Beaver Lake Catfishing

[Devan S.]

Been catfishing the last 2 nights in the dam area. 

Friday I was shore bound at the dam day use area setup about 1 hour before dark. Park ranger ran everyone out about 30 minutes after dark. Apparently day use really means day use only now. Put livers under balloons and let them drift along the rip rap 6-8ft. down. 

Last night I fished from hour before dark until 11pm. Started out around the island on the big hump in the middle of the lake. Started up wind and let the balloons drift over the hump about 8ft down. Once it got dark the wind settled, and I put the trolling motor on slow and drug the balloons along the drop and then along the island staying in between 30 and 20ft. of water along the bank @ .3 to .5 mph. I had one good bite in the cut along the island but it didn't fully commit enough to stay hooked. 

Today I went and got some bream and put them in the stock tank so I have live bait ready. I have no idea what I am doing here but I am determined to catch a good catfish on rod and reel but I am just not a set and wait type person. If anyone has better methods or tips let me know. I'm primarily stuck towards the dam area because its a long ride home late at night.  

 

 

[Quillback]

I caught one a few weeks ago on a Keitech that went about 5-6 lbs.  Might be worth a shot at night, fish a Keitech slowly near the bottom.  If you can get some shad, that would be a great bait.  Keitechs have some scent built in, but if I was targeting cats I'd spray them with garlic scent.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

There’s a couple guys on YouTube I watch occasionally.  They cut up bluegill and shad for channels and blues.   Live ones for flatheads.  They are still-fishing though.  

[Devan S.]

I just don't know of a spot in the dam area of Beaver that I have enough confidence in to sit still in(now that dam site day use is only day). I have a lot of spots I would drop jugs and drift though.....so that is what I am operating like....except I am pulling them slowly. 

One thing for sure....its pretty at dusk.

[bluebasser86]

I haven't fished Beaver for catfish, but I do catfish a lot and catfish are predators just like bass, walleye, or stripers. They use a lot of the same areas and have the same needs and requirements to use an area. I would suggest either finding bait on your depthfinder before you start fishing, or setup in an area that is likely to have fish moving through it. In a clear lake like Beaver, I imagine they'll run the channel edges a lot during the day and feeding flats at night, so if you have an area you could still fish where you could set a couple baits on a flat and a couple baits in the channel, that's where I would look. Live or fresh cut bait are the only thing you should be running for big catfish, very rarely will you catch a fish much over 10lbs on a prepared bait or livers. If you don't want to sit still, you can also suspend baits just off the bottom and either drift or slowly troll into the wind. You don't have to have live bait for big flatheads either, I catch more of them on fresh cut bait than I do livebait.

 

[snagged in outlet 3]

I'd say @bluebasser86 is THE MAN to listen too!!!  Nice!!

[Devan S.]

Man what a fish....I really think I am setting myself up for failure.

I will say the comment about baits right above bottom is tough. Lots of water in the dam area that is 60+ feet deep. 

[Quillback]

Hey Devan - When I came back to the Indian Creek ramp this morning, I talked to a guy that ran a trotline last night I believe close to the ramp.  He said he had caught 9 cats, 2 were flathead.  Said it was the first time he'd run a trotline in 35 years.  There is lots of shad and stripers right outside the ramp, might be a good place to try your catfishing, my guess is those cats come in at night to feed on the shad.  I would not go very deep either, I'd fish in 20 feet or less.

[Devan S.]

I've thought of heading there or way back in Indian where it splits. 

Of course with the predicted water, I may just set out in front of the dam and hope for a big blue to be in the area sucking up whatever gets pulled his way. 

[Quillback]

Back in Indian might not be a bad idea after the rain hits.  When we get a good rain here in Bella Vista and the water is coming in high and muddy out of the creeks, there is always a couple of guys fishing for cats at the creek mouths.  They usually catch them too.