Keith Lusher As the sac-a-lait spawn subsides in the rivers and bayous here on the Northshore, the catfish bite is ramping up! Anglers armed with rod’s and trot-lines are hitting the water from Manchac to the Pearl River system and having plenty of success. While the bite is great this month, local cat-fisherman Todd Oalman says it’s going to get even better “Catfish spawn at the end of May so from here on out they’re going to be feeding heavily and putting on a lot of weight in preparation for the spawn,” Todd says. Todd run’s trot-lines in the Tchefuncte River in Madisonville and says this year has been very consistent as far as production goes. Oalman says for those who are looking for meat in the freezer, lines are the way to go! “It takes a little effort to set the lines but after it’s done you can go and catch a few catfish everyday - before you know it you have enough to last the whole year,” he says.
Lake Pontchartrain
Captain Andy Jones of Wicked Charters has been trolling the Causeway and Trestles for trout and redfish but he says the amount of catfish he’s catching is unprecedented. “We’re catching a lot of blue cats with good size ranging from 3 lbs. to 5 lbs. But on our last trip we caught our fist channel catfish we’ve ever caught in Lake Pontchartrain,” he says. Channel Catfish are rarely seen in the lake because of its flat bottom and lack of structure. They are cavity nesters which means they lay their eggs in holes, cracks, and any debris that blocks the flow of the water current. The fresh water from the spillway opening is another reason why more catfish are being caught in the lake. Andy says that the conditions might not last too long however, “We should see the salinity creeping back in with all the southeast winds we’ve been seeing lately,” he says.
Bayou Lacombe
This spring Miriam and Rex Davey caught a few a sac-a-lait by trolling lures down the middle of the canals just off of Bayou Lacombe. Now Miriam says the sac-a-lait aren’t as plentiful and the catfish are more active. On their latest trip they caught a few blue cats trolling sac-a-lait jigs. The biggest fish was one that Miriam caught on a Matrix Shad. “I used a pink Matrix Crappie swim-bait that looks a lot like a grass shrimp and tipped with dead shrimp,” Miriam says. The fish weighed 5 lbs. and it was the biggest one of the season for the husband and wife team.
Lake Pontchartrain
Captain Andy Jones of Wicked Charters has been trolling the Causeway and Trestles for trout and redfish but he says the amount of catfish he’s catching is unprecedented. “We’re catching a lot of blue cats with good size ranging from 3 lbs. to 5 lbs. But on our last trip we caught our fist channel catfish we’ve ever caught in Lake Pontchartrain,” he says. Channel Catfish are rarely seen in the lake because of its flat bottom and lack of structure. They are cavity nesters which means they lay their eggs in holes, cracks, and any debris that blocks the flow of the water current. The fresh water from the spillway opening is another reason why more catfish are being caught in the lake. Andy says that the conditions might not last too long however, “We should see the salinity creeping back in with all the southeast winds we’ve been seeing lately,” he says.
Bayou Lacombe
This spring Miriam and Rex Davey caught a few a sac-a-lait by trolling lures down the middle of the canals just off of Bayou Lacombe. Now Miriam says the sac-a-lait aren’t as plentiful and the catfish are more active. On their latest trip they caught a few blue cats trolling sac-a-lait jigs. The biggest fish was one that Miriam caught on a Matrix Shad. “I used a pink Matrix Crappie swim-bait that looks a lot like a grass shrimp and tipped with dead shrimp,” Miriam says. The fish weighed 5 lbs. and it was the biggest one of the season for the husband and wife team.
Miriam Davey welcomes the catfish bite on Bayou Lacombe
Oak Harbor
Sam Coco Jr. usually fishes for trout in canals that intertwine the Oak Harbor and Eden Isles subdivisions. This past week however he decided to try for catfish after catching a few on artificial. “I usually throw a gold spoon in the canals to try and catch speckled trout and redfish but it turns out, catfish love gold spoons!” he says. Sam choose to target the fish exclusively using a Carolina rig and something he calls “Garlic Cheese Balls” Sam says the recipe is simple. “I use plain flour with shredded cheese and garlic powder mixed in. Then I add a little water to make it sticky. It gives off great scent and the catfish go nuts over the stuff!” Sam says. The speckled trout angler says he’s still learning more about catfish but one thing he learned is you don’t try and set the hook right when the fish hits. “The first few fish I missed because I was trying to set the hook and pulling it out of the fish’s mouth. So I took the pole and set it in my rod holder and figured out that that’s a better setup because the fish just hooked it’s self.
Sam Coco Jr. usually fishes for trout in canals that intertwine the Oak Harbor and Eden Isles subdivisions. This past week however he decided to try for catfish after catching a few on artificial. “I usually throw a gold spoon in the canals to try and catch speckled trout and redfish but it turns out, catfish love gold spoons!” he says. Sam choose to target the fish exclusively using a Carolina rig and something he calls “Garlic Cheese Balls” Sam says the recipe is simple. “I use plain flour with shredded cheese and garlic powder mixed in. Then I add a little water to make it sticky. It gives off great scent and the catfish go nuts over the stuff!” Sam says. The speckled trout angler says he’s still learning more about catfish but one thing he learned is you don’t try and set the hook right when the fish hits. “The first few fish I missed because I was trying to set the hook and pulling it out of the fish’s mouth. So I took the pole and set it in my rod holder and figured out that that’s a better setup because the fish just hooked it’s self.
