Non-typical spots-

[riverrat56]

So I have always done most of my catfishing in deeper holes or deep snags, however a friend took me to a spot the other day that is only about 4.5' and has a sharp drop to 6' and has no deep water with in a 1/4 mile either way, there were a few downed logs on the opposite side of the river but not too much else. I boated 6 fish that night, including my avatar fish. We had fish caught from the middle of the river as well as tight too shore in as little as 2'.

Any ideas on whats holding these fish there or if they are just roaming through? Is this a time of year where cats make long trips and establish new "territory"?

Any other areas people look too that don't seem like normal catfishing spots?

[DTro]

When you are catching fish in 6’ or less, there is a very good chance they are up there feeding on baitfish or on their way to the food.

The general rule of thumb is that they hold in deep cover (not just wood, but rocks and man made items) or deep water holes during the day, then during low light periods they will come out and search for their food. This is when you might find them in those “non typical” spots. I have caught some really big fish casting my bait right up in 2’ of water near shore later at night.

When fish are in the feeding mode, it is quite possible to place a bait in the path of their movement. They cannot resist a bait on the side of the road on their way to the buffet.

Several studies have shown that flatheads make very deliberate moves from cover to cover with feeding runs in between.

[RAB]

I agree with dtro.

What time were the bites?

I would think it is either a feeding area or a travel area.

There are times when I've set up on a snag and thrown one bait way out away from the snag, either out in the middle of the river or up shallow on a flat coming out from the opposite shoreline and that is the only bait that gets hit.

[Gordie]

yes Dtro hit it on the head and my PB last yr was caught in 2-3 fow in an area you are talking about was fishing the snags on the other side of the river aand heard big fish chasing baitfish in the shallows so I moved to the other side and set up and an hour or so later 47lb flat was boated then 20 min latr had on another pig but lost it along side the boat. I dont hesitate fishing very shallow at night.

[riverrat56]

We had bites from 6:30 till 11 or so.

[DTro]

Since you caught them all night there my best guess is that sharp drop to 6’ you mentioned was a trough of some sort, and those fish were using that as a highway.

[hanson]

So this area has 4' of water that drops to 6' of water with no deep water either way for 1/4 mile. Question is... how deep are those stretches either way for a quarter mile? 2 feet? 3 feet?

Holes are relative. You can bet the current seams (underwater) formed at that 6' trough/hole are very distinct. May not be visible on the surface but the fish know they are there.

While this area may not be their "home", they sure know its a great spot to grab a bite to eat when its feeding time.

I'm just guessing but I bet there is some nice deep water or cover either up or down river quite aways. These fish are running to this area to eat and this bit of deeper water gives them a resting place to ambush their prey.

On the Rainy River, Sturgeon concentrate on "holes" that are 2' deeper than the river around that area, and we're talking water deeper than 15' as well. They just gravitate to these slightly deeper areas.

So the big question is... was there lots of baitfish activity around this area?

[MinnesnowtaWild]

This year, three of the four large (30-40 lb range) fish caught have been in under 6 feet of water. Usually when someone gets a big fish, it's usually the person in the most inconspicuous spot. I usually set up in the better looking spot on shore when with my girlfriend, but she manages to hook into big Cats when she casts out into the shallow spots farther from snags.

[riverrat56]

Hanson,

The stretch of river is a relativly flat peice at about 5', I'd say this "shelf" runs for about 50yds. It also seems to be a change in bottom content, but that may just be the walleye guy in me.... There is some deep water on either side like you said, but it's a good cruise either way. No baitfish in the area that are on the surface at least. Also there is a small feeder crick that only runs after a rain.

So you guys think that this spot is just a travel area and we are picking off roaming fish?

[ec30_06]

If it has some rock it could be a flathead feeding area, or just a major travel route. Either way it should remain productive under similar conditions.