Most folks would agree that catfish is as delicious as walleye and yellow perch. Most would also agree that a blue cat or giant channel cat is going to put up a much harder fight than a walleye or perch on light tackle. So, then, why don’t more people target catfish on the ice? The answer might be because they don’t realize just how active these “lazy” fish will be once the surface locks up.
Josh Hoover-Rathjen is a Nebraskan and the host of the popular YouTube channel, PigPatrolTV. By his own admission, the Cornhusker State isn’t exactly a major destination for anglers, but it is loaded with catfish. Most uniquely, Nebraska’s lakes that feature blue catfish routinely freeze over, giving anglers a chance to target these brutes in winter differently than in much of their range. Hoover-Rathjen has become a master of hardwater cats, having landed 20-plus-pound channels and blues weighing more than 40 pounds on the ice. His tips and observations may just change what you thought you knew about catfish behavior in the winter, and, hopefully, inspire you to go on your own cat hunt.
Rock Bottom
There is a common misconception that cold water makes fish lethargic. In some cases that is certainly be true, but catfish are (wrongly) considered lazy and kind of lethargic even when the water’s warm. So, in the dead of winter, they must all just lie on the bottom in the deepest part of the lake, right? According to Hoover-Rathjen, that couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, they can be more active and aggressive now than at other times of year.
“It’s not always the deepest part of the lake where you’re going to find them,” he says. “Where I live, many of the lakes aren’t much deeper than 25 feet. Where I find the cats most often is sitting on top of rock piles. If you can find hard bottom near deeper water, that’s what you want, because the fish will move shallower on top of that structure to feed.”
Hoover-Rathjen notes finding rock piles is the key to success. He also says he rarely marks catfish tight to the bottom with his electronics. They’re either on top of a rock pile or suspended in the middle of the water column over the creek channels. Suspended fish are what he wants to see, because it means they’re actively hunting for shad or crappies. In winter, Hoover-Rathjen says nightcrawlers and bugs aren’t getting washed into the water. There are also fewer dead fish on the bottom, so the catfish are more apt to chase live targets. There have even been times, he says, when the blue cats are so charged up, they’re hitting six inches under the ice.
Don’t Bait and Wait
Get a strong-smelling hunk of bait. Cast it out into the lake. Wait. Most anglers would agree this is a fine approach to catching catfish. They’re scent feeders, after all, so even if you’re not in a prime location, let the bait milk out long enough and a catfish will find it. But despite how effective this simple technique might be in open water, Hoover-Rathjen says it won’t help you much on the ice.
“More often than not tip-ups end up being about useless,” he says. “For tip-ups to be effective, the fish have to be really fired up. Sure, they’ll grab a dead bait, but unless they’re feeding super heavily, they won’t hold onto it. Your flag will