Summer cats

Continued from page 1 can reel them in.”

Most of the channel cats he’s running into have ranged from 13 to 22 inches in length.

On Lake Ray Roberts, fishing guide Cole Thompson has been putting his anglers on limits of channel catfish in 15-20 feet of water where standing timber is abundant. A vertical presentation with punch bait, while anchored, has been his most reliable approach so far.

“Some days the fish are hanging within a foot or two of the bottom, and on other days they are suspended 7 to 8 feet up off of the bottom,” Thompson said. “I’ve just been watching my electronics and helping my anglers make adjustments as necessary.” the freshwater reservoirs, so maybe that’s why they have multiple spots.”

According to the TPWD Coastal Fisheries Science Director Dr. Mark Fisher red drum cannot live in waters colder than 39 degrees Fahrenheit. The warm waters of power plant lakes like Calaveras and Braunig allow the redfish to thrive.

Similar to Nisbet, Fisher could only theorize as to why redfish are developing more spots in freshwater.

“We do have fish along the coast that have many spots along their tails and sides,” Fisher said. “Another theory as to why the redfish in Calaveras and Braunig lakes might appear to have more spots than coastal fish could simply be that they are confined to the boundaries of those reservoirs. In other words, there is a large concentration of redfish in a fairly small area on those bodies of water, compared to the vast waters of the Gulf Coast. It could be possible that we have just as many redfish in our coastal estuaries that are sporting a bunch of spots, we just don’t see them as often because they have more water to hide from anglers.”

Thompson said most of the channel cats they’re catching are 14-18 inches in length. Blue cats are mostly weighing a pound or two, but he’s finding some pushing 5-10 pounds, too.

Lake Tawakoni catfish guide James Evans said channel catfish have been feeding in different parts of the water column in stretches that are at least 22 feet deep and typically around trees. At sunrise, Evans will find them about 6 feet down, and as midmorning approaches, he’ll start fishing at about 15 feet before they start stacking up along the bottom.

“The larger fish have been biting early in the mornings,” Evans said. “As it gets hotter, the average size of the fish tends to get smaller.”

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