Where for BIG Cats

I am not a cat fisherman but want to give it a try.I have a friend that would like to catch a big cat so I want to take him and try. Where would be the best place to try for big cats and when. Thanks for your help

Been a great couple weeks on the Red. Today we cleared the six lines for the first time since 2008. 88 pound 6-pack in the boat. Photo is of the largest 5.

Wow captainbraddurick! Beautiful fish!

I am fairly new here and live up on the Red River at Grand Forks, ND. We are on huge channel cats right now. Many in the mid to high teens and even a few in the 20s. Great numbers of big fish coming in right now.

Hey Reeldrag83, I'm in a two week slump too. I've done well all summer - more than 20 Flatheads, the biggest one 49 lbs. It seems like all of a sudden, I can't buy a fish. Skunked 4 times in a row now. Where are you fishing? I fish the Mississippi.

Anyone getting any big fish? I have been drawing blanks thought I had a big one the other night but turned out to be a sturgeon. I haven't hooked a flat in weeks

You will hear of big cats from small waters and while it does happen it's rare no matter the fish tails you hear! Big cats come from big water! mighty miss ,Wisconsin, st croix, fox river system, big lakes ie Madison chain Ect. I have gotten them up to 76lbs. all the big and I mean big came from big water. It's not a numbers game. I fished big cats hard for a couple yrs my best yr was 6 over 50 lbs and I bet I fished 70 nights. It's a love affair catching big flat heads. Tips find wood depth current bait. Then use live bait. My favorite is water dogs hard to find but flat heads love them. Second choice red horse about 12 inches, bullheads work great just clip the spines. Bring a book radio and lots of snacks cuz it can be a long wait. And big rods I ran 100 lb Dacron and had a few fish I couldn't stop. One comes to mind, hooked him on lake Wisconsin just above the ferry crossing lost it almost 1 mile below that when I bent the hook straight. Cashing big cats those over 50 is like hunting big deer it's a long and slow journey but what a ride. Please practice catch and release on flat heads they grow slow and spawn rates aren't great.

I caught this nice on while white bass fishing here at Lake of the Ozarks. I caught it on 10lb test and a small jigging spoon. they roam below the shad schools cleaning up after the white bass have busted the shad. I am not a cat fisherman but those critters sure can pull your string.

Here are some tips for holding locations. Good luck.

What do you guys do with a 50# catfish? I assume you let it go, but dont they have a tendency to swallow the hook and put their survival in jepardy.?

If u r looking for BIG cats, lake poygan is the place to go. Everyone u talk to that fishes will tell u a story of a big catfish. I personally have caught several cats there. The smallest was 15 lb the biggest was 79 lb. However a 20 - 50 lb catch is more common. Use crawfish tails near log jams at the river mouths on the bottom or suspended from a large bobber. If u don't get any bites there try farther up the wolf river between Boom Bay and New London with the same technique

Fox river in green bay after the walleye run.

Thanks for the help. I really didn't know we had cats up to 70 lbs in WI. I release most fish I catch, I might keep a couple eaters here and there. I mostly fish walleye and have only caught 2 over 10 lbs and both went back. It is a good feeling when you release a big fish for someone else to catch.

Lake Columbia.

Don't overlook the St.Croix river for monster cats. flatheads up to 70 lbs have Been caught between Stillwater and just below Hudson. Summer night time fishing with large live bait.

Any of the bigger river systems are good depending on where you are. The Wisconsin, Mississippi, Rock, Wolf, and Fox all have good populations of flatheads. Big live bait at night from late May through June and again from mid August till mid October has been best for me. Don't expect fast action like you can get from smaller channel cats. Have fun and please release the big ones.