03-19-2004, 07:30 AM
Once summer sets in, a lot of Reelfoot Lake anglers turn their attention to catfish. The catch is dominated by channels, which absolutely abound in open areas of the lake, but folks who go out at night and fish big, live bream in the deepest parts of the lake also catch some big flatheads from Reelfoot.
Fishing mostly around isolated fallen trees in the middle of stump flats, cast as close to the cover as possible. suspend the offering under a float, which is necessary to keep from getting hung up all the time.
Most Reelfoot cats are in the 1- to 5-pound range, but fish up to about 10 pounds are fairly common. High catch rates are the norm, once anglers figure out how to get their baits down to the fish without snagging in the trees. Fishing is good all over the lake. In addition to the stump flats , the edges of open-water cypress stands can be very productive, with a cat or two sitting close to every tree.
Because of the tremendous number of stumps and snags that litter the bottom of Reelfoot Lake, most anglers don't bring their own boats when they fish this lake. Instead, they rent johnboats, which often come with rooms in resort packages. Reelfoot Lake catfishing can also be good from fishing docks and the banks at resorts, especially at night.
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Fishing mostly around isolated fallen trees in the middle of stump flats, cast as close to the cover as possible. suspend the offering under a float, which is necessary to keep from getting hung up all the time.
Most Reelfoot cats are in the 1- to 5-pound range, but fish up to about 10 pounds are fairly common. High catch rates are the norm, once anglers figure out how to get their baits down to the fish without snagging in the trees. Fishing is good all over the lake. In addition to the stump flats , the edges of open-water cypress stands can be very productive, with a cat or two sitting close to every tree.
Because of the tremendous number of stumps and snags that litter the bottom of Reelfoot Lake, most anglers don't bring their own boats when they fish this lake. Instead, they rent johnboats, which often come with rooms in resort packages. Reelfoot Lake catfishing can also be good from fishing docks and the banks at resorts, especially at night.
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