winter catfishing

I am trying to get some advice about winter catfishing before it gets here. So give me some suggestions, and what baits work best, I know that I am going to try to jug some of them do you guys think I should make my lines deeper than normal or what?

I have never jug fished in the winter, so I can't help you there. I know the BIG blues will bite in the coldest of temps, and will be in the deep holes on your river. Whole shad or skipjack works best around here. I have pulled some of my biggest cats out of the river in Jan. and Feb.

Your best bet is to try to locate some warmer water. Locally, we fish a TVA steam plant bay in the winter. The water temp is always markedly higher in the bay, near the plant. Really pulls the cats in during the winter. Any lake shore / river bank industrial sites might have some effect on the water temp... worth checking. If that is not an option, find those deep holes. As far as bait goes, I don't know that they prefer anything different in the winter than any other time. When I'm jugging, I mix it up... night crawlers, liver, shrimp, cut bait, whatever... til I figure what they seem to prefer on that particular day.

google "team catfish" and check out some of their videos on you tube or any catfishing website. they have several videos on winter fishing in lakes and they explain what they're doing and why. most videos are rr fishing but I have seen a few on jugging. cut skipjack fished in a deep hole or near a warm water discharge is the local favorite on the lower mo river

I jug fish some while crappie fishing on lake ozark and like locator said the biggest of the big bite in dec and jan,we look for a cove in the 55'-60' range close to the main river channel and run our jugs 50' with cut shad.

What about this time of year and fall. Right now in my area the water temp. is 65f to 68f how deep do you jug fish. Do you all jug fish near the bank? Around stumps, down trees, rocky banks, Where would be a good place to try jug fishing this time of year? I made me some jugs and want to try them but if I would be better off waiting till spring or summer I will. What do you guys think?

Bamaman - When the water temp hits around 55 degs the big blues move shallow to winter in 10 -15 fow in the upper ends of our reservoirs in Okla. You should try to locate a causeway that goes over the river channel. The jugs need to be placed on the edge of the channel in 10-15 fow and baited with cut shad. The blues will cruise the channel edge. The wind pushes the plankton up against the rocks which draws the shad which draws the blues. I would suggest that you place the jugs on the windy side of the causeway near the bridge. We have caught blues in 41 deg water and they were actively feeding knocking the p..p out of the shad. Their feeding frenzy is from first pink until around 10:00 am then it is over for the day. You will catch a few during the day but nothing like at daylight til 10:00.

We have found that braided nylon for a main line and 50# Big Game double stranded for the droppers works amazingly well. We use 4/0 circle hooks tied with palomar knots. Good luck.

Thanks cricket george, I will wait for the water temp. to come down some and give it a try. The temp. was 64f Sunday.

I have been catching a few small blues and channels here lately by fishing the warm water discharge of the local power plant on the missouri river. the water there is 72' while the river has been about 50'. I haven't done great so far, but the colder it gets, the hotter the fishin gets. I have been using cut shad, cut mooneye, cut skips, live and cut carp, and live and cut gills, with shad and mooneye being the top baits. I have caught most fish 30ft deep on the bottom while anchored in a 4mph current, but had some good hits while drifting slowly through the same areas. the shad aren't really there yet, but it won't be long!! anyone else here still after em?