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Fishing for really big catfish has become a new catch and release sport for fishermen all over the country who have become bored with bass fishing and crappie fishing. Folks who go after the big catfish routinely throw back little ones of 12 to 15 pounds. Any fish over 25 pounds is worth a picture in their catfish album. My brother and cousin spend Friday nights in their boat on the Tennessee River stalking the big ones that lay on the bottom. Normal sized catfish bait is only going to attract small fish; they use bait that is at least six inches long. The rule of thumb with most big cat fishermen is the bigger the catfish bait, the bigger the fish. My brother uses shad he catches below various dams we have on the Tennessee River. He cuts them in half and then freezes them until he's ready to go to the river. It's not unusual for him to fumble in the freezer for a pound of hamburger and pull out a skipjack, a common name for shad. Launching the boat around six o'clock in the evening, they found their favorite spot on the river in only a few minutes. By the time they dropped anchor in about 35 feet of water, the temperature had dropped to a pleasant 89° from the near 100° a couple of hours before. At the depth they were fishing, the water was much cooler and more comfortable a place for big fish to congregate. Catfish gear has become big business. My brother's and cousin's Ambassador 6500 C3 fishing reels cost a couple of hundred dollars each and those were without the special ordered power handles. Add CatMaxx™ eight foot rods, 80 pound test line, steel leaders 20" long, 10 inch circle hooks and 4 ounce weights and you're looking at a pretty good investment of cash for the chance of catching one of these monster catfish. The first bite came around eight o'clock. They had been on the water for two hours and with the ever darkening evening, came swarms of willow flies. Such swarms are a little unusual for Alabama in late July; they tend to congregate toward lights in June. This past weekend the willow flies were swarming, which is unusual in Alabama for them to be out in droves in August. Usually it is June when they become pests. Keeping them out of their noses, eyes and ears was a challenge for both fishermen. The rod tip barely twitched when the first strike came. Then after the line became taut, my brother jerked the rod, set the hook and the battle was on. This turned out to be only 28 pounds. He called it a baby as he released the fish back into the water. Over the course of the evening, they caught four more catfish from 20 pounds to 45 pounds. The big event came when my brother hooked and fought a huge catfish up to the boat. After struggling with the fish, both men were able to get it on board and record its weight; just over 80 pounds. They could have put a soccer ball in its mouth! Truly a giant! After pictures of the catfish, they released it to fight again and began trying to wipe some of the slime from the fish that was stuck to practically every inch of the boat, including themselves. Big catfish are messy. Most catfish over 20 pounds are not eaten. The older a cat has become the more toxins it will have absorbed. If it is an especially big one, then its meat could be quite harmful if swallowed. Also, the bigger the fish get, the mushier the meat becomes. Releasing the fish is not only much easier than cleaning such a monster; it's also less stressful on the fish! Bob Alexander is a son of the south. He is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: http://www.redfishbob.com http://www.bluemarlinbob.com
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catfish, big catfish, catch and release, catfish gear, monster catfish, willow flies, big cat fishermen, catfish bait,
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