Ya Kevin, We’ve fished this back water area many years and they start moving in around 45 degrees, maybe even a little less but we wait until its gets a little higher. With the back water areas being shallower and out of the colder flow from up river the water warms there first. With the warmer rains we’ve been having too thats also helped. I’m waiting for the creeks to warm up a little more so I can fish one in particular where they really go to town. This creek doesn’t have any slower back water where it can warm up faster its all a solid flow. Their calling for rain here for the next 5 to 7 days so that’s going to help warm things up and the creeks are right on the verge of their first bite, probably could catch a few but I’m going to wait until the bites better. If it would get into the 70’s and stay there it would make a difference but that isn’t going to happen.
If you know any guys who fish the backwaters with dittypoles or trot lines they will tell you. I’m sure the females don’t have much blood on their eggs yet like they do when they spawn, This latitude is close to the start of the very first good catfish bite in shallower water. I’ve got a friend who fishes nearly every day and the catfish bite here in the main more rapid flow of the river is all little fiddelers, not even a pound yet and hes tried every bait that he can think up. The slower moving back waters are where they are biting. I know theres a few guys who have caught bigger ones in slow water like pockets and have been getting fish but their having to spend more time in their boat and having to wait for them more. I’m sure the res. just south of me at Coralville is producing better because of minimal flow and has had a chance to warm up more, a few degrees in water temp. makes a big difference, the good bites just around the corner.
