cold front + rising water = Hot summer night

[Gordie]

Went out last night with kinda low expectations for the catfish bite but forumulated a game plan and stuck with it and the divedends were great numbers of cats.

Motored up the river to check out a creeks to see if the recent rains had swelled them. The first creek was flowing very well and that is the one that I originally wanted to fish. Checked out other creeks and they didnt seem to be affected by the rains at all. Maybe during the rain they had some run off but very little water folling thru them if any at all. So back to the original creek and started above it on the oppisite side of the river as the creek, casted out cut bait and my partner for the night threw out a bullie and a few min later one ripped my cut bait and was gone. As I reeled in my partners clicker took off and he grabed his line and he said the bullie was striped and it was. Sat for another 30 min in that spot with out a bite. We move right into the creek mouth and fished the fast water curent break and it couldnt have been over 3-3.5 fow but thats what I was hopeing to find and we chunked out bait and shortly there after began hereing our clickers sing and they did so for most of the night.

I really belive that the rising water took presedence over the cold front conditions these fish were on a feeding frenzy to say the least. We had two double for the night and countless set the rod down and clicker goes on a run. we ended up boating a dozen cats and lost at least that many.

The cats we caught were all flatheads and most of them were 20-31 inches but did manage to get 1 that was 38x21 and one 41x21.

This all took place in a time frame from 8:15 until 1:00 am.

It was tough to leave that spot but it was time to go at 1:00 am.

It really just goes to show that you should never under- estimate catfish in the river and their need to eat and just what rising water can mean to a catfisherman be it cold front or not, espeacailly during post spawn when typically the its not always a numbers game.

[Stringerless!]

[PoorWordUsage] thing chased it to the boat like a musk !10" burmik. Never did see a muskie. Beautiful morning on the water !!

[DTro]

Very nice report, you guys sure figured it out last night.

Having a night like that during those conditions deserves a tip of the cap.

Way to go!

By the description, I think my text to you wasn't far off

[Gordie]

yea you was really really close

[aanderud]

Great report, Elwood. You got them dialed in for sure! I wish I could get out this weekend but I'm busy being a dad. Next weekend I can hammer away though, then the weekend after that is canada.

[Shack]

Mid-August and rising water

Got to love MN.

Almost similar to a spring time pre-spawn things by the sounds of it. I wonder if the flats down stream are going like the flats upstream?

Great report elwood. Nothing like a night like that on a league night. Usually LFC is the one pulling in the flats in August. Sounds like the whole league did pretty well.

You wonder if the bite will stay like this threw the KOTC Shoot out?

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Glad to hear you had a successful night Gordie...I would definitely like to get out sometime with ya to find some kitties.

[Big Dave2]

Sounds like the whole league did pretty well.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

[Ed Carlson]

Rising water puts cats on there A-Game.

Gets their "Sniffer's" working. Gets them up and hunting, roaming new structure...on the move..on the hunt...dressed to kill.

More often than not falling water has the contrary effect, very unsettling to predators. Falling water levels may in the end concentrate fish but the bite always appears to me to hold off tell they water levels once again hits a stable point.

Good report, great observations..

[Carp-fisher]

Whoa Elwood, you really dialed them in. A gentleman and a catfish scholar...