Alright, my best cattin buddy is going to move to Colorado in June. WHen is the absolute earliest that we can get some good Mississippi fishing in before he leaves in Early June?
P.S. Just put line on my new baitcaster and can’t wait to try it out! 
Ice out is usually the 2nd week in April so a late April, early May catfish trip could work. I reviewed my fishing journal from last year. We got 5 channel cats on the Mississippi on 6 May with the biggest channel 28″ (8.1 lbs). Air temp on that day was 68 degrees and water temp was 56 degrees. For some reason that first trip last year all they would take was nightcrawlers, I had no luck with cut bait. On that trip we got a bunch of big carp and it was a blast. Here’s a pic of one (kind of makes you want to fish doesn’t it?):
Channels are usually biting by mid April but weather/water level is a big factor. By mid May channels are going real well and in late May the flatheads will consistently bite. A late May, early June trip could be a mixed bag bite, and a good one at that.
Thanks C. We usually fish a little further north, say St. Cloud, but we could be persuaded to venture a few hours south. As I was throwing the 25 lb test on my new baitcaster today, I was really jonesing for those midsummer night fishing trips. Oh well, Sounds like about 2 months should do it anyway. Until then, I’ll just watch the T-Wolves win the championship. 
There usually a good cat fish bite going on on the st louis river during opener weekend.
How far up the mississippi do the cats go? Cant say I have ever caught one on the river in Aitkin.
From my experience, the channels are smaller the further north you get. In St. Cloud, the biggest cat I have ever caught was probably in the 8-10 pound range, whereas an hour south in Minneapolis they can get up around the state record. I have never ventured as far north as Aitkin to fish the river, so I honestly have no idea. I would never have thought to fish the St. Louis fr cats either. Thanks for the hints.
A buddy of mine brought me up there fishing cats. On the floodwood water it used to say “catfish capitol of the world”. They even have a big catting contest early in the season.
I would say about 15# was the biggest channel we ever got up that way.
Ya know? I go through Floodwood at least 3 times a year for the last 15 years. Never could figure out the “Cat Capital of the World” thing. Didn’t even see much of a river going through there.
….learn more on this site by accident than….
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