Catfishing advice

My name is mitch and I’m pretty new to catfishing, me and my buddy try on the St. Croix and we dont get much luck. I was wondering is the catfishing is better where the mississippi and st. Croix meet? I’ve caught more sturgeon than catfish when I go out catfishing. Just trying to find flats and havent been lucky for 2 years.

Thanks much for any advice,

Mitch

I highly advise you to soak in as much information from the internet and books as possible.

There’s much to read & watch.

Then spend time on the water. Lots of time on the water trying what you’ve learned.

Sure this is basic advice but the best I can give you. If you haven’t started there then you haven’t started. Fishing with someone who has had success sure helps too.

Can you elaborate on your fishing tactics that haven’t been lucky?

Confluence is good, but there are fish in many places. It is also the busiest place right now as far as boat traffic.

Spawn finishing up can make Flatheads challenging. I’d be fishing a post spawn pattern right now.
IMO with Flatheads you either fish pre-spawn pattern or post spawn pattern. Fish don’t all spawn at the same time so there will always be more aggressive fish when working those patterns vs sitting on a spawn fishing pattern.

Go research man! Lots to learn.

I haven’t fished much lately but here’s a 15-20# from last week, two hours of fishing mid afternoon on cut sheephead. All beat up from spawn. Bad pic, was super humid!

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I mostly use cut bait, alewives, suckers. I’ve been seeing bull heads are a way to go. I try to fish deep holes. I think the biggest thing I need to do is move more often, I stay in one spot too long hoping they will come by. My gear is pretty stout, I usually use my sturgeon set up for catfish. I mainly fish above still water on the croix. Only been out once on the mississippi but have seen bigger luck out there. I just mainly dont know where structures are or any real hot spots. I use a navionics app that let’s you know the general structure of the lakes and rivers. From what I have learned is fish by structures under water by tress or ledges or holes. I just dont know anything else about post spawn areas or pre spawn areas. Never really fished the backwaters on the rivers.

Thanks much

Mitch

Get in the vicinity of that big structure in the background and you’ll find fish.

Flatheads will eat something put in front of them. Move move move…. Or sit on a known fish. Don’t just sit.

A couple of feet can make a difference. Having no SI and fishing blind is not helping.

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hello Andy hope your season is going good I was out chasing the sturgeon and cats the last 2 Saturdays not to good 1 flat 5 lb! dam hot and humid. didn’t see you out, you staying up river?

The SCRATCHER wrote:

hello Andy hope your season is going good I was out chasing the sturgeon and cats the last 2 Saturdays not to good 1 flat 5 lb! dam hot and humid. didn’t see you out, you staying up river?

I’ve been on 4,3,2 Croix this month.

Boyd, sometimes the main channel isn’t the place to be when the rollers are open on P#4. Wink wink, nod nod, say no more…