold-as-ice channel cats from a single wintering hole. And fish taken from frigid water make especially fine table fare.
If you’re off work this President’s Day, or if you fancy some fishing any time in February, follow our lead and spend some time at a nearby farm pond. You’ll find that winter catfishing can be fast, fun and downright delicious.
(Keith “Catfish” Sutton grew up catfishing in the ponds, lakes and rivers of eastern Arkansas. His in-depth knowledge of the sport has resulted in the publication of four books devoted to the anglers who pursue these whiskered warriors.)
