When Do You Start Looking for Catfish

[LostMyWife]

What time of year do the cats start biting in the smaller lakes.

Also,I have always used a small Zebco 33 to fish for catfish. Now I see these posts where guys are talking about using these mondo open face spinning reels and 12 foot rods for both catfish and carp.

I have one that I used to use to snag spoons at the Chain of ROcks in St Louis, but I never thought of using it for bait casting.

What kinf a terminal tackle do you use. Whenever I use a catfish rig with te slip sinker, I have problems with mussels aking my bait. Same with Carp when I am fishing on the bottom. Anyone else have this problem. Any solutions.

The lake I fish, (lake where I live), has adeep channel right off a point that goes ot to the main body of the lake. Usually get soe nice pan size channel cat hear, but the nussels are a pain. If I go into the cove I can catch yellow's all night, but they are all small.

Any ideas?

[duckydoty]

LMW

I use to hit the spoons at Chain of Rocks every year. We would also fish for blues below Alton starting around March. You need a 3 way swivel with about 8 or more ounces of lead wrapped in foam dropped about 18" from the 3 way to keep from getting hung on the bottom. The buffalo usually spawn first and will stack up right behind the lock and dam at Alton. Get right up next to it and you can have alot of fun with them.

I use to have a lot of fun with the big heads there also--now you wouldn't think it but they are very good eating. Very firm white meat, much better than the spoonbill in my opinion. I would catch them in June on jigs while fishing for walleye.

The sauger and walleye should be getting good below Chain-of-Rocks real soon.

fish right below the barrels

Duckydoty