Catfishing Advice For Springfieldian

[jimithyashford]

I've been spenidng most of my summer trying to catch Smallies, which is great fun, but my first love is catfishing. I always feel bad about keeping smallies, they taste great (I think) but are a catching fish not an eating fish, Cats on the other hand make a great meal, and you only need to keep a couple of nice fat cats to make a good dinner as opposed to 3-5 smallies.

Anyway! I plan on trying some catfishing soon, since i've only tried once this year, but I want some guidance first. I tried catfishing a LOT last year, and only caught 1 catfish, so I don't want to make the same mistake again this year.

Here is what I HAVE been doing, please tell me if this is wrong, what I should do different, or if all the parts are there and I just havn't been lucky.

Last year I fished Fellows (at the fishing dock) and Lake Springfield (below the dam) and Crieghton Fishing access a lot. I spent many many hours at night with three rods cats out in a kinda fan pattern from my lawn chair, just waiting for a bite with no love. I usually used chicken liver, although I tried soap once and crawfish a few times. I would rig a bell weight about a foot up from the hook, cast it out, reel until the line was tight against the weight, and then prop it up and wait. I got one catfish out of Crieghton doing that, and I caught him on a jig while I was fishing for bluegill out of boredom while waiting on my actualy catfish poles to catch something.

I have only gone out once this year, and it was to stockton, and I found a spot with a slow sloping rise from deep water to the beach with a little alcove/inlet to one side and the open water to the other. I let 4 poles sit there for probably 3 hours before I called it quits. (this spot right exactly here 37.580526,-93.634554)

SO! I was operating all last year on the idea that catfish are drawn to scent, and if you just leave your stinky bait there long enough, a cat will come along and take it. So I would plop myself down and wait an average of 3-5 hours before packing up and heading home. Again I used soap, liver, and crawfish, but mostly liver.

So, catfishermen. Any advice on where I can go and what I can try that will give me a pretty good chance of getting a good cat or two as long as I am willing to invest 3-5 hours of wet-line time?

[countryred]

Key on the backs of creeks or coves if it has been raining, if not, try flats. Try nightcrawlers, they will let you know if any fish are in the area as well as catch a few cats. Try 1 with a float, Use doughbait. Rip rap areas are always good.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Not really. It's always a matter of finding them and getting their attention. Cat's tend prefer a little movement in the water so I would make sure I fish when the dams were open.

They love cut bait, then stink (Sonny's or Super 7 are two good ones), livers of course. Three poles is a no-no, doesn't bother the cats, but will upset the warden, try 3.

I think once you lacate an area that can produce it will come down to what the want that day.

I'm sure there are some good areas on Fellows, but I doubt antone will reveal them. The James has a healthy population, but again you have fimd am access that isn't a busy intersection. If you have a craft of some sort I would paddle away from the access and fish some deeper water with some brush in it.

[jimithyashford]

What do you mean by "the backs of creeks and coves" I'm not familiar with the jargon. Rip rap? That's just a lot of junk and structure like by bridges right?

So if I wanted to make a day out of catfishing on stockton like, what, put all three poles in the water, wait and hour? Move if there are not bites. Just keep driving around to different areas until I find some fish?