| Outdoors |
Catching monster catfish takes patience, skill and luck
P
blue can swallow a baitfish weighing several pounds. eople don’t need to spend a fortune heading offshore to battle giant fish. In fact, some of the biggest fish in Alabama First, anglers must find big cats to catch them. After finding big probably live very close to everyone’s home. catfish, tempt them with something they want to eat. That requires Catfish thrive in nearly every freshwater system in the state and large fishy baits and great patience waiting for that one big bite. some species grow to gigantic proportions. The Alabama record For whiskered whoppers, use fish chunks, strips or whole fish, either live or dead. blue catfish weighed 120.25 pounds and came from Holt Reservoir, an impoundment on the Black Warrior River north of Tus“Most people who don’t specifically fish for big catfish can’t caloosa. Flathead catfish can also weigh more than 100 pounds. believe the bait sizes we use,” says Phil King, a professional angler with multiple national championship titles and a 103-pound The state record flathead weighed 80 pounds and came from the blue catfish to his credit. “I also vary my baits to give fish options. Alabama River near Selma. Sometimes, finicky fish might only want live baits.” Although anyone can land a massive catfish anywhere in Alabama on any cast, people who consistently catch enormous whisMore picky than blues, flathead catfish occasionally hit fresh kerfish intentionally fish for them with heavy deep-sea tackle in fish chunks or strips, but typically want live fish. Blues might waters well known for wander in search of food, producing trophy catfish. but flatheads use their excellent camouflage to hunAll the major rivers in Alabama hold giant catfish. ker down in thick cover, Some better places to such as fallen trees, brush, catch these monsters inrocks or log piles, waiting clude the Tennessee, Chatto ambush unsuspecting tahoochee, Tombigbee and fish. Some good baits for Alabama river systems these voracious predators plus associated waters. include live shad, mullet, In 2020, Mike Mitchell, shiners and sunfish. They a professional angler and also eat other catfish, especially bullheads. guide for Southern Cats Widespread and abunGuide Service in Russellville, caught and released a dant, channel cats might 117.20-pound blue catfish hit almost any natural bait, on Wilson Lake, a Tennesbut don’t grow nearly as see River impoundment large as blues or flatheads. near Florence. Channel cats can weigh “The Tennessee River Mike Mitchell of Russellville, Ala. caught and released this 117.20-pound blue catfish more than 50 pounds, but is well known for produc- while fishing Wilson Lake on the Tennessee River near Rogersville, Ala. He just missed people generally catch fish ing big catfish,” says Brian breaking the state record of 120.25 pounds. ranging from one to five PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE MITCHELL Barton, who guides on the pounds. The state record river out of Muscle Shoals. “Anything above 80 pounds is a special weighed 40 pounds and came from Inland Lake in Blount County. trophy, but 70-pounders are becoming more common.” Some better channel cat baits include worms, nightcrawlers, cut To keep more huge catfish swimming in Alabama waters, the fish, crawfish, cheese, shrimp and livers. state changed the regulation a few years ago. Now, people can only “Channel cats are not shy about biting and usually school in keep one catfish of any kind 34 inches in length or greater per persmall numbers,” Barton says. “If someone catches one in an area, son per day, but unlimited numbers of smaller fish. That size limit there’s a good chance that person could catch more. When fishing does not apply to certain waters in the state. In addition, people for channel cats, I downsize my line, hooks and bait and only use cannot transport live catfish 34 inches in length or greater beyond enough weight to get the job done.” state lines. Even the most outstanding trophy catfish waters only hold so All catfish can follow a scent for a long distance. Blue catfish will many fish exceeding 50 pounds. If people want to catch river leviathans, they need to release big catfish. It takes years to grow a eat almost anything they can fit into their mouths and gulp down. 70-pound blue or flathead. Keep the small ones to eat if you wish. Even the biggest blue cats might take a small bait, but true behemoths habitually want one big meal and prefer fish. A 50-pound Some of the best fishing for channel cats in Alabama occurs in the 23 state public fishing lakes found in 20 counties totaling 1,912 surface acres. For more information on the state public John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in fishing lakes, seeoutdooralabama.com/where-fish-alabama/ Semmes, Ala. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH FM alabama-public-fishing-lakes-pfls. For catfishing regulations, Talk 106.5 radio station in Mobile, Ala. Contact him at j.felsher@ seeoutdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater-fishing-creel-andhotmail.com or through Facebook. size-limits.
28 APRIL 2022
AL STATE APR22.indd 28
www.alabamaliving.coop
3/15/22 10:25 AM
