Catfish & stink baits – It’s messy but worth it.

I’ve gone through much of my fishing life with a fondness for catfish. They are awesome fighters, excellent table fare, abundant, and readily accessible. I catch a few every spring/summer while jigging for walleyes, white bass, and smallmouth bass. Back when I specifically went after cats, it was at night while bottom fishing with worms or night crawlers. I also learned about fishing the Randall tailrace in the fall with a shrimp and luminous jig from the late Jack Broome. That method is magical.

And then a few years ago, two Wagner friends, Steve Petry and Dale Drews, introduced me to the use of commercial stink baits. I’ve never hammered the cats with stink baits when I’ve gone out by myself as I’m not that good at it, but I’ve managed a half-dozen or so even when it was slow. I can’t tell you what brand of bait Steve and Dale use, but I use Premo Original Super Sticky. It comes in a 20 oz. plastic tub, and I bought it at the Yankton Wal-Mart.

Maybe you’re not a big fan of catfish, but I don’t have to tell you that there will be days when the walleyes don’t cooperate and the family gets bored. Being able to rig up for cats can save the day. It seems to me that many anglers, unfamiliar with cats, are afraid of them. They fear their supposedly poisonous barbs. I don’t know that there’s any poison, but if you grip them around the body with your hand beneath their pectoral fins and the dorsal fin between your index and middle finger, you’ll never have a problem. There’s no reason to be afraid of them.

In my neck of the woods we fish downstream beneath the Randall tailrace along the SDGF&P rental cabins below Randall Creek. Try 8-10 feet of water and move around if they don’t hit right away. After a good rain, the mouth area of creeks that run into the Missouri are sure things. No matter where you live, catfish action is close by – be it Lake Mitchell or the James or Big Sioux River. Oahe is also incredible for catfish. I only wish I could give more information to readers at the north end of our state.

Stink bait formulas can be carefully guarded secrets, but before I get into that, bait-holding devices are of paramount importance. I use the Big ‘N Bait Holders by Magic Bait. I acquired these at the Yankton Wal-Mart. Perhaps as important as any aspect is your sinker. Catfish are extremely sensitive to resistance, and a foolproof slip-sinker arrangement is vital to your success. Like all fish, there are times they hit with abandon, but usually they are resistance sensitive.

I push my baitholder around in the tub with a rubber end spatula. This bait is especially gooey, and it takes much scrubbing to get it off of your hands. The basic ingredient in most all commercial baits is cheese. Aging is a primary factor. Once this goop is on my bait-holder rig, I like to set it aside in the sun for a minute or two to let it thicken. Once you get into this, you’ll develop your own little nuances.

The old adage “there’s more than one way to skin a cat” probably referred to catfish. Catfish are very easy to fillet once you get the hang of it. * * * * * * *

A few weeks ago I wrote that the walleyes were back in the lower end of Francis Case Reservoir where I spend most of my time fishing. I mentioned that it was like the good ol’ days of the 80’s and 90’s. Most everyone has agreed with my assessment, but the reason is a point of conjecture. Perhaps there was an especially good hatch two or three years ago, but that doesn’t seem to be the cause that satisfies most anglers.

Some seem to think that for reasons unknown, the supposed walleye migration traveled all the way to the southern extreme of the reservoir. Most really successful walleye anglers have always fished from points north of White Swan and Pease Creek. Did those fish move farther down this spring for whatever reason? I’d like to know your thoughts on this question.

Once again the legions of anglers who troll Francis Case with spinners, night crawlers, minnows, and bottom-bouncers are catching a vast majority of walleyes that fall just under the fifteen inch keeper line. The bigger 18-20 inch fish seem to be eluding them. What especially pleased me about my bank fishing 5-6 weeks ago was the number of fish with size. Like the recent tour tournament at Chamberlain, those who knew how to consistently catch the bigger fish won.

See you next week.