Mixing Business and Pleasure
by John E. Orr, Cat River Anchors
A bad day of fishing is always better than a good day at work!
I grew up in South Sioux City, NE. I was introduced to catfishing by my dad and his friends growing up on the Missouri River. I grew up learning as much as I could along the way. We still spend a lot of time fishing together along with my brother James, my wife Kristie, my cousin Mike, and my sons John Jr, and Braeden.
There are so many great fishermen to look up to in the catfishing community it is a pleasure to meet and greet them. I have spent a lot of time following Steve Douglas, John Jamison, and several others. I also give a lot of credit to the average fishermen out there putting in the work and constantly learning new techniques. Especially the ones who stick with it even when they are struggling to catch fish.
Catfishing has allowed our family to travel and see new places. I’ve been fishing on many bodies of water all over the country and they have all been great. My most memorable was a fishing trip I took to Canada with my family when I was 18 years old. It was a great time catching a lot of nice channel cats.
Catfishing can be challenging. Bumping on the river is work and sometimes it’s a real struggle but when that fish hits and takes off, the rush is on.
Anchoring is a blast too. We target a lot of flatheads in my home waters and sometimes wait a long time for a bite. But when that fish bites it makes the wait worthwhile.
Pulling bait on the lakes is great too. It is relaxing and the rush that comes when the rods slam down is second to none.
As you can see, I really like it all. And with that said, if I have any advice for others, it would be just to keep at it. Catfishing techniques are changing all the time and you have to keep up because a lot of these new techniques are very successful. Be willing to learn and try new things. I have met so many great fishermen over the last couple of years and everyone in the catfishing community has been very helpful. If you have a question about the sport don’t be afraid to ask someone. It just may change your game!
I think the most important issue in catfishing is conservation and saving fish for the next generation. I support CPR as an excellent practice to keep catfishing a fun activity for families to enjoy together for many generations to come. I do not bash anyone who doesn’t, but I do what I can to always release any big fish.
Catfishing is all I did growing up. Most of my family were catfishermen so that is what we did, I remember things like setting up tents to sleep in; having bells on the poles to indicate a bite; a trip to Canada for monster channel cats; and just fishing on the river all my life.
We have stepped up our game the past couple of years. We use our business at Cat River Anchors to support catfishing by helping as many fishing organizations and tournament trails as we can. We’ve traveled all over and are more focused on trying new techniques and targeting larger fish. Whether it is a big channel cat, flathead, or blue, they are all a blast to catch.
My whole family enjoys the sport of fishing and I hope it is something that my kids will one day pass on to their children too. But the main reason I fish is to spend time with family and friends. And I always look forward to meeting new people along the way.
Editor’s Note: John and his wife Kristie are owners/operators of Cat River Anchors and a new brick and mortar store called Cat River Adventures. They can be reached by phone at 712-490-3592 or by email at catriveranchors@yahoo.com.
