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OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE
Mastering Mississippi River Catfish
Editor’s Note: No question about it, the Mississippi River is home to some of the biggest blue catfish in the world. In fact, at one time, the world record fish of 124 pounds was caught from the Mississippi and stood from 2005 until 2010 when it was broken. The lure of big catfish is what brings Vicksburg, Mississippi native and veteran cat fisherman Steve Strong back to the river each trip out.
“I don’t guide, I don’t even tournament fish for catfish,” said Strong. “For me it’s all about catching and releasing the biggest catfish I can find. I tell you it’s addictive.”
Strong loves the anticipation of hunting big fish, and he wouldn’t dream of venturing out without Driftmaster rod holders.
Question: What kind of water is the best for big catfish on the Mississippi River?
Strong: One of the keys to catching big catfish from the Mississippi is knowing where the deep holes are. My favorite holes are those that have plenty of deep water, anywhere from 60 to over 100 feet depending on the river stage, and some structure inside the hole that will provide a current break for catfish to hold behind. Catfish like to have something to get behind so they don’t have to fight the current the whole time. It’s like drafting in NASCAR, the first cat will get in the eddy behind a log or a rock and there might be two or three other catfish in there nose to tail behind the first one.
Question: Once you’ve located a potential hole. How do you go about fishing it?
Strong: Once I pick the spot I’m going to fish, the next step is getting set up to fish that location. The current of the river will wash everything downstream that gets in it’s way, so you need to anchor up current and fish fresh cut skipjack herring down current into the hole. But anchoring in the Mississippi can be a little tricky.
If you’re on good structure it’s probably not going to be hard to find something to hang the anchor on. Of course, getting the anchor back can be a problem. I like to use 3 times the amount of anchor line as the depth of water I want the boat to be in. If I’m in an area where there not much structure around the hole and I have to anchor in either mud or sand, then I’ll use 5 times the water depth to allow the flukes a better angle on the bottom.
Positioning the boat correctly means accounting for the direction of the current then backing off the distance of the cast plus the amount of anchor scope.
Question: What size tackle do you use when fishing for Mississippi catfish?
Strong: I recommend 30 pound class tackle. My typical set up is only four rods, since the current has the tendency to push them all back to the middle. I use 7 foot MH Cat Maxx rods paired with Quantam Cabo baitcasting reels. I also like braided line for it’s strength and sensitivity. I tie a three-way rig using different classes of mono line. The braided line goes to the top end of a 3-way swivel while the weight, on a 12 to 14 inch section of 20 pound mono, is tied to the bottom. The middle eye hosts a 2 foot section of 50 pound mono which is snelled to his hook, either a 7/0 or 8/0 circle hook. I try to use as little weight as I can get away with and still maintain contact with the bottom. I may use a bank sinker all the way up to 10 ounces if the current is bad but the average is about 5 – 6 ounces.
Question: I know you are a fan of Driftmaster rod holders. How do they fit into your catfish setup?
Strong: I put a rod on each corner of the stern of the boat in a ½ inch Driftmaster Duo rodholder and one on each side of the boat in a ½ inch Troller model. The stern rods are cast back into the hole, one up close and one further back and the side rods are cast out to each side of the hole. I love these rod holders. I’ve had big cats, hang ups, and put tons of abuse on them. You just can’t break them.
Question: Are blue catfish the only cats you target when fishing the Mississippi?
Strong: Blue cats are a big draw on the Mississippi River, but they aren’t the only big cat to be found, especially when fishing during the summer. Yellow cats (Flathead Catfish) present just as much fun and excitement as blue cats and the action is better after dark. Catching a yellow cat takes a lot of patience. It’s a lot like trying to kill a big buck. Rather than fishing deep holes, I scout around the shallows looking for blow downs, snags, any place a yellow cat can hide during the day. I make note of those areas in the late afternoon then return at dusk and anchor up above the location.
I use a slip line for flatheads, a rig that allows the line to pass unimpeded when the fish picks up the bait. My favorite baits are live pond perch, gold fish, or any legal sunfish.
Yellow cats are predators and feed mostly at night. You want to put the baits up on the shallow end of the hole and get him to come out from under the snag and take the bait. And when that big ‘ole yellow cat grabs that rod, you better have it in a Driftmaster rod holder or you may never see that rod again.
If you dare to fish the Mississippi River for monster cats, we recommend that you take a look through Driftmaster’s line up of super tough rod holders. Protect your investment. After all, aren’t saving your gear and catching that trophy worth using Driftmaster
Vicksburg, Mississippi native Steve Strong loves fishing for big catfish in the Mississippi River and relies on Driftmaster rod holders to help him catch fish.
Strong’s choice of bait is fresh cut skipjack herring, which he catches from the Mississippi before going fishing.
Strong doesn’t trust a trophy catfish to just any rod holder, he chooses Driftmaster.
Blue catfish aren’t the only monsters in the Mississippi. Yellow cats, or flathead catfish, lurk in the shallows around snags and blow downs.
