River Fishing

[Big Poppa K]

I have recently moved to Crete Nebraska. I live about three blocks from an acess point on the big blue river. My question is a rather large one. How do you go about fishing a river? I know this is vauge so I will try to expand. The point I acess is a fairly straight run. My father in law own's Bowkers Catfish Bait and therefore it is what I use on the river. I know I wont catch the monsters, but I would like to have a general theme to trying to catch the fish. Do you fish up river, or down river or both? Do you use a wieght large enough to sink you to the bottom or should I just let the worm with the bait float to the depth that it will? As you can probably tell from this post I am looking for any general advice available.

thanks

Jeremy

[Chad]

Still learning myself BPK, but there are a variety of ways to approach it. In-Fisherman has a great book on this, Channel Cat Fever (I think). Here's the gist.

First off, you'll have to learn to read the water. Rivers are comprised of long uneventful runs, rifles, and holes. Holes are where they rest. rifles (and the front of holes) are where they generally feed. Also some rifle/hole combos are better than others. Consider structure, current, and depth.

Think of the river as a conveyor belt, bringing food. Where would you hang out and wait for a meal?

After you find some good water, get your bait near the bottom and drift it through rifles and into the front of holes.

Alternatively, you can find good water and throw out baits on a slip-sinker rig and wait for the fish to come to you.

Best way to learn is to just get out there and give it a go. Also, why not try other baits next to Bowkers... see how it stacks up.

[houghty26]

I have never fished the Blue but the best places in Missouri were on bends where you find one of those gravel banks that gives the fish a place to rest and catch bait as it flows by in the main current. Any mouth of a feeder creek in was usually awesome. The note above about the holes is very true. Anywhere the current is slowed and you have a hole = try it. I myself am learning how to fish the reservoirs in Nebraska such as Harlan and Sherman so if you have any pointers for those that would be great. These guys have given a lot of great info!

[houghty26]

Here are some great articles and a great website for cats in general and some good bank and river fishing articles on pages 1 and 2.

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishin...ng//index.html

[adammd]

When learning take some corn for the really slow days, you get 5 rods on a river, if nothings working you can always play with the carp while the cat rods are producing nothing!!!!!!!!!

[BadBass]

I've never fished the Big Blue but i fish the Little Blue a lot near Hebron and Gilead. The last few years there hasnt been much water in the blue so once we've found a hole we usually find a bunch of Cats. I would asssume the Big blue would be the same way. Most of the little blue is really shallow but if you can find a hole with 3 or 4 feet of water you are going to catch channel cats, and usually a lot of them. If that hole has logjams or an undercut bank even better. If i were you i would scout out a few spots before making a serious fishing trip. That usually is the most labor intensive part of fishing small rivers. Not only finding a good hole in the river but gaining access to it.

It seems to me that the channel cats in the blue arent all that selective. In the summers we use liver almost exclusively but in the spring time we like you use a big gob of worms. I'm sure cutbait would be another good option but when I dont use it all that often.

I'm no catfish expert but i've spent many many summers fishing the little blue with my grandpa and i've learned a thing or two from him. good luck.

-Drew