Hoping Warmer Water Means Catfishing

By superadmin | April 3, 2025 |

Cut: As the water slowly begins to warm, fishing opportunities will also increase, including catfishing on the rivers.

On Wednesday, March 26, we picked up our snow goose decoys. It had not been a great season, but I am not disheartened by the lack of success, as we had a great time with old friends, sharing stories in the blind. Conversations ranged from religion to politics, as well as countless hunting stories from days gone by. After we loaded all the gear into our trucks, we stood for a moment, all wondering what our next outing would be. The subject immediately came up that the Mississippi River’s water temperature was at 48 degrees.
Just as quickly, someone responded, “I don’t know what you guys have planned, but I’m putting out lines for catfish next week using live bait and nightcrawlers.”
I quickly added that it couldn’t come at a better time, as I had taken my last container of catfish fillets out of the freezer, and the family had them for supper Monday night. So that’s how we left it: We’d watch the weather, and if it cooperated, we would go catfishing this week. That’s the plan — we’ll see what the weather does for us and whether it’s possible.
Growing up in the bottoms, with Honey Creek and Fox River within walking distance — and later reachable by motorcycle — I’ve done a lot of spring catfishing. The old saying my dad used to repeat was that when the maple tree buds got to the size of squirrel ears, the catfish would be biting. I don’t know if that was true, but I do know that when the maple trees along Fox River were budding, the water was warmer. It was still cool, but it was, in fact, warmer.
Gear was simpler in those days. I had a couple of rods with Zebco 404 reels and a small tackle box with an assortment of J hooks — probably the lightest possible — so when I hung up on a root or stump, I could straighten the hook out rather than break my line and lose the hook. Also in the tackle box were containers of split shot sinkers, larger bank sinkers and teardrop sinkers. At the bottom of the tackle box was a fish stringer.
Besides that, I carried a spade to dig worms and a pocketknife — in those days, a Barlow folding knife — whose sole purpose was to cut a couple of forked sticks to hold my rods off the ground. That made it easier to see when I had a bite. I would also cut a peg to stick in the ground to tie the fish stringer to, so its metal end didn’t get pulled out of the soft dirt along the bank.
Upon arriving at a fishing location, the first thing I had to do was dig bait. I would begin by turning over any logs or bark on the ground — there were usually worms underneath. Once I had enough bait to get started, I would bait up. Using worms meant I’d catch a little bit of everything — carp, perch and, my fish of choice, channel catfish.
I miss those days. The world — and my fishing — seemed a whole lot simpler. One of my favorite locations was near where the old Lone Star Bridge used to be, but time changes, and the bridge is long gone.
Unless things change, the plan for catfishing will involve using the boat — unless it doesn’t. If we fish from the bank, it will be where a creek or river empties into the Mississippi. Smaller creeks and rivers can be a degree or more warmer than the Mississippi, and those couple of degrees can make all the difference.
If we take the boat, we’ll look for shallow flats where the sun can warm the water even slightly. Some anglers use stink bait even in cold water, and I’m sure it works, or they wouldn’t be using it. However, in the spring, I prefer bait — cut bait such as shad or whole fish like small bluegill. My dad was also fond of using chicken livers in the spring when fishing the Mississippi. I like nightcrawlers this time of year as well — though, as we all know, there’s never a bad time to use nightcrawlers. If we get a warm spring rain, the nightcrawlers are readily available — if you know where to find them. I have a spot near home where they come out on the blacktop at night, making bait collection a simple task.
I know you can catch a lot of other fish besides catfish on nightcrawlers, but after a long winter, catching any fish is better than sitting on the couch wishing you could go fishing.
My spring fishing rig is no different than my summer rig, except I won’t use a stink bait worm. I still use a sliding sinker — either a no-roll or teardrop sinker — on the main line. The sliding sinker helps prevent a fish from feeling the drag of the weight. It might seem like a small detail, but it could make a difference — and that’s why we do it.
The main line is tied to a swivel, and from that swivel, a leader of about 12 to 18 inches runs to a size 3/0 J hook. I mentioned earlier that Dad liked rigging worms and chicken livers on a treble hook. For channel catfish, a size 6 or 8 treble hook works well. With this size, even if the fish is just nibbling, there’s a good chance it’ll get hooked. Treble hooks are also good for nightcrawlers — they stay in a glob, unlike on a J hook where they slide down when casting or when the current pulls on them.
I mentioned the importance of water temperature and how a degree or two can make a major difference. Because of that, you may have to move around to find the fish. In summer, we often look for slightly cooler water or areas with more oxygen. In early spring, the fish may not yet be where you think they should be, like certain shallows. If we fish a spot for about 30 minutes and get no bites or just one or two, we move on. We repeat this process until we either find them or run out of time.
On the way back, don’t forget to revisit the first location you tried. Later in the day, the sun’s warming rays may have turned it into the staging area you believed it to be at the beginning.