Catfishing In Rivers & Streams

So you want to learn how to catch catfish in rivers.....There are numerous rivers and streams throughout the midwest which offer excellent opportunities for taking decent sized catfish.  Some areas even offer the opportunity to take record breaking fish!  Simply having the chance to hook into one of these monster catfish is a big draw for many anglers.  Knowing the right place to attempt catching these fish can go a long way towards filling your freezer. 

Mouth of creek entering river

One great place to throw in a line for catfish is at the mouth of creeks entering a bigger river.  These areas are particularly effective when the river level is high.  Catfish often frequent these areas in search of baitfish as well as crawdads (crayfish).  Many times you may even have success by casting your line into the smaller stream a short distance up from the adjoining river.

Wing Dike

Wing dikes offer another excellent area to search for catfish as it allows them to get out of the main flow of water giving them the opportunity to pick up a meal while resting a while.  The ripples on the back side of wing dikes as shown in this picture also tend to attract the baitfish giving this area even more appeal to catfish.

Pool formed by river

The pools that are sometimes formed on the back side of a wing dike is another great target area for big catfish.  When the river is up it may also "cut" into the bank in these areas on outside corners causing cutout ledges to form making an excellent hiding place from which the catfish can ambush their unsuspecting prey.

Cover

Don't forget to watch logs such as the one shown in the above picture protruding from the water or any other debris that you can access in the river.  Catfish love to hang out in and around these hidden snags.

When fishing on a river be sure to use a heavy rod and reel in combination with a high strength fishing line.  This will allow you to retrieve your tackle when you get hung up.

One of the best baits for consistently catching ten to twenty pound catfish in rivers and streams is crawdads.  These are a catfish favorite.  Another bait that seems to work really well is goldfish that are two to three inches long.  Note:  It is illegal to dump live goldfish into the river so make sure you take them with you when you leave.

By paying attention to the the river and taking advantage of hotspots such as the ones mentioned above, your outings should begin to result in more and bigger catfish.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day

Gar Fishing - Trash Fish Or Overlooked Food Source

Photo Courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

When most people in the midwest think of a gar they don't tend to think about gar fishing, instead they seem to think of a worthless fish that steals their bait and breaks their fishing lines. However, if you were to ask people from the south, say Louisiana, you'd likely get a different answer altogether. I had always looked at gar as a trash fish until last year when I began looking a little closer at this often misunderstood fish.

Gar are opportunistic feeders that are willing to dine on just about any meaty substance that happens to cross their paths.  When fishing for gar, use a heavier pole such as a catfishing rod in combination with a steel leader at least two feet long and any type of meat you might use when fishing for cats.
Some of the most productive areas I've found to catch gar include the back side of wing dikes, below dams and wherever bait fish happen to be swimming in schools.  If you enjoy catching a fish that will put up a good fight while bringing them to shore, perhaps it's time you try your luck at catching some gar.  Just a side note.... be sure you have a good pair of gloves.  Not only are their mouth full of teeth, but their scales tend to be sharp as well.

As an added bonus to being fun to catch, I found that the meat from a gar is rather tasty.  I have heard some people say that it tastes like alligator which makes sense when you consider that they are related.  Filleting a gar is done a little differently than cleaning a gamefish.  To retrieve the fillets from this fish, cut a "u" shape behind the gills.  Start at the bottom on one side working your way over the top of the fish and down to the bottom on the other side.  Next repeat this process near the end of the tail.  After these two openings are made, cut a line along the top of the fish connecting the original cuts at the head and tail (a heavy duty pair of kitchen scissors works great for this task).  Once this is completed proceed to cutting the filet on each side away from the skin and the ribcage.  Remove the filets and discard the rest.  You don't even have to deal with guts using this method.  Note:  Gar eggs are toxic to humans so do not eat them.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day