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Florida Fish BustersMay 2007

FLORIDA'S TOP Catfish Holes, 2007

By Bob Wattendorf 

Most lifelong anglers began fishing before they were 12years old, and many of those started out pursuingcatfish. There are several reasons why catfish andbullheads, both easily identifiable by their cat-likewhiskers, were the first fish for so many people. First,they are among the most cosmopolitan of our fishesbeing found throughout Florida and North America.Second, catfish can frequently be taken from theshoreline or from structures such as piers, bridges orwalkways along dams making them accessible to a

without boats. Third, they are not finicky eaters and willtake a wide variety of baits that do not have to beartfully presented. Fourth, they all provide a nice easiprepared meal and are abundant enough that there are nobag or size limits (except for on a few Fish ManageAreas), so that a young or novice angler can show off there first fish, without having to release it. Photo by Phil Chapman

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Bullheads generally inhabit lakes and marshes with slow moving waters, but channelcatfish, blue catfish and flatheads all thrive in rivers. Brown and yellow bullheads, withtheir heavier skulls and flattened (less forked) tails compared to the other catfishes are

also abundant. Among the most common catfish in Florida are the white catfish, andchannel catfish; both are natives and have distinctly forked tails. Two species of specialnote for their large size are the blue and flathead catfish species that are not native toFlorida, but are now found in many of the panhandle rivers.

May is the beginning of some of the best catfishing in Florida for many of these species,so now is a good time to run down a few of the best fishing holes and what you mightexpect. To help you get started, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissionbiologists have compiled this list of great catfishdestinations and tips.

Escambia River (north of Pensacola)Species: Blue, channel and flathead catfishWhen: Big channel catfish from mid-Aprilthrough June and early October into November if the water stays warmbe caught year-round, but expect the action toslow when it is cold.

. Small catfish can

Where: Alabama state line to the I-10 bridge.

Flathead Catfish illustration by Duane Raver 

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Apalachicola River (from Florida/Georgia state line at Chattahoochee, flows south tocity of Apalachicola)Species: Channel and flathead catfishWhen: Big channel catfish from late May into early July. Flatheads pick up in April andaction runs into the summer months. Small catfish can be caught pretty much year-round,

but the spring and summer months are best.Where: River bends and snags from Jim Woodruff Dam south, old creek channels, LakeSeminole backwaters, and around mouths of tributaries.

Choctawhatchee River (northwest of Panama City)Species: Channel catfish and bullhead. Flathead catfish are also in the river in increasingnumbers and can exceed 30 pounds. Several years ago, biologists collected a 46½ poundchannel catfish, which was measured and released. Had this fish been caught by anangler, it would have been a new state record.When: Big channel catfish from May through early July, and October into November if the water stays warm. Small cats are available year-round, but expect them to bite slow

when it is cold.Where: Alabama state line south to West Bay, and around the mouth of Holmes Creek and other tributaries. Most larger catfish are found in the northern portion of the river.

St. Johns River and Dunn's Creek (flowsnorth through eastern Florida over 250 milesfrom Indian River County to Jacksonville)Species: Bullhead, channel catfish, and whitecatfishWhen: Big channel catfish from early Maythrough June. Small catfish can be caught pretty much year-round, but fishing is best inthe spring and fall months.Where: Dunn's Creek to Lake Crescent, Murphy's Creek from the St. Johns River toDunn's Creek, and the river from Palatka to Little Lake George. Try the hole on the Northside of Buffalo Bluff Bridge, but bring plenty of hooks and weights, since lots of snagswill cost you some tackle.

Ocklawaha River (east of Ocala)Species: Bullhead, channel catfish, and white catfishWhen: Big channel catfish from May through June, and in October until mid November.Small catfish can be caught year-round.Where: Rodman Dam to the St. Johns River, and the west end of Rodman Reservoir toMoss Bluff lock and dam. Catfish tend to concentrate below Rodman Dam in the spring.

Channel Catfish illustration by Duane Raver 

 How: Put soy cake around fallen trees the day before fishing to attract catfish. When thewater is clear, fishing at night is recommended.

Ochlocknee River (west of Tallahassee)Species: Bullhead and channel, flathead, and white catfishWhen: Beginning in April for flathead catfish, and mid-May into early summer forchannel catfish. Both channels and flatheads bite until the water turns cold in October or

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November. Small catfish bite year-round, but slow down in cold months.Where: River-wide, especially in the Talquin tail-race area.

