Oh, forgot about the catfish question.
Funniest thing, but the first fish I caught after being displaced to Acadiana by K. was a channel cat that hit a size 4 popper - Lake Fausse Pointe. Although I have caught others (Almost all of them on poppers), I never cared enough about it to try to develope a pattern - had more than enough elsewhere to keep me occupied.
And just to add to funny things, my biggest - a 28-pound blue - was taken on a gold Johnson "Sprite" while redfishing in Grand Pass just below Venice. And my largest one before that one - a 26-pounder - ate a spinnerbait while I was bass fishing down South Pass!
When you have luck like that, who needs a pattern!
Pete