Metro catfish

[Ralph Wiggum]

Hey guys,

I've recently moved to the Twin Cities and have never fished for cats, but am going to give it a shot this year. Could you all chime in and give me some places to fish cats in the Twin Cities area?

Thanks

[DARK30]

Welcome Ralph! It will be a few weeks before things heat up but go right down 35W to the Minnesota river. You can fish anywhere along the southern side of the river from there over to Cedar Ave. Lots of spots west of 35 too out past Shakopee. You using a boat?

The Mississippi is also cat country all through the cities

[Fisher Dave]

I dont think there are too many spots in the metro that have a major river flowing where you wont catch a catfish(channels).. The Minnesota River is a very well known cat factory that holds both Channels & Flatheads. The Mississippi River has Channel cats just about everywhere, and there is a decent population of Flatheads once you get into Minneapolis and south.

The St Croix river also has a respectable cat-fishery going on if you can find the productive spots.

I would say to do a scouting trip and find some likely structures on fish holding waters... once you find some spots, toss out the line and see what happens.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'll be doing my fishing from shore, guys. I'm going to start off targeting channel cats, but if I get hooked, I'll probably get into the flatheads eventually. Thanks for the info, and please never hesitate to offer any pearls of wisdom!

[korn_fish]

Mr Wiggum

coon rapids here. I will be hitting some metro channel cats in mid to late april. (if not sooner) River is shallow right now, but have done really well for 2 lb eaters around the coon rapids dam area. I usually put boat in at 694 and east river road and head up stream. Just north of 610 bridge in all the islands is where I usually go. Met a few eye fisherman and smallie fisherman up there too. Hear a lot about people fishing right at the coon rapids dam and doing well. I live about a mile from the dam now so I will be trying that out a lot. Hoping the dam provides me a place to catch flathead bait as well. My beloved stretch for flaties is Mankato to New ulm area on the MN river.

If your interested in getting together and trying out the dam this spring let me know. My profile on here has the ways I can be contacted.

[DARK30]

"But if I get hooked" ? Count on spending more time after you spend some time.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Yeah, I have yet to find a type of fishing that I don't like

[Ralph Wiggum]

Okay, got my rod/reel combo from Cabela's today, now I really can't wait!!!

[DARK30]

Good to see someone so pumped about the possibility of catfish! You think YOUR pumped....I haven't even caught a fish since last November

[hanson]

I'm definitely getting the jones myself.

Couldn't wait on the cats so I hit Horseshoe for the last time this winter on Sunday and managed (2) 4-5 pound channels and lost another one halfway up to the hole.

Starting to get pumped for summer now since the ice is starting to take a beating. This will be my first summer really going for cats so I have a lot to learn.

[Fisher Dave]

That sounds kinda like a personal problem Dark... no fish since November.

On a more serious note.. the river is open in the cities and theres a few scaled varieties of fish cooperating... I will give an update on the cats next week.. not so sure on them yet... only had one mid-day to target them which resulted in a couple bites, but nothing hooked up.

If you want to hit the river.. call or email me fisherdave (at) mn (dot) rr (dot) com

[Dennis Steele]

Ive done well on the Coon Rapids stretch from shore at some of the creek inlets. Also had some luck where kornfish was talking about (by the islands) but you would need a boat to get there.

Another spot to try is under the 610 and 694 bridges. This is where I have caught most of my cats.

I never made it up to the actual dam. Not for lack of trying either. When I fished that stretch I was running a 14foot V with a 20hp and could not find a channel deep enough to get up to the dam. SHouldn't be a problem now, with my jet. MIght have to give that a try....

Ralph Wiggum...

Where have I heard that name before???

[PikeTipper]

Isn't Ralph Wiggim Chief Wiggim's son on the Simpsons?

[Ralph Wiggum]

Sure is.

[Dennis Steele]

Very nice!

[DTro]

ha haah

[EBass]

Sweet another cat'er in my neck of the woods. I'll be fishing that 694 stretch during midweek in the summer. I live by Hwy 100 and Brooklyn Blvd so the launch is 10 mins away. The biggest channel I've seen was around 8lbs from that area. Most run around 2lbs. The funny thing last year is when I went for dem kittens with cut bait I caught 1 wee kitten. When we were pitching jigs we caught smallies and kitties but a lot of kitties. I know from the Camden bridge up to the 694 bridge really well. I don't normally go past 694 but we have a few years ago. It sure is shallow up there. I just wish the smallies were bigger. Wait am I on the cat forum? I meant I wish the kitties were cats. Yeah, that's what I meant

[ATM]

Just an FYI for you guys who fish around the CR dam. They discovered a large portion of the dam had washed out. The article I read stated they would not be holding the water back to create the recreation pool from

CR north. With this area being shallower than most years if you have a small boat or jet boat fishing should be great north of the dam. I grew up in CR and the best year i ever had down there was during 87 because of the low water levels. Adam

[Fisher Dave]

I managed to catch 5 channel cats on the river this aftnoon/evening ranging from 2#-7# .. I caught them on a couple fatheads strung onto a hook.. whatever works I guess.

I wont post the spot to the entire forum.. but I may be willing to share the spot with someone willing to bring a couple scoops of fatheads and some conversation... or maybe even a few people and a BBQ could be in order..

fisherdave (at) mn (dot) rr (dot) com

[DARK30]

Dave, I'm lookng forward to checking things out up there. I've always wondered about that area but like I said, I figured I might have to bring a weapon with!

[Fisher Dave]

A few years back I used to get worried on occasion and kept my cutbait tool near by... but these days the riverfront is turning into high dollar yuppyfied real estate and condo's.. so they really hammered down on cleaning up the area, and have regular patrols out just about everywhere easily accessable to the public.

I admit there are some strang folks around the river banks.. the areas I avoid are near lake street on the st paul side, and the trails near the lilydale access can be a troubling experience.. these can both be good fishing areas, but your best to have a couple people with you.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Has anyone fished the Minnesota near Shakopee?

[Fisher Dave]

There's lots of spots around Shakopee... If you have a boat search around every bend for holes and structure nearby.. often the hole is good enough to hold the fish. There will come a time this summer(every summer) where I dont think there is hardly a place that a person wont catch a fish.. but it takes some time on the water time to find the best spots, especially for the flatheads... some luck helps too.

One good place to fish from shore is behind *Murphy's Landing* on 101.. Its a difficult bank to land fish on, but there is a very good hole on the bend (40'ish deep).

The fishing can be decent just upstream in Chaska also.. areas near the boat ramp, and off the sand bar on the south side of the river, just west of the 41 bridge.

I'm sure someone else will eventually chime in on a potential spot or 2... but most of it comes down to on the water time.. not all spots are good all the time.

[Lost]

FisherDave, take me with you on Friday. Any Friday. I want to catch a few. I'm ready to do some cat catchin'!

[email protected]

[Fisher Dave]

I'm not sure if I will make it out this friday.. I have a funeral to tend to on Saturday up north.. so the end of the week is looking grim at best..

I'm sure I'll be back fishing hardcore next week.. that would be a good time to try to touch base.. it looks like this burst of weather will be over with by then, and stabilized. We'll see what happens.