It’s Cattin Time

Warm weather has finally arrived here in the northland. The river is free of all ice and starting to warm up. The walleyes are stacking up below the dams on the river and fisherman are catching numbers of fish at these areas.

More importantly the catfish are starting also. They are still quite sluggish but it sure is good to hold onto those “pretty” fish again. If the weather continues nice we will have water temp. well into the 50’s in no time.

The river is extremely low this year and we need a good rain to really get the fish on a bite. All boat ramps are open but with the low water conditions we will have to use a lot more caution when moving up and down the river.

Anybody coming this direction, email me for up to the minute conditions of the river.

Dennis

Dennis i’m comin up to fargo on the 22nd any info on what the best bait and setup you use to get those cats!
Kevin Budny
LET EM RUN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kevin,
Cutbait is the key to catch the larger catfish. Both suckers and goldeyes should not be too hard to come by and both work great in the spring. You will find the suckers almost anywhere on the bottom with worms. Goldeyes, fish slack water areas within about a foot of the surface. Use either worms or minnows on a small jig.

Once you have fresh bait, Start out close to the dams and gradually move back until you find concentrations of fish. Anchor above snags casting back as close as you can get to the snags as with cool water the cats will not be quite as agressive as they are in warmer water.

As for rigs, just the plain hook, wieght and a piece bait. Nothing, is quite so simple and works so good. Leader lengths I use are about 18″ to 24″.

Good luck, and if you need any other information just ask.

Well Howdy Dennis, long time no-see Eh.

I crawled out of my winter hibernation cave a month or so back, ready to play kitty tag now.

Been chasing them funny looking green critters since ice out. The River in your back yard has been good to me, lots of chubby eye’s. Over bye West Fargo I caught a 13# and a 11# in the past week. Found a sumo 28″ eye yesterday morning that was about the fattest walleye I have ever seen. She looked like a butterball cat and was eager to chomp a Rattle Trap, so she was still hungry.

I did hear through the cat vine that you got a new boat on the way? I may be on the same page soon too? We may need them this year..yup-yup?

If you looking for suckers they are running on the dams to the south in numbers now. Seen a lot of them on the Sheyenne too, to your West of you a mile or so near the I-bridge’s.

Cats are feeding better in the South around Wahp now, some at the next Dam to the North too. I plan to start working them this week with a few clients. Darn low to the South and if we do not get rain, we will be low all over soon. MBJ Park area is a challenge now for sure. Seen a 17′ deep V Lund stuck on a stump there the other day, pulled it off for them with “Ol Viagra”. They went shopping for a new prop after that Eh.

Catch ya soon, be well.

Ed “Backwater Eddy” Carlson

Backwater Guiding “ED on the RED”