Suwannee/Santa Fe Rivers (flow south from North Central Florida to “Big Bend” area)Species: Bullhead, channel catfish, and white catfish

When: Big channel catfish from late April through June. Small catfish bite pretty muchyear-round. Although exceedingly rare, blue catfish caught in the Suwannee River havealso been documented, most recently in the Ellaville area during late summer of 2006.Where: Limerock areas throughout the river, but particularly upper and middle reaches;deadfalls are best in lower river.

Clermont Chain of Lakes (near city of Clermont)Species: Channel and white catfishWhen: Spring and fall are best, but fish can be taken year-round.Where: Off-shore, open-water areas, particularly near drop-offs or around bottomstructure. Canals and channels that connect lakes of the Chain may also be attractive to

catfish during times of flow. How: Some commercial trotliners catch catfish with chunks of freshly caught gar inbigger channels and with honey bees in smaller channels of this system.

Haines Creek (near Eustis)Species: Bullhead, channel catfish, and white catfishWhen: Big channel catfish from mid-April through June, and October and November aswater temperatures begin to drop. Small cats will bite year-round, especially where wateris flowing.Where: The creek between Lakes Eustis and Griffin, especially below the lock and dam.

Upper Kissimmee Chain of Lakes (south of Orlando)Species: Bullhead, channel catfish, and white catfishWhen: Big channel catfish experience peak spawning periods between April and June.Bullheads primarily spawn from October into November, but can spawn year-round.Moving water will concentrate catfish and make them easier to catch, so areas with floware recommended.Where: C-31 (East Lake Canal), C-35 (Southport Canal), C-36 (canal between LakeCypress and Lake Hatchineha) and C-37 (canal between Lake Hatchineha and LakeKissimmee), below the Kissimmee River structure (S-65), around mouth of and inShingle Creek, and in the lake proper around fish attractors. Catfish are often found neardrop-offs or around bottom structure in the canals.

Southwest Florida Lakes

Species: Channel catfish and bullheadWhere: Many locations in southwest Florida offer excellent opportunities for catfishangling, including:

•  Lakes 2,3,4,5, B, and Picnic at Tenoroc Fish Management Area (Polk County)

•  Lakes LP2 West, Haul Road Pit, and Pine East at Mosaic Fish Management Area(Polk County)

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•  Lakes 1 and 3 at Hardee Lakes Park (Hardee County)

•  Lake Manatee (Manatee County)

•  Medard Park (Hillsborough County)

•  Ponds managed under the Tampa Bay Urban Fishery Program, particularly DoverDistrict Park and Stephen J. Wortham Park. 

When: Catfish angling is best during the warmer months, but these fish can be caughtyear-round. While fishing can be good throughout the day, catfish are usually mostactive in the morning and evening. Fishing at night can reward anglers with outstandingresults. How: Fish are usually best caught fishing on the bottom using a wide variety of baitsfrom chicken liver to commercial stinkbaits. Larger catfish can be caught on smallshiners and minnows fished near the bottom. In lakes and ponds managed with automaticfish feeders, catfish concentrate near these feeders and can be caught on small pieces of dog food, bread, and hot dogs. Channel catfish typically school where the bottom dropsoff sharply to deeper water. They usually do not hide within vegetation, but can be foundalong deeper, outside edges of weed beds.

Act now and get FREE STUFF when you buy a five-year freshwater fishing license,Until the first 3,000 are sold, you will receive a package of free fishing items in the mailautomatically. This will likely continue to be available until around the beginning of June, but to be certain see MyFWC.com/Fishing/5yr-2007.html. The license cost is only$61.50 and remains valid even if license prices go up, or you move out of state.Included in the package are hooks (Daiichi), reel grease (PENN), FloatHi GLO (snap onfloat), and lures from Charlie Brewer’s Slider Co.. and Don Bett’s Spin Baits. In addition,you’ll find innovative products like the Hydrosonic Fish Call (CAGI), and florescentworm feed. Premiums include a floating key chain from Seminole County, a waterproof Polk County Lakes Map, and a Largemouth Bass decal from Advanced Graphics along

with a variety of coupons to fill out the package. All license sales directly support fishand wildlife conservation in Florida and help recover federal excise taxes that anglers andboaters have paid into the system for use in Florida on Federal Aid in Sport FishRestoration projects.

Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing/Fishes to learn more about these species and their range, andMyFWC.com/Fishing/Forecasts to see quarterly updates on fishing around the state andmore details about the best places to go.