Master angler Devon shows off her recent flathead catfish catch from the Iowa River in Tama County. 37.50 inches, 24.5 lbs.Photo: Iowa Department of Natural Resources
(Des Moines, IA) -- Catfish are biting, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
“Catfish will bite most of the time, no matter what the water temperature,” explains Daniel Vogeler, Iowa DNR fisheries technician. “They are biting in most lakes, ponds, rivers and streams across Iowa.”
Vogeler recommends anglers bring along two coolers with ice, one to keep your bait firm and fresh and another to keep your catch cold. He suggests prepared dip bates, such as chicken livers, minnows or chubs, green sunfish, bluegill, crawdads, frogs, nightcrawlers or dead, but fresh, goldeye or gizzard shad.
He also recommends not fishing in water deeper than 8 to 10 feet on most lakes.
He says anglers should look for areas with vegetation, brush piles or rock and position bait upstream of brush piles so the scent of the bait is carried downstream into the structure to draw the catfish out. Anchor the bait with a heavy weight so it doesn’t drift into snags. If fishing the big rivers, try upstream and on the tips of wing dykes and wing dams on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
The state compiles a DNR interactive fishing atlas to help find locations.
Fish the upper ends of the larger reservoirs where the water is shallower and baitfish like gizzard shad gather. Use baits fished on the bottom or suspended off the bottom with a bobber and let current or breeze move the bait to find active catfish.
The fish pictured above weighs an impressive 24 pounds, but is far from the state's record flathead. Joe Baze caught an 81-pound catfish at Lake Ellis near Chariton in June of 1958.
Joe Baze (L) and Frank Baze (R) pose with 81 pound flathead catfish in June of 1958.