Planning Your Next June Catfish Destination

Planning Your Next June Catfish Destination

By Brad Durick

June is here, and with it comes cooling summer evenings; the time when bank lines are set and fishermen across Iowa seek out channel catfish. The summer feeding patterns can be some of the most exciting and rewarding times to catch those cats. Many catfish anglers will go down to the old honey-hole and sit by the bank with the hopes of catching a catfish for dinner. Others base their fishing locations on where they can drive to easily and set up camp for a weekend fishing trip. Neither of these spot picking techniques are wrong, it’s completely up to you and your preferences. You could even pack light and be willing to walk in. Whether you are fishing new water, or you are planning a new fishing trip to catch some of these summer cats, being prepared can set you up for a successful trip.

Research
The first part of planning a trip, is to gather information. Good off-season study is to read up on what makes fish tick. What they do and where they go. This has helped me study and analyze patterns. Over the past years I have done extensive research on the topic to stay on fish all season long. You can eventually figure out the season the fish are in and with a little research on water and weather. Local bait shops and sporting goods stores tend to be spots where you can pick up lots of tips, especially on what is going on in the local waters. Employees have been hearing the tips from successful fishermen all wee,k and they can offer insight and recommendations on some spots to try and bait to use. Don’t expect too many location details, but they can point you in the right direction and might even reveal some local hotspots. Bait shops are great places to get fishing reports too. You will notice some shops follow catfishing reports more so than others, so stop at a couple different ones if you can.

Today’s mapping systems are great tools that are often under-utilized for catfishing. Using a precise and reliable map can help you find information such as terrain, access points, and parking lots. Use the satellite photos to find what looks to be the best water that you can access. Find some of the locations that should hold fish to develop a starting point to your trip. This will at least give you an idea of where to go. Using a map can help you identify a starting point, a route, and will help you become familiar with a lake or river before you even arrive.

Equipment Check-up
Most of us do not spend enough time looking at all of our fishing equipment before a trip. However, this could be one of the most beneficial parts in the long run. There is nothing more frustrating than discovering a malfunction in your equipment while you are trying to use it. At that point, you are wasting time fixing problems that could have been avoided. Just taking the boat out or walking down the river and looking at it could save you some time and stress in the long-run.

To many, this may sound odd, but it has saved me some time over the years by simply driving the river and looking for certain things. On my home river, I like to take a drive in the fall when the water is low and look at the banks, take notes and see the holes where cottonwood trees once stood. This way when the spring floods hit, I have a handle on all the structure that is now flooded and holding fish. The same thing holds true with looking at water. If you look at what is in the water and what the water is telling you. You will get an idea of what is going on underneath.

Finding the Fish
You can’t catch fish that aren’t there. However, finding areas that look promising will help you determine if channel cat are in the area. Use your resources – use fish finders and the electronics you have. If you only have a 2D depth finder you will just drive along looking at the banks and water. They will point you in the right direction to look at your depth finder. Take the time to find the holes and the break lines as you pass. Find the transition lines and structures that may be advantageous to a hunting catfish. Guys that fish rivers know to set up on a current seam that drops into a hole or runs into a snag of some kind. They are looking for feeding catfish along this current seam. They are also trying to put bait in the other area to call out a resting or ambushing catfish.

Newer electronics equipped with side imaging can allow you to drive over the structure and see what is actually in the holes and how it is situated. This will allow you to dissect an area of river that takes a whole season with 2D sonar in a few minutes. Modern electronics and even mobile apps allow you to mark promising locations for return trips. Use the information you gather for success in the future.

Go on the Trip
You now know how to plan your trip to new water or expand on your home water. You know the steps to take to understand the catfish, do the research to find out about the area and the current conditions. Find the access points you need and plan a route you intend to fish. Spending some time checking your equipment will put your in a place to succeed on your fishing trip.
When it comes down to it, you are busy. If you do not make time to fish, there is a good chance the summer will slip away before you are able to get out much. I’ve never heard someone say they regret fishing too much. In fact, there still is no better teacher than time on the water. All the research, reading and planning you do before you go is good. Time on the water is the best teacher one can have. Once you experience success you can move and try to recreate the pattern for the rest of your trip. Soon planning catfishing destinations will not be intimidating, and will become a part of your summer routine.