catfish Archives - Page 7 of 13 - Mississippi Sportsman

Blue catfish are voracious eaters, and will even hit a Bandit 200 crankbait, which this angler learned while trolling for striped bass at Barnett Reservoir.

Color catfish hot

September 1, 2018 David Hawkins

Even with summer’s heat still pounding down on Mississippi waters, catfish are almost always ready and willing to bite. Here’s how to catch them. […]

A catfish’s olfactory system, which includes many baffles in its nostrils, allows it to detect small traces of scent in large volumes of water, which makes them vulnerable to all kinds of baits.

Choosing bait: It needs to stink

July 15, 2018 Phillip Gentry

Catfish have some of the most-sensitive senses of smell in the aquatic environment, thanks to folds in tissue inside their nostrils. […]

Summer-size your catfish tactics

July 1, 2018 Phillip Gentry

The hottest months may not be the best time to target trophy cats, but numbers of smaller fish are available for the taking across Mississippi. […]

Fishing on a higher plane

June 15, 2018 Phillip Gentry

Using planer boards to separate trolling lines is a tactic that has been around for a long time, but anglers continue to re-invent it, tailoring it to the species they are targeting. […]

Hand-grabbing is a social activity for friends and family, enticing fishermen of all ages and types to join this fun. This group made this haul in a single morning on Barnett Reservoir.

Grab a Mississippi catfish and hold on

May 1, 2018 David Hawkins

Plenty of people around Mississippi believe that grabbing, noodling or hand-grabbing is the way to go when it comes to battling a big blue or flathead. […]

Strong design solves anchor problem

February 15, 2018 Phillip Gentry

Steve Strong, a veteran catfish angler, has lost count of the anchors he has sacrificed to the Mississippi River. With its myriad of rocks, logs and debris, the river bottom is tough on anchors. […]

In a typical six-rod set up, place at least two baited lines (1 and 6) on the break line itself. Other lines will target structure such as downed trees (2) , rock piles (3), and holes or depressions (5). The final line (4) should be straight down, to catch fish responding to active chumming.

Thoroughly work each spot

February 15, 2018 Phillip Gentry

Fan-casting to tempt winter catfish is more than just a random presentation of baits. Once the boat has been anchored, catfish anglers must target specific features within reach of the boat. […]

Mississippi’s noodling, or hand-grabbing season for catfish, opened May 1 and ends July 15, making June the peak month for hands-on action.

Noodling (a.k.a. hand-grabbing) peaks in June

June 15, 2017 Bobby Cleveland

One of the few freshwater fishing seasons in Mississippi is the hands-on noodling season for catfish, and June is the peak month for activity. […]

Summer Cats 5 Ways

June 1, 2017 Phillip Gentry

Whether you’re looking for a trophy catfish or just a mess of fillets to supply a fish fry, try casting, trolling, bumping, trotlining or jugging. […]

Often left bloody from battling a giant flathead catfish, Hannah Barron says the adrenaline rush she gets from noodling is worth the pain.

The adrenaline rush that is hand-grabbing

May 1, 2017 Michael O. Giles

Hannah Barron dove underwater hoping to feel a big catfish in a wooden box, and she got just what she wanted. […]

Preparing for a different form of noodling

November 15, 2016 Phillip Gentry

The term “noodling” for catfish usually refers to the sport of grabbing catfish by hand, but at Lake Washington it takes on a different meanings. […]

The No. 1 recipe for catfish stink bait

November 15, 2016 Phillip Gentry

Robert “Kud” Stevenson of Tallulah, La., shares the steps to making his homemade catfish stink bait recipe. […]