The dogwoods are no longer in bloom, the thermometer only rarely passes through the 70-degree mark on the way down, and most of North Carolina’s freshwater gamefish species have finished their annual reproductive rigors – the spawn – and are slowing down as the temperature climbs and summer arrives.
But for anglers who are targeting the whiskered species in Tarheel State lakes and rivers, it’s coming up to the time for some of the best fishing.
That’s why Chris Nichols of Gastonia, NC, who operates The Carolina Angler guide service on Lake Norman and Lake Wylie, can’t wait for Memorial Day to approach.
“While a large percentage of the blue catfish are actively spawning throughout June, there is still a decent amount of fish that will be in the prespawn phase,” said Nichols (704-860-7951). “I have caught blues in July and August on Wylie and Norman that still had eggs.
“Not all catfish spawn at the same time or the same areas of the lake. So it’s important to know which phase of the spawn you’re in where you’re fishing. The blues’ spawn can start as early as mid-May and go all the way through the summer, depending on the water temperature and areas of the lake.
“Channel catfish typically make a big migration into the major creek arms in May, so by June, a lot of them are bunched up in the creeks in preparation for their spawn later in the summer.”
Pay attention
Nichols said that as far as blue catfish are concerned, the fish that are actively feeding will normally be in deeper water. The spawners will generally be much shallower and much bigger, and with as many as 75,000 eggs on board. And they’re usually the first blues to spawn. Nichols said it’s much better to release them and target pre-spawn fish that are much more likely to bite.
Nichols covers a lot of water trying to find catfish that are feeding aggressively, usually those blues in the 3- to 7-pound range. He likes to start out by drifting with a handful of baits out, working main-lake flats from 10 to 25 feet deep. Often, he’ll drive shallow to deep. Sometimes, his drift will start over 25 feet of water and wind up in 10 feet.
“The key is paying attention to what depth your bites come,” he said. “Once you figure that out, you can duplicate that anywhere else on the lake. I’ll drift all summer, and with most or all of the flats 100 feet or so wide, you’ve definitely got to cover water.
“You can get a good feel for how active the spawn is by how beat up the “male” catfish are. During the heat of the spawn, the males will compete for the girls, so you’ll see the battle scars during the heat of the spawning season.”
When he drifts, Nichols baits up with cut white perch, shad or bluegill fished on a standard Santee Rig (a bass fisherman’s basic Carolina Rig, but with a 2½- to 3-inch float on a 2- to 3-foot leader) with a 6/0 to 8/0 circle hook. If he thinks fish are feeding around freshwater mussel beds, he’ll use very small pieces of chicken or shrimp to mimic mussels.
Lots of options
“A lot of times, when the big catfish are spawning, they just aren’t going to bite,” he said. “The bite percentage goes way, way down each proceeding week for big fish if you’re targeting them. That’s why I target small fish. They bite good. Prespawn fish are usually deeper than spawning fish.”
If he wants to add flathead catfish as targets, he’ll anchor up on major creek or main-lake points and fan-cast multiple baits around his boat in 5 to 15 feet of water. The action is best during low-light conditions early and late in the day or after dark. Nichols will mix in live baits with his normal cut baits to give the big flatheads feeding around the points something to interest them. He uses the same Santee Rig when anchoring.
Nichols will check out major creek arms for channels throughout June, because such big concentrations can be found.
“While channel catfish are not the main catfish species in either lake (Wylie or Norman), there is still a decent population in both lakes,” Nichols said. “You can target these fish by drifting cut shad or bluegill on Santee Rigs in the back half of the major creek arms. They may not be the biggest catfish in the lake, but they do feed aggressively in June right before they start actively spawning. So it’s a good way to catch a lot of catfish.
“They seem to spawn a little later than blues. Where blues are spawning in late May and through June, channels will spawn from the end of June through August. Drift the creek channels with small pieces of shad or bluegill.”
Mussel eaters
Catch a big blue catfish and hold him up for a photo – fingers in the jaw and supporting its belly – and you’ll often notice that the belly feels like a series of hard bumps.
Wherever you caught the fish, go right back and spend a lot of time fishing the area, because that fish was eating freshwater mussels or snails, two common mollusks that inhabit plenty of lakes in the Carolinas. And to catfish, mussels and snails are special delicacies.
“Mussels have always been on the top of a blue catfish’s menu,” Nichols said. “They don’t have to chase after them and expend energy, and they can fill up on them. The same thing with snails. If catfish are eating them, they typically have a lot of shells in their stomachs – or snails.”
Nichols said he’s found dozens of shells in catfish while cleaning them, almost to the point that the fish will look like it’s about to bust.
“One way you can determine if you’re around a mussel bed is to watch your rod tips while you’re drifting,” he said. “If they’re constantly bouncing, that’s a pretty good indicator that mussel beds are on the bottom.
“The other thing to do is look at the dry part of the shoreline where you’re fishing. In places where there are a lot of mussel beds on the bottom, you will see remnants of the shells on the bank. The shells will wash up and the sun will bleach them white.”
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