A lesson plan for going after whiskered fish on Texas lakes and rivers.

Story and photograph by Matt Williams

It’s no secret that Texas is home to a bounty of reservoirs and rivers, with many of them loaded with whiskered fish. Three sub-species are recognized as sport fish – flatheads, blues and channel cat.

While blues and flatheads rank highest on the hit lists of trophy hunters, there are an army of fishing fans hooked on channel cat.

There are plenty of reasons channel catfish rank high in popularity polls with Texas fishing crowds. For starters, they are abundant statewide, a blast to catch and pretty cooperative from one day to the next. Plus, channel cat are protected by liberal limits and they make for some outstanding table fare.

The statewide rule allows anglers to keep 25 fish, channels and blue cat in any combination, but only 10 may be 20 inches or greater in length.  Statewide regulations apply to all public fresh waters, except locations noted in the Exceptions to Statewide Freshwater Harvest Regulations. The exceptions are listed on the TPWD website.

Get the grease hot and ready the corn meal plus fresh tomatoes. Here’s an angler’s guide of tips to help you become more successful at catching ol’ whiskers:

Stick with the Basics:  There are several ways to rig up for catching catfish. It’s usually best to stick with the basics when going after channel cat – cork fishing and bottom fishing.

The cork serves a dual purpose. It suspends the bait off bottom and allows the angler to detect strikes without having to rely on feel. When a fish bites the bait, the cork lets you know it.

************************************************************************
To read more, click here to SUBSCRIBE