A Really Big Catfish!
Fishing for really big catfish has become a new catch and release sport for fishermen all over the country who have become bored with bass fishing and crappie fishing. Folks who go after the big catfish routinely throw back little ones of 12 to 15 pounds. Any fish over 25 pounds is worth a picture in their catfish album.
My brother and cousin spend Friday nights in their boat on the Tennessee River stalking the big ones that lay on the bottom. Normal sized catfish bait is only going to attract small fish; they use bait that is at least six inches long. The rule of thumb with most big cat fishermen is the bigger the catfish bait, the bigger the fish.
My brother uses shad he catches below various dams we have on the Tennessee River. He cuts them in half and then freezes them until he’s ready to go to the river. It’s not unusual for him to fumble in the freezer for a pound of hamburger and pull out a skipjack, a common name for shad.
Launching the boat around six o’clock in the evening, they found their favorite spot on the river in only a few minutes. By the time they dropped anchor in about 35 feet of water, the temperature had dropped to a pleasant 89
