catfish Archives - Page 7 of 13 - Mississippi Sportsman

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. […]

Garlic chicken is top catfish bait

October 15, 2016 Phillip Gentry

The hands-down favorite bait for catfishing on the Mississippi River is skipjack herring. Herring are usually plentiful but get harder to find when winter rolls around. […]

How to fish the Santee catfish rig

July 15, 2016 Phillip Gentry

The secret to trolling for catfish is to have the bait, typically fresh dead or cut bait, move slowly along the bottom. […]

Dustin Frucci holds up two of the stripers caught on Barnett Reservoir. The all-day and half-the-night trip started with largemouth, picked up with stripers and ended with catfish under a nearly full moon.

Wonderful night tops great day on The Rez

July 11, 2016 Bobby Cleveland

Descending gloriously, with an orange brilliance over the Natchez Trace, the sun may have been setting but not on our day of fishing on Barnett Reservoir. […]