Central Iowa Catfish?

  • perc
    Posts: 7
    #1284439

    So the waters in Iowa have become too warm for me to safely release a muskie, at least on the lakes I fish with regularity…I have a new obsession in lou of that…its trying to catch catfish, for the frying pan and maybe a big 1 or 2 thrown in there…problem is I really don’t know where to go, what to use, when the best time is, etc…can anyone throw any advise out there for a beginner to catfishing…I have caught a couple in my life but I would really like to give a hard go at it and my brother has never caught on so I want to get him one too…I live in central Iowa and am willing to drive 30 miles if needed but I hear there is a lot of good fishing around Des Moines but just don’t know enough about it to have a good go at it…any help would be greatly appreciated…thanks

    Matt aka Perc

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #458376

    Hey Perc!

    Ask the same question in the Mississippi/cat forum….except…the part about eating cats…say something like “I got my freezer full of muskies…and now I want to fish for some real fish..cpr of course….”

    There’s a bunch of guys that will help you.

    shaley
    Milford IA
    Posts: 2178
    #458648

    Depends where in Central Iowa you are. The Racoon has good flats and channles, around Boone south you have the Des Moines a great catfisherie. Look for holes with brushpiles, use heavy equipment, and catch a mess of bluegills for bait.
    Waters still good up here at the IGL’s for skies, buddy caught one lost one this morning, we’ll be out early after the one he lost tomarow.

    Pay no mind to Brian hes been out in the sun to long

    910dodge
    Iowa City
    Posts: 2
    #459165

    Green sunfish Not bluegills…regs say you cant use bluegills

    davehalverson
    Lake X, Central IA
    Posts: 4
    #459592

    Perc, Im in the same boat as you, i put my musky rods away for the central iowa summer, and have been cattin it a few times. Hit me up if you want to hop a seat in my boat, theres a few new places I want to try on the DM, and have some good spots on the iowa as well…

    joshbjork
    Center of Iowa
    Posts: 727
    #460739

    Quote:


    Green sunfish Not bluegills…regs say you cant use bluegills


    ADam, you can use anything you legally possess excpet for those few things they say you cannot use like carp and gar and the other two.

    I just talked to the local dnr guy he confirmed it is correct.

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