Tidal River Catfishing

Preface:

This is geared to the more advanced catfisherman. It will target the exact areas to look at for trophy catfish in tidal rivers. Some catfishermen will not totally agree with some of these methods however they are proven to work on most tidal rivers. The rigs and methods talked about here are designed for fast moving water and will work other places other than tidal rivers however they are a tried and proven way to take trophy catfish in tidal rivers.



LESSON ONE:
Starting out:

First off lets look at the river in the whole. Not every spot in a tidal river will have catfish. 90% of all the trophy catfish in a given river will be in 20% of the prime structure. And only 5 % of those will be in a feeding mode..So how do you find those 5 % of the trophy catfish feeding at the time you are fishing? If I could answer that question I would be writing for ESPN and have my own show. I will try and tell you how to target the 20% of the prime structure those trophy catfish will be in or around. The first thing you must do is study the river and the river bottom, good maps and navigation charts are a must in this stage. Next you must get out on the water and look. Study the river at different stages and at different tides, the river will act in different ways in relationship to the tides and the flow of the river. Knowing these things will make targeting the prime structure easier. Also some structure will be prime at some tide stages and not others. Prime structure comes in many different forms, but all have one thing in common. They will have the things trophy catfish want, cover, relief from the current, and ease of feeding. Now to throw another twist in the mix, some other things will come into play. First is the spawn, during this time of the year the catfish will be looking for a good low current gravel bed to spawn in. Look at all the other factors and add this to the mix and the field narrows some. Now after the spawn the catfish will be looking for quick and filling food and lots of it since they haven’t eaten in up to three weeks. This will make it even better when you find the right combination of factors because the catfish will be feeding and not moving much, but this is short lived and then more factors come into play but that’s another section.

Now that you have studied a good river map I am sure you have seen good places you want to try, good but are they the right places? Outside bend of the river? Try the inside bend, this is where the slow current will be and where the debris from flooding and high water will end up, this is where the big catfish will be hanging out. But there are other places right there too. Is there a cut bank on the up river side of the outside bend? If so look for trees and other debris there if it is then there is a prime spot. Now look at any place drifting debris will pile up. These areas will hold bait fish and the big catfish will be there feeding. When looking at the river navigation charts you should have seen sunken boats and barges, this is listed on all charts and maps since it poses a navigation hazard. While being a boating hazard it is prime fish structure providing it is in the right spot. This will be determined by a few things. First it must provide a brake from the current where the fish can rest, second, it must have a supply of bait fish. Third, it must have a good O2 mix in that area of the river. A good looking structure that has low oxygen will not hold fish. These are the prime factors of trophy catfish habitat. In spring time is should be in close relationship to a good spawning area. This is called a staging area and will hold most of the big breading catfish or the “alpha” fish of the river. These are the first spawning fish of the river. They will chase off the smaller younger fish from the prime spawning areas.

Now you know what to look for on the maps and charts. I will give you a couple days to do some research and come back with lesson two: HOW TO SET THE HOLES.