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Fish Busters' Bulletin
May 2007
Compiled by: Bob Wattendorf
FWC selects state’s top catfish holes
for 2007
May is the beginning of some of the best catfishing in Florida,
so now is a good time to run down a list of a few of the best
fishing holes and what you might expect. To help you get
started, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
biologists have compiled this list of great catfish destinations
and tips.
Escambia River (north of Pensacola)
Species: Blue, channel and flathead catfish
When: Big channel catfish from mid-April through June and
early October into November if the water stays warm. Small
catfish can be caught year-round, but expect the action to slow
when it is cold.
Where: Alabama state line to the Interstate-10 bridge.
Apalachicola River (from Florida/Georgia
state line at Chattahoochee, flows south to city of
Apalachicola)
Species: Channel and flathead catfish
When: Big channel catfish from late May into early July.
Flatheads pick up in April and action runs into the summer
months. Small catfish can be caught pretty much year-round, but
the spring and summer months are best.
Where: River bends and snags from Jim Woodruff Dam south,
old creek channels, Lake Seminole backwaters, and around mouths
of tributaries.
Choctawhatchee River (northwest of Panama
City)
Species: Channel catfish and bullhead. Flathead catfish are also
in the river in increasing numbers and can exceed 30 pounds.
Several years ago, biologists collected, measured and released a
46½-pound channel catfish. Had this fish been caught by an
angler, it would have been a new state record.
When: Big channel catfish from May through early July, and
October into November if the water stays warm. Small cats are
available year-round, but expect them to bite slow when it is
cold.
Where: Alabama state line south to West Bay, and around the
mouth of Holmes Creek and other tributaries. Most larger catfish
are found in the northern portion of the river.
St. Johns River and Dunn's Creek (flows north
through eastern Florida over 250 miles from Indian River County
to Jacksonville)
Species: Bullhead, channel catfish and white catfish
When: Big channel catfish from early May through June. Small
catfish can be caught pretty much year-round, but fishing is
best in the spring and fall months.
Where: Dunn's Creek to Lake Crescent, Murphy's Creek from the
St. Johns River to Dunn's Creek, and the river from Palatka to
Little Lake George. Try the hole on the north side of Buffalo
Bluff Bridge, but bring plenty of hooks and weights, since lots
of snags will cost you some tackle.
Ocklawaha River (east of Ocala)
Species: Bullhead, channel catfish and white catfish
When: Big channel catfish from May through June and October
until mid-November. Small catfish can be caught year-round.
Where: Rodman Dam to the St. Johns River, and the west end of
Rodman Reservoir to Moss Bluff lock and dam. Catfish tend to
concentrate below Rodman Dam in the spring.
How: Put soy cake around fallen trees the day before fishing to
attract catfish. When the water is clear, fishing at night is
recommended.
Ochlockonee River (west of Tallahassee)
Species: Bullhead, channel, flathead and white catfish
When: Beginning in April for flathead catfish, and mid-May into
early summer for channel catfish. Both channels and flatheads
bite until the water turns cold in October or November. Small
catfish bite year-round, but slow down in cold months.
Where: River-wide, especially in the Talquin tailrace area.
Suwannee/Santa Fe Rivers (flow south from North
Central Florida to "Big Bend” area)
Species: Bullhead, channel catfish and white catfish
When: Big channel catfish from late April through June. Small
catfish bite pretty much year-round. Although exceedingly rare,
blue catfish caught in the Suwannee River have also been
documented, most recently in the Ellaville area during late
summer of 2006.
Where: Limerock areas throughout the river, but particularly
upper and middle reaches; deadfalls are best in lower river.
Clermont Chain of Lakes (near city of Clermont)
Species: Channel and white catfish
When: Spring and fall are best, but fish can be taken
year-round. Where: Offshore, open-water areas, particularly near
drop-offs or around bottom structure. Canals and channels that
connect lakes of the chain also may attract catfish during times
of flow.
