Outdoors: Now is the time of year to bring in blue catfish

The blue catfish is native to the Illinois River, but not in great numbers. Like the northern pike, they can be caught in deep holes several miles below the Marseilles or Starved Rock dams. You will need some stout tackle, as they are a formidable fighter. I use 20-pound braid or 40-pound monofilament.

We always fish deep holes after ice-out, and herring or large shad are the best baits. I save river herring from the warm weather in my freezer. It will thaw quickly after being in the water.

It pays to be patient, as the bite is usually not very fast. Once the cat is hooked, it will swim upstream right toward the boat. Once there, it heads for the bottom of the river, and you better hang on to your rod.

Most blue cats frequent areas below bridges – railroad bridges are the best. What draws the blues and flatheads there is a mystery to me. The flatheads are there during summer months. I have never caught a flathead there during winter or early spring.

Areas below these bridges break the current and are usually very deep. The one above Seneca is about 20 feet deep right close to shore. You will need a lot of anchor rope to fish these areas, as the current is usually strong, and letting out a lot of rope ensures a good hold. I use naval anchors; sometimes I put out two of them. I also like a bait-casting reel with a line-out clicker. Sometimes I get lazy and the reel’s clicker wakes me up.

I don’t use circle hooks, as I like to set the hook just like I do when fishing channel cats. The blue is not an attractive fish, like any cat. I remember hooking one that weighed 12 pounds. When I got it in the boat the color was like an iron bar and a silver dollar. Kind of attractive, though. The gill flaps were silver pink and glistened like flakes of mica. We put about seven fish in the boat that day, and finally the weather drove us back to the docks.

There are no windbreaks on the rivers, and it can get downright uncomfortable sitting still waiting for a bite. Dress warm, because even a day that looks nice can change quickly this time of year.

Hunting report

Squirrel season ended Feb. 15. Some hunters I talked to near Lake Holiday did take a few snow geese. They hunted fields next to the lake.

Fishing report

River fishing remains slow. I go to the river near Allen Park in Ottawa and watch for boat activity each morning. Last week I only observed one or two boats on the water. In both cases, no one had caught a fish in that area. Usually, there are fish around one-quarter of a mile upstream from the mouth of the Fox River. There is about 22 feet of water in that area, and it usually keeps fish there all winter.

Final thanks

Many thanks to all who attended the Pheasants Forever Banquet at Pitsticks on Saturday. The event was a success, and hopefully all the donations will help create additional habitat for the birds.

• Fred Krause is a Shaw Media correspondent.