THE ANGLERS

A variety of baits are effective for catching catfish in North America. Some anglers a single bait for catching catfish while others rely on an assortment of baits. When choosing bait for catching catfish, it is important to be aware of which species are likely to be encountered.

In most areas, anglers have access to the smaller members of the catfish family, including bullheads, white catfish, and channel cats. In some areas, anglers may also encounter larger species such as blue catfish and flatheads.

channel catfish

Some catfish baits will attract a number of freshwater fish, while others tend to be ignored by other types of fish. For anglers seeking a variety of species, nightcrawlers are usually one of the best baits. In addition to catching catfish, nightcrawlers may catch sunfish, crappie, bass, yellow perch, white perch, trout, suckers, and other fish.

Baits for catching species such as bullheads, channel cats and white catfish include worms (nightcrawlers, earthworms, red wigglers), insect larvae (maggots, waxworms, grubs, hellgrammites), adult insects (crickets, grasshoppers), household foods (corn, dough balls, bread, cheese, hot dogs, chicken livers), seafood, particularly shellfish (shrimp, crawfish, clams), "stink baits" (home made or store bought), salmon eggs, minnows, cut fish, or other baits.

Most catfish anglers prefer to rig baits so that they lie on or near the bottom. Top and bottom rigs, bobber-hook rigs, and live bait rigs are among the most common presentations. Hook styles may include live bait, treble, or circle hooks.

Catfish can also be caught using artificial lures. They often strike jig - plastic grub combinations, plastic worms or other lures. Scented lure bodies are popular as they offer extra appeal to catfish.

For large species such as flathead catfish or blue catfish, anglers often prefer using live baits or larger cut baits. Live shad, suckers, shiners, eels or other baits are preferable when targeting these monster fish. Cut baits are also used, including large fish fillets, or whole dead baits. Other dead baits include chicken parts, whole frogs, salamanders or other unusual baits.

The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) recently released its 2011 Asian Carp Monitoring and Rapid Response Plan (MRRP), outlining an aggressive set of actions to track and remove Asian carp in the Upper Illinois River and the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) to prevent this invasive species from establishing in the Great Lakes.

The 2011 MRRP, which represents an estimated $7 million Federal investment, is designed with the flexibility to respond to new threats. Project plans can be categorized geographically as occurring either upstream or downstream of the electric dispersal barrier and grouped into the following five categories:

MONITORING PROJECTS

Includes the use of electrofishing and contract commercial fishermen to detect presence and location of any Asian carp DNA both above and below the barrier; continued use of eDNA to detect potential presence of carp above the barrier; and monitoring for small Asian carp to track where reproduction is occurring.

BARRIER EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATIONS

Efforts will include the use of telemetry to follow the movements of tagged surrogate species to assess movement near the dispersal barrier and through locks; use of sonar to track fish movement and caged fish to determine the effectiveness of the dispersal barrier; and monitoring for potential Asian carp spawning in the Des Plaines River to assess risk of eggs and larval fish passing through the barrier fence during flood events.

REMOVAL PROJECTS

Efforts include contracting commercial fishermen to remove Asian carp downstream of the barrier; a rapid response process should any Asian carp be detected upstream of the dispersal barrier; and suppressing Asian carp during maintenance of the electric dispersal barriers.

TECHNOLOGY EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Efforts will evaluate efficiency and detection probability of technology currently in use for Asian carp monitoring, develop enhancements, and generate ideas for development of new approaches for capturing or repelling small populations of Asian carp.

ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY SURVEILLANCE

Efforts will include expanded education and enforcement activities at locations where live fish would most likely be transported and continued surveillance efforts.

MRRP projects for 2011 also include developing and testing hydroguns that emit high-pressure underwater sound waves to repel Asian carp.

source: Illinois DNR

In Kansas, rainbow trout fishing in Lake Shawnee has been outstanding this spring. On April 2, Bob Lorson caught an 11.02-pound rainbow that was confirmed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) as a new state record.


On April 20, Ed Ames of Tecumseh was fishing the same lake when he landed a monster 13.65-pound rainbow, more than 2.5 pounds larger than Lorson’s catch.

An official from KDWP confirmed the species of the fish, which measured 31 7/8 inches with a girth of 17 1/4 inches. After a 30 day waiting period, KDWP entered Ames’ rainbow as the new state record.

For more information on Kansas state record fish, anglers can obtain a copy of the 2011 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary, available wherever licenses are sold, or visit the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us.

source: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

On May 2, 2011, an Arizona angler landed what could be a world record shellcracker (redear sunfish). Robert Lawler of Lake Havasu caught the 5.55 pound, 16.75-inch redear sunfish in Arizona's Lake Havasu, using a Texas-rigged 7-inch Power Worm..

The existing Arizona state record shellcracker weighed 4 pounds 2.24 ounces and was 15.5 inches long. The record catch was made on Feb. 16, 2010 at Lake Havasu by an angler from California.

source: Arizona Game and Fish Department

An 18.7-inch, 4.16 pound white bass is a new Iowa state record. Josh Zylstra, 23, was fishing on Big Sprit Lake when he landed the record setting fish.

The angler was fishing a shiner under a bobber for walleyes, but instead, it hooked a new state record white bass.

The new record was verified by fisheries biologist Mike Hawkins who weighed the fish on a certified scale.

source: Iowa Department of Natural Resources

An enormous blue catfish from Buggs Island Lake has taken the Virginia state record back from the James River, where anglers routinely catch monster blue catfish.

For 2011, the State Record Fish Committee of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has certified a new state record blue catfish that is only the second confirmed freshwater fish over 100 pounds ever caught in the Commonwealth.

The incredible catfish was caught on March 17, 2011, weighed in at exactly 109 pounds and measured 53 inches in length with a girth of 41 inches.

The big cat was caught by Tony Milam of South Boston, Virginia, in Buggs Island Lake near the confluence of the Dan and Roanoke rivers. Mr. Milam caught his fish using cut shad for bait on 30-pound test line.

The world record blue catfish weighed 130 pounds, caught in the Missouri River in 2010.

For a complete listing of Virginia state record freshwater fish, visit the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website at www.HuntFishVA.com

source: Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

Recreational anglers in the Pacific Northwest can continue fishing for hatchery-reared spring chinook salmon through June 15 on a section of the Columbia River stretching 163.5 miles above Bonneville Dam.

The spring chinook fishery was extended by fishery managers from Washington and Oregon, who recently agreed that enough fish are still available under the catch limit to allow anglers to keep fishing until the summer chinook salmon season starts June 16. The popular spring chinook fishery was already scheduled to run through June 15 below Bonneville Dam.


Anglers can retain up to two hatchery adult chinook salmon, marked with a clipped adipose fin, as part of their daily catch limit. Sockeye salmon and hatchery-reared steelhead also count toward anglers’ adult daily limit.

All unmarked chinook and steelhead must be released unharmed.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife