OK, gotta apologize for the frustrated report, but this is about my fifth or sixth trip for catfish in which I've gotten savagely skunked. This is getting really, really old, and I think I'm probably done trying for this species. I'm just completely at a loss. To be blunt, channel cats are an aggressive predator, their numbers in the Tri-Cities area are high, and I don't understand why I'm having such difficulty with them....

Upon talking to a number of folks and doing google searches, I decided to try the Snake River. It has a reputation as being packed to the hilt with channel cats, and there are many, many reports where folks will walk out of there with many fish (from a dozen to as many as 50-100 per night). I used my Fish-n-Maps, and Google Map searches to find what should have been a highly promising part of of the river, on the south side of Goose Island below Ice Harbor Dam. The river splits around a large island, and carves a channel on the south side. Even better, there is a large shallow inlet there close to this carved out channel - perfect for catfish going into the shallows to feed after skulking in the deeper water during the day. After finding this, I Googled the Snake River for catfish, and found that somebody had actually recommended this area as "full of carp and catfish". Well, at least the former was true.

I got there about 2:30 pm - definitely a bit early, but I'd brought my bow and hoped to nail a carp for cut bait meat. Due to peculiar water flow and some brown foamy junk on the surface, the numerous carp were too far out to shoot. So I got to business on the catfish.

I tried nightcrawlers on the bottom, shrimp on the bottom, chicken livers on the bottom, carp meat on the bottom (some older stuff from my freezer), and cut herring on the bottom. I was there from 2:30 to 8:30 pm, and didn't have a single bite. Admittedly, shore access was difficult due to brush, and I didn't have much flexibility in terms of where to chuck things. Did try various depths, although much of it was fairly shallow (<10 ft). Tried being patient and let it sit in one place for quite some time, and tried moving it every 10-15 minutes. Nothing. All I did was broil in the 100°F+ temps.

To add insult to injury, on the way out around 8:30 pm, I chatted with a family that was fishing further up towards the dam. I mentioned that I'd had trouble figuring out channel cats, and the Dad proceeded to mention every place I'd every tried for them and gotten brutally skunked (Yakima River mouth near Bateman Island, below Horn Rapids Dam). He even mentioned the very strategy I'd used in these places to no avail (casting scented spinners below HR Dam).

I was tempted to give it another star, because when I arrived, there was a cool sturgeon fisherman with two black labrador retrivers who I got to love on (had two of them, and miss them horrifically), and an employee of the dam (spooking birds, because of course pelicans are so rare that you can't lethally deal with them in critical fisheries) who was helpful, kind, and had great stories. But screw that. Too many skunkings in places that are packed with catfish.

OK, to the point (finally). What in the world am I doing wrong? I've read a lot about the behavior of catfish, and this really shouldn't be as difficult as fly fishing spooky browns in the Brule River. There's a ton of catfish in the Yakima and Snake, and I've managed to avoid them completely after many trips.

Terribly frustrated.....

Mike Carey

6/29/2013 10:37:00 PM

sorry to hear your troubles with the cats. They are in there and willing biters. We used chunks of bass, salmon, walleye on our trip, for what it's worth.

sunfighter

6/30/2013 2:23:00 AM

Don't know how it would be here but back in virginia I used velveeta cheese,outfished every other bait I found.

tator salad

6/30/2013 8:48:00 AM

I dropped my son off at North Idaho College last sat at 7 pm for a wrestling camp I threw a pole and some chicken liver in the truck just in case I was gonna finally try cat fishing. I pulled into Ayer Boat Basin on the snake river at 11pm baited up a pole casted it out and climbed in the truck to go to sleep because I really didn't know where to go or what to do and didn't expect to catch anthing. Boy was I surprised I caught my 1st cat at 11:25 and it was huge I didn't sleep at all had a blast all night long and ended with 8 catfish the smallest at 3.5lbs and the biggest at 8lbs the average was about 6lbs
I put my chicken liver in little sacks I made from a tube bandage made for your fingers it stayed on the hook until I would cut it off to replace with fresher bait I think I might of just got lucky and I was surprised on how fun it was and how hard they faught
Don't give up on them there worth the trouble

Catmandou

6/30/2013 11:58:00 AM

I have fished the Snake river extensively. Your problem is location and hot spots. Fishing between Burbank and Ice Harbor dam is not the best area to fish. Near Pasco try the Walla Walla river off the old Highway half bridge casting upstream or the mouth of the Walla Walla if you can get a boat. Or fish Casey Ponds area on either side of the train tracks just past Burbank heading toward Wallula and the Walla Walla river, although hard to reach now because of road closures. Travel to the areas between Lower Monumental Dam and Lower Granite Dam including Little Goose Dam. Lyons Ferry and Central Ferry Parks areas. My favorite spot is Texas Rapids camp site below Little Goose near the town of Starbuck. Tried Ayers too but wind became tornado like (no joke). Most catfish catch reports are from the mouth of the Palouse River area and the waters between Little Goose and Lower Granite Dams known as Lake Bryan. Best baits are cut baits (Suckers and Pike Minnows), or shrimp. Fishing with trout is illegal but probably the best. Other baits are night crawlers, crickets grasshoppers and minnows. Water dogs(salamanders) and crawfish are excellent but expensive. Bateman Island is okay if you get the right spot due to fishing pressure. Try fishing under the 240 overpass using a bobber too. The boat launch by Bateman is good using a bobber as well as using bobbers in the Walla Walla River. The Yakima has not been productive for me though. I saw some of the biggest fish caught in the Walla Walla River including huge blues but that was back in the day. Once saw 60 cats caught in a day 8:00 am to 600 pm. Floods have created quite a snag debris problem off the half bridge and so you can lose lots of tackle. I caught my biggest (ten pounds) in Casey ponds when it was accessible.

When the steelhead season opens September first, fish the Little Goose Dam pool off the wall if you can find elbow room. They shut the water flow off and it's fish on! Also note that water level fluctuations effect the fish bite. Lower water levels tend to be less effective than when the water rises. During these fluctuations you might catch a lot of cats in an hour or so. I am in the process of getting a boat so I can learn more about fishing spots that way. But from the bank try my suggestion and get away from Hood Park. Good Luck next time cause they are in there!

fishinChristian

6/30/2013 1:09:00 PM

Waddaya doin' tomorrow, or Wednesday?

tluedeke

6/30/2013 11:04:00 PM

Catmandou: Thanks - I really appreciate the tips. I still think that place I fished might be pretty good, but I really needed my pontoon boat to get out to Goose Island to access the obviously better places. I've had several folks tell me to fish cats further up the Yakima (the one trip I did, I stayed off Bateman, and didn't go up to the 240 bridge area. Ayers Boat Basin has had several nice reports - it's an annoying haul from here, but sounds worth it. I've also been meaning to try the Walla Walla for some time - the old half-bridge area gets too much pressure, and again I've been meaning to take the pontoon boat further towards the mouth.

Tator salad: Thanks as well! I've seen several nice reports on Ayers Boat Basin, and I may have to make the trip up there some night. Sounds like a promising place.

fishinChristian: Working Monday, probably coasting on Wednesday! ;-) Give me an email shout.

Catmandou

6/30/2013 11:36:00 PM

I hear you, but you've been skunked six times and now you're not listening to the people who have caught fish from the bank. I have been fishing the three main rivers for over twenty years and the spot you are going too is not even close to the best. I have fished that area and have never caught a cat. One old timer had one on but played him too long and he got off. That's the only fish I know was hooked on the Columbia River near Pasco-but never saw it. I never got a bite. It was directly on the Columbia before that funky smelling ass plant near Pasco. You get skunked again blame yourself brother! Best place if you don't want to travel far is Walla Walla River and Casey Pond trust me! Me and my buddy caught 15 cats in an hour and a half at Casey pond on a water fluctuation run. If you want proof always go to the bait and tackle stores and check the pictures on the walls. Two guys told me and my friend about wading Casey Pond and we laughed. But at the end of the day they were up on the wall at the Burbank bait store with two huge stringers each. Listen and learn!!! It's all catfish love though and too each his own! Too tight lines and set hooks! Can I get an AMEN!!!

Catmandou

6/30/2013 11:54:00 PM

My apologies to fishinchristian but I live on the west side of Washington so unfortunately not available at the drop of a hat. I am originally from the Midwest though and grew up on cat fishing. My first week here in Washington State I drove to the Walla Walla River and it looked like home. It took me several years though to finally catch a channel cat. But back in the eighties they were huge and plentiful. Channel cats are popular now and so the fishing pressure is great. Tell me where you live and I can tell you what I think is the nearest best spot. I am not secretive about this stuff and so I will share for all to enjoy.

tluedeke

7/1/2013 12:35:00 PM

Catmadou - you're right, of course. I'm both a bit stubborn, and genuinely puzzled. I'm an engineer, and it bothers me to not understand *why* someplace would be good for catfish, and others not. Should have had the necessary elements. Apparently I've got a lot to learn! :)

I'll definitely try the Walla x 2 and Casey Pond next - heard many good things about that spot.

jbball50

7/1/2013 8:40:00 PM

Another thing to consider, have you tried fishing early in the morning like sunrise til like 9 AM? Or evenings into the night? I know when we fish at the mouth of the Palouse where the fish are spawning it seems like the bite dies around 9 AM whenever we have fished for catfish there. If you fish the Walla Walla definitely bring your pontoon, I've only fished it from the bank and have never caught one fish from the bank there haha. I have seen only two caught from the bank, seems like the boaters do decent though.

Catmandou

7/6/2013 8:47:00 PM

Another tip is to use night crawlers to catch either pike minnows or a nice size sucker first. Cats bite night crawlers but so does every little critter pretty much in the water especially the small mouth bass and perch. Suckers work the best for me and the same with shrimp or prawns from the store. Fishing the morning and evenings are the best times agreed but you get in the right spot and I have caught them all day long Afternoon to about five is usually slow though especially in hot weather. If you go as far as Ayers you might as well try Texas Rapids too and remember the dam in August off the wall. Bring shrimp in case you can't catch cut bait. I may be coming over this month either this week or the next before I have to leave for home to visit but for sure in august. I will let you know tluedeke-good luck. Oh I forgot to say the pond you want is not the one you had access too. The pond I was talking about you have to walk about half a mile back like your headed toward Burbank on the railroad tracks. there is no more access to this pond. If the water level is high on the west side fish the east area side of the train overpass. Throw into the current directly under the train overpass if water is fluctuating in and let your line drift right and settle. Or walk the old road that was access, to the first bend and throw a bobber there. If the water level is down cast straight out from the west side of the train tracks toward the Columbia. I know it's a hike but that is one of the best spots and is not fished heavy due to the road closures. Man I wish I was over there right now. You east side guys are lucky! Out!

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