I posted this idea last year but I thought this might be a good time to share the idea again with the current low water situation being an excellent opportunity to put this tip to work.
The trouble we have during high water is getting a good picture in our mind of what the catfish holding structure looks like in any given spot. Most of our good spots are drowned out and there seems to be too much current streaming through our best spots.
What I have found is the fish are still there but they are relating to structure we probably have not given much thought to before. I’ve tried to photo catalog my catfish spots during low water so that when I have high to moderate water during the prespawn period I have a good idea of what the structure looks like when it is covered by high, dirty water.
I got the idea after watching golf one weekend on TV. I was watching Tiger Woods prepare for a difficult shot from out of the rough and his caddy pulls this small book out of his back pocket and it is a diagram of the hole with distances to the green and specific obstacles to avoid. I thought to myself that would be a good technique for my catfish spots. During the low water period last summer I went out scouting with my digital camera and took digital photos of my preferred high water spots paying attention to well anchored logjams and root wads that were high and dry at that time but should be covered during high water. Now when I approach those spots I pull out my cat fishing spot photo album and think through how I want to fish that spot. I try to think like a hungry prespawn catfish and picture in my mind how he would set up on that spot.
Right now the St Croix River is at 675.6′ which is normal elevation and perfect for low water scouting. The Minnesota River and Mississippi River are as low as you will ever find them and now would be a good time to catalog all your best spots. You would be amazed at how much this helps you read the water during high to moderate water elevation. To give you an idea attached is a picture of one spot – picture this under 6′ of water.
Good Fishing!
