Montana Catfishing is Good

[Rick]

Check out the Montana Cafish Anglers guys. Especially the Private property thread

I hear the cats are plentuiful and grow very big in Montana.

Is that true??

[DARK30]

A friend of mine is moving (back home) to western Montana this spring. He hasn't mentioned catfish but the trout sure sound fun! You sure don't think of it being a catfish place.

[rushing]

I don't think I could live with myself if I went to Montana and wasted anytime on catfish, especially if they're not flatheads. To me it would be like going to Red Lobster and ordering chicken nuggets, to each his own though. If I had a choice montana trout would win almost everytime.

[Big Cat Dad]

Quote:

---

I hear the cats are plentiful and grow very big in Montana. Is that true??

---

The state record Channel Catfish is 27 lbs. 2oz. That is not huge by ND and MN standards but still not bad. My brothers and I have caught numerous cats over 20 lbs but you really have to search for them. Big Sky Catman gave a good synopsis on the "catfishing in Montana" thread in the Montana page.

Quote:

---

I don't think I could live with myself if I went to Montana and wasted anytime on catfish, especially if they're not flatheads.

---

When you are a catfisherman you are a special breed. I just can't stand trout and if you lived in Montana and consider yourself a multi-species fisherman you probably wouldn't either. Trout dominates our state and the money that is allocated to other fish and research (hatcheries, etc) is minuscule. In NE Montana, where I live, we are almost as close to the Red River of the North than we are blue ribbon trout streams in Western Montana. By no means am I saying the Montana is a trophy Catfishery but it's kind of a hidden gem and I just love Catfish.

[BigSkyCatMan]

hey Rushing, you don't sound like a true Catfisherman. One thing that should be noted is that Montana should be split in half. The western half is almost exdclusively trout, targeted in mountian streams and lakes. The eastern half (from Billings East), offers a wide variety of catfish options. Yellowstone River, Milk River, Missouri River, Musselshell River, Fort Peck Reservoir, are all viable options. I would go out on a limb and say if you lived in Eastern Montana you wouldn't waist any time fishing for trout. One thing should be noted, is that I target catfish almost exclusively for the sport and not so much for the table.

[rushing]

I am trout flyfishermen who fishes for flatheads. It just happens that I have one of the great flathead rivers right here and its about a 2hr drive for stream trout and about 6hrs for real good lake action. If there was any trout water around here I would be on it during the day and on the MN river for cats at night. But since there isnt any trout water around here I spend anywhere from about 16-30hrs a week on the river chasing cats during the summer.

I don't target any fish for the table....CPR

[DARK30]

Nobody can complain about a 20# Channel! Maybe I'll stop and do some snoopin on my way out to the west side OR I could stop on the way back with some good pink cutbait