After being heckled and down right called out a “Sally” by none other than the Cat king himself, BrianK, for targeting Bass, it was time for me to man up and get some Cat boogers wrapped up on some 10# Trilene mono leaders. Either that or, there has been a couple friends at work wanting to get out and try the drifting technique for the bottom dwellers and there was finally a Friday night open for buddy Mikehd and myself to get out and play after dark 
I was second guessing the day the whole time while at work. The rain never seemed to stop and the wind kept picking up from the South. Here is a heads up…..Pool 8 for the most part can turn ugly in a hurry with a constant South wind 
With Mike starting to now call me out it was time for me to hush up and hit the water while trying to put some kind of a game plan together for us along with friends neutron and TJ in tow.
After launching the 2 boats the search for bait began and let me tell you, for how tough the bite was for nursery fish to be used as cut bait, the hopes of a drift bite for channels kept slipping farther away in my mind. With 8 fish for each boat it was time to make the call. Mike and I had some discussion over were to go and decided we would make up are minds once we got to the main channel to look things over. With Southeast winds from 8-13mph and some gusting it didn’t take long to make a call, fishing the main channel was not going to happen on this evening Wanting to put the two new comers on channel cats we agreed to make a run up river and get into a side chute that has produced some fish for us in the past.
Again a negative attitude had to be shook, on arrival it was evident the tubers were also looking for a place to play out of the wind and calm seas. Would this night ever take a turn for the better 
The first drift along the North side of the cut produced some taps, raps and drops without any thing taking the baits seriously. Starting a second drift and taking a new line on the South side of the cut had the taps turning into thuds plus, the pleasure craft disappeared. Could it be? Was the night going to take a turn for the better? Then the words rang out from neutrons boat…….fish on 
TJ was play tug-o-war with his first drifted whiskered critter 
After a quick picture the drift started again and within yards TJ was hooked up again and at the same time my boat partner Mike was doubled over with a cat on himself All of a sudden fishing in the rain wasn’t so bad after all and the witching hour had us off to a great start. 6-7.5 pond channels had the fun on its way.
The blood on the channel cat pictured here was not from Mike’s battle, but a battle before. It had a hook that was out of sight and 3 feet of line in tow.
Then it happened……I heard drag screaming from the back of the boat and Mike did his Scooby Doo call, Ruh Roh 
The bend in the rod and the constant pulling of drag were all signs of a double digit platter on the end of Mike’s set up After a long battle and Mike complaining of burning forearms the felon on the other end showed himself for the first time before heading back to bottom, it was oblivious Mike had himself a grey sided cat that would be pushing the teens. Fighting channel cats of this size on walleye gear can be compared to snagging cougars in the wild 
so I would guess 
This was the size cat that has taken many neglected rods out of a boat only to leave one wondering what the heck happened after hearing the gear splash overboard With the grey ghost in the net there was a sigh of relief, Mike just boated his personal best Channel cat at 13.5 ponds.
Shortly after and just past midnight, a lightning show started flashing in the sky. It was time to head back down the main channel and get to the landing before the muddy became any more wild, what a night for the book
Grinding away at the beginning and then ending the night with a toad made the frustration at the beginning of the trip well worth it.
Congrats TJ on you cats and Mike on your personal best 
Your welcome Mike for me keeping the little ones out of your way
Next time neutron it will be are turn
The gear being used was walleye spinning tackle spooled with 10-20# power pro. A 1/0 snap swivel tied to the main line then a 1/0 barrel swivel snapped on. The leaders were approximately 24inche long, 10lb mono with a 1/0 – 2/0 wide gap circle hook. This is all you need to get your bait to the bottom. Every time I use this rig I thank Steve DeMars for his report turning me onto the set up
When hooking your cut bait to the circle hook make sure to get the hook through the skin so short hitters cannot rob the bait. You also want to make sure that the hook point makes it past the cut bait and is exposed so the hook set is not hindered by the meat.
Drifting in 5-12fow produced these cats on this night. While drifting a slough, cut or main channel make sure to change your line until you find the hungry critters.
Good luck fishing people
Pictured below –
Two of the prettiest faces a guy could have in the boat
I kept the small ones busy while Mike got serious with the bruisers.
TJ and neutron wrestle with a channel that just wouldn’t say uncle.
This channel cat stayed well behaved in the hand of TJ……can’t say I blame him
The channel cat TJ warmed up on.
Another shot of Mike’s PB…great job buddy
Now that sounds like fun!
Great job on the PB Mike
Great report Bret and congrats to Mike on his PB!! Thanks to you and Mike for letting TJ and I tag along. It was a complete blast watching TJ get his first cat fishing excursion in many years.
I hope we get a chance to chase them wiskered devils again in the near future, you hooked me with my first trip!!
good work bret and guys weather was a little scary looks like it was worth the trip
so it is true the only fish easier to catch than a bass is a catfish
yep, just as easy as shooting a big buck over a food plot
Another nice write up Buddy Bret
and another fun night on the river. 
I think we may have provided some entertainment again for some of the shore people. 
That was a blast guys and wayt to go TJ
and thanks Bret for entertaining the young cats. Next time it’s your turn Neutron. Oh yea the post fishing wrapup discussion at the launch was fun too. 
Best report you have put up this year Bret!!
Not a single mention of ICE……..
Nice cats guys.
Hey …. hey…. hey…. I really liked your report Bret but there’s no reason to start comparing these stupid catfish to a mature buck!
Great job on the kittys.
Some of the most memorable fishing trips are the ones in which the fishing conditions stink and you just stick with it until it pays off! 
Congrats again and thank you for writing such an entertaining report! 
nice read bret. Mike, congrats on the great fish. I can’t believe you thought you may have entertained shore people. lol–John
Bret, you are now taken of the Sally List and moved to the Sally Probation List.
What a HOOT!
And this coming from a guy that fishes in a skirt.
Thanks for the report Bret!
nICE fish fellas!
We will get out again, it’s not hard to hooked on drifting and sippin suds
As always buddy Mike
I bet we did
Probation again
ICE ICE ICE
Sorry Stuart 
Great job Bret. Super nice pb Mike and under tough conditions too. Gotta get out and do that
How did I miss this report. Great job there Bret. It appears you were in good company.
Great job Bret! Makes me want to head out cattin with friends!!
Does anyone know of any catfishing spots by La Crosse WI? Im new the catfishing and dont know where to go.
Right now the wing dams by Dresbach dam would be a good start.
Thanks man but I’ve tried there and caught nothing. Should I be fishing in the current or around the wing dam where theres not a lot of current? I’ve been fishing more in the current.