Guys please read this and follow the rules of cold weather, we lost an angler this past year from not doing what he needed to do and died from hypothermia.

Cold weather Catfishing

As the year comes to an end and the thoughts turn to the holidays, I find myself looking at the days off from work and working the family schedule to create time to go catfishing. As many of you know there are prime fish to be taken in the colder months. This is the prime big cat weather. They are stacked in their winter holes and laying there feeding and gearing up for the spawn that is only a few months away now.

The first thing to look at when catfishing in these months is SAFETY!!!!! I can not stress this enough. The water, wind, and air temps all combine to make a very real danger of hypothermia and death if just one of the major rules of cold weather are ignored. I will talk a little about this but highly stress that you do your homework for your area and on your body and mind to condition your self for this endeavor. First, watch the weather and do not venture out during times of wet weather. The wetness will zap your energy and drop your core temp so fast you will not be able to help your self. Second, dress for the weather, layers and several of them, work best. Visit a military outlet store and ask about the "cold weather gear set up" this is a multi-layer clothing system that is designed to keep the wearer warm in the worst of weather. It starts with a silk layer close to the skin to help it breath and wick away moisture. Then two layers of insulating poly to make a barrier from the wind and cold. Then a layer of wool that prevents the body heat from getting out, all this is toped with a layer of water resistant Gore-tech to help stay dry. Seems like a lot but it isn’t and the cost is very little when weighted against your life. Third, feet and hands, keep them warm and dry, feet are the first to loose feeling in the cold and they are the most important in getting you out of a jam if something happens. Your hands need to be cared for with some lotion to keep them from drying and cracking, get a good pair of mitten gloves. The kind from Dick’s that have the mitten cover over the fingers are lined and warm. They also allow you to slide the mitten cover off to tie hooks and bait up. And best of all. They are machine washable. Fourth, your head. 90% of body heat is lost through your head. A simple ball cap is not enough in this weather. A good stocking hat with a ball cap over it is good but here again the military has the answer. It’s called a jeepers hat or watch hat. This style has a flap that will cover your ears and has velcro on the strap to cover your cheeks and chin. With this set up you can stay warm and dry. Always wear your PFD weather it be the vest or inflating type it will save your life in this weather. Just remember that on average you have only 2 minuets to get your self out the water and start the drying process. Which brings me to the next issue........... Survival tactics 101.........a small zip lock bag with a few items will save your life. In a gallon zip lock bag you will need 3 small hand flairs the 5 min type will do and can be picked up almost anywhere. A box of strike anywhere matches (preferably in a water proof case, also available at military outlet stores or wal-mart camping section), a whistle, and an easy open pocket knife. These items will save your life. First the rivers and lakes all over provide us with lots of good fire making material all pilled up close to the waters edge. A 5 min. flair dropped in one of these piles and you have instant camp fire. I give you this from having had to use this very thing while trapping the northen territories in Canada. I fell in a creek with the air temps at 17 deg and almost could not function. A quick rip of the bag and with in three min I had warmth and with in 5 min. I had a good fire going. The other items will help but the fire is the most important thing you will need. If you do fall in, the order of survival is simple. Out of the water, start fire, STRIP all wet clothes off ASAP. Wet clothes will hurt more than help when trying to dry out. Hang the wet clothes far from the fire, they will freeze, then shake the ice off and then warm by the fire. This is the quickest way to dry wet clothes in the winter. All the survival skills needed to live is a cool head and a few things in a pocket. Well worth your life to take along.

Now lets get to the fun, catfishing in winter. A little different approach is needed during this time of year. The fish are lazy and looking for the most food with the least amount of effort. Weather you bank fish or boat fish it is most critical to find the fishes hole. Some will move a little but most will stay in a short area. Just like deer hunting you need to find their feeding area and their bedding area. Some will be close, with in a few yards some will be a few hundred yards away. The feeding area is where ever the bait fish are schooling, the bedding area is where the fish can get out of the current and relax with very little effort. Also you must think about the water temps. The fish want to be comfortable. This means you must find the water that is closest to their ideal temps. This will be different through out the country so home work is needed here also. Big baits and very slow presentation is needed. Also set your holes a little longer as the fish are moving slower so a normal 30 min hole might be an hour hole. Next, try getting your bait off the bottom about 2 feet, this will allow the sent to flow better, a three way rig with a sinker dropper of 24 inches is what I use this time of year. Also add some thing to attract the fishes attention. A lunker light or lighted bobber on the hook line will add to the appeal.


The tackle you use should be fresh, change the line and don’t skimp here. New hooks and swivels. All is effected by the cold so you want good quality fresh equipment. Your knives should be very sharp and a good heavy kitchen knife is a good winter addition. The bait will freeze and a normal knife might brake trying to cut frozen bait. Also this time of year stay away from dip, dough, and processed baits. Also leave the chicken livers home, use fresh fish and minnows as this is what the big cats are looking for. Don’t forget the smaller fish are still biting for table fare but for trophy fish you will need to up size the baits and be ready for a good fight. They won’t pull as much but they are dead weight this time of year.

For bank fishing a good tent heater from coleman with a small 4x6 tarp will make for a much more enjoyable day on the bank. With the tarp as a simple lean-to against the wind and the tent heater you can stay warm and comfortable for many hours. Also take some food, not junk food but real food. A sandwich and a cake will help keep you going better than a bag of chips. Here again I prefer the military surplus store. I find the new MRE meals just the ticket for winter fishing meals. They have all you need to stay full and keep the body fueled for the cold. Also the night before a cold weather fishing trip have a good meat and potatoes meal with bread and greens. These thing are slow to metabilise and will keep the body fueled longer and better than any other meal other than a good thick hearty stew. So plan ahead and you will enjoy it better.

The last thing you must remember is that the fish are still there just slower and more picky about their food. Take lots of pictures and show your friends the monster fish you are catching when they call you crazy for fishing in the cold._________________