Hey right now is the time to really put a hurtin on some catfish!
This is a time when cats can be very very easy to put a hurt on. I have connected several times but i am not totally sure exactly what is at play here but i know it works. It is MY belief that the kittys are pry in the middle of spawning right now !
Pry in all three phases as I speak. But find rip rap and find kittys ! Dont seem to matter whether or not we are talking rock jettys, rocked shorlines, or sunkin rocks deep but cats ARE around them. Heavily toooooo !
Cats seem to use these lockers to get in side the caverns created by rock to do their thing.
Pry the most common approach is using a bobber and a float with a wiggling nightcrawler or leech similar to crappie fishing and dabble the rocks.
It is my beleif that these cats are in no mood to actually feed but to just protect their space . basically a reaction strike. Lots of cats also using a jig or crankbait for this reason. Also i beleive that this pry lasts a few weeks as the parents guard the nest at least until the hatch is well over and the fry disperse.
All i know is that this time of year people fishing for any thing that bites find themselves tangling with something much bigger than they expect and when they do actually catch some thing it is a huge "blue cat" lol
Well i hate to blast their bubble but the same lake that only produces channnel cats the other 11 months has not had a sudden invasion of blues!
What actually happens is that these fish are still channel cats which turn an awesome blue color when they are spawning. Man are they ever pretty this time of year And the males get a big old head and neck that makes em loook totallly different from the rest of the year
Let us know if any of you have ever found this pattern and your thoughts
Specially you ANDY
Iowa Sportsman
http://www.iowasportsman.com/article.php/20090624013241383