How: Some commercial trotliners catch catfish with chunks of
freshly caught gar in bigger channels and with honey bees in
smaller channels of this system.
Haines Creek (near Eustis)
Species: Bullhead, channel catfish and white catfish
When: Big channel catfish from mid-April through June, and
October and November as water temperatures begin to drop. Small
cats will bite year-round, especially where water is flowing.
Where: The creek between lakes Eustis and Griffin, especially
below the lock and dam.
Upper Kissimmee Chain of Lakes (south of
Orlando)
Species: Bullhead, channel catfish and white catfish
When: Big channel catfish experience peak spawning periods
between April and June. Bullheads primarily spawn from October
into November, but can spawn year-round. Moving water will
concentrate catfish and make them easier to catch, so areas with
flow are recommended.
Where: C-31 (East Lake Canal), C-35 (Southport Canal), C-36
(canal between Lake Cypress and Lake Hatchineha) and C-37 (canal
between Lake Hatchineha and Lake Kissimmee), below the Kissimmee
River structure (S-65), around mouth of and in Shingle Creek,
and in the lake proper around fish attractors. Catfish often are
near drop-offs or around bottom structure in the canals.
Southwest Florida Lakes
Species: Channel catfish and bullhead
Where: Many locations in Southwest Florida offer excellent
opportunities for catfish angling, including:
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Lakes 2, 3, 4, 5, B, and Picnic at Tenoroc Fish Management Area
(Polk County)
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Lakes LP2 West, Haul Road Pit and Pine East at Mosaic Fish
Management Area (Polk County)
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Lakes 1 and 3 at Hardee Lakes Park (Hardee County)
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Lake Manatee (Manatee County)
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Medard Park (Hillsborough County)
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Ponds managed under the Tampa Bay Urban Fishery Program,
particularly Dover District Park and Stephen J. Wortham Park.
When: Catfish angling is best during the warmer months, but
these fish can be caught year-round. While fishing can be good
throughout the day, catfish usually are most active in the
morning and evening. Fishing at night can reward anglers with
outstanding results.
How: Fish usually are caught best by bottom-fishing anglers on a
wide variety of baits from chicken liver to commercial stinkbaits. Larger catfish go for small shiners and minnows
fished near the bottom. In lakes and ponds managed with
automatic fish feeders, catfish concentrate near these feeders
and can be caught on small pieces of dog food, bread and hot
dogs. Channel catfish typically school where the bottom drops
off sharply to deeper water. They usually do not hide within
vegetation, but can be found along deeper, outside edges of weed
beds.
Act now and get FREE STUFF when you buy a
five-year freshwater fishing license. Until the first 3,000 are
sold, you will receive a package of free fishing items in the
mail automatically. This will likely continue to be available
until around the beginning of June, but to be certain, visit
MyFWC.com/Fishing/5yr-2007.html. The license cost is only $61.50
and remains valid even if license prices go up, or you move out
of state.
Included in the package are hooks (Daiichi), reel grease (PENN),
FloatHi GLO (snap-on float) and lures from Charlie Brewer’s
Slider Co. and Don Bett’s Spin Baits. In addition, you’ll find
innovative products like the Hydrosonic Fish Call (CAGI), and
florescent worm feed. Premiums include a floating key chain from
Seminole County, a waterproof Polk County Lakes Map and a
Largemouth Bass decal from Advanced Graphics, along with a
variety of coupons to fill out the package. All license sales
directly support fish and wildlife conservation in Florida and
help recover federal excise taxes that anglers and boaters have
paid into the system for use in Florida on Federal Aid in Sport
Fish Restoration projects.
Visit
MyFWC.com/Fishing/Fishes to learn more
about these species and their range, and
MyFWC.com/Fishing/Forecasts to see quarterly updates on fishing
around the state and more details about the best places to go.
Visit
MyFWC.com/Fishing/Updates for more Fish Busters' columns.
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