Outdoors with Martin

Planning to go fishing today? For what? Walleye or perch, bluegill or crappie, bass or muskies? These are the usual choices for a fishing trip, but the next time you pick up a rod, consider making an outing for channel catfish. Not many people fish for them, but they're delicious eating, as good in their own way as walleyes. Those who don't believe are invited to visit one of the better restaurants that have channel cat on their menu, and try a forkfull. You'll try a second. If channel cats have a problem, it's that many people don't really know how to fish for them. They'll head for some handy river or lake, almost invariably rig up two snelled hooks (No 4 or 6) above a sinker, bait with nightcrawlers, and cast out. Actually, there's nothing wrong with that technique. I've used it literally hundreds of times when I'm feeling lazy, and sometimes made fair catches of cats. But if you're looking for a REAL haul of channel cats, hopefully with some left over to smoke, there are definite refinements to the above tactic. First, you need to fish where channel cats are, an obvious fact. These whiskered catfish spend their days holed up in the deeper parts of a lake or in the deepest river and stream pools they can find. I once found a deep hole off Johnson's Island in Lake Erie that I could fish at high noon if I wished, and make a cooler-full catch. On inland lakes I've more than once checked a lake map, found the deepest spot and drifted over it for hours hauling in catfish. But come twilight they start moving out to feed in shallower areas. They'll swim up small rivers and tributaries, and if such aren't available, spread out into bays and backwaters looking for their favorite worms, minnows, crayfish, and aquatic insects. They like mud/gravel/stone bottoms, rather than heavy silt, so these are prime places to fish. If you can't find or reach such places, look for "funnels", places where fish are pushed into tight quarters heading for the feeding grounds. Charles Mill Lake, for example, has a nice little bridge crossing its northern part, and every catfish that swims into the upper section has to pass under that bridge. It's always a hotspot. Food comes second. Most anglers don't realize that channel cats are simply swimming tongues. They know that there are taste buds in their barbels (whiskers), but don't realize that those taste buds cover their entire bodies. A six inch cat has a quarter million of these, and the flanks of a channel may have 5,000 per square centimeter. In short, their sense of smell is phenomenal, which is why they can feed in muddy water. So, your bait must have odor. Nightcrawlers are okay, but it's important to change them every half hour or so if bites are slow, because their scent gradually washes away. Slightly crushed minnows have the same problem, so one top bait is fresh shrimp, which holds its flavor for a long time. The same holds true for commercial baits that have a strong fishy flavor. Putting out a heavy scent is always a good idea, which is why I like to toss out a perforated can of cheap jack mackerel on a line and fish just below it in a river or lake with a bit of current. Cats will come from long distances to this treat. Here's a final thought. If you're fishing a mud bottom spot, maybe with lots of weeds and algae, your bait might sink into the mud and cover and be unavailable to cats, even if they can smell it. In such situations, use a float with your bait at least a foot or two above the bottom. Not only will the float move your offering around, covering more territory, but the fish can find it easily. Which is what you're hoping for. Dick Martin, a freelance writer from Shelby, is a retired biology teacher who has been writing outdoor columns for more than 30 years. Reach him at richmart@neo.com. You also can visit his blog at outdoorswithmartin.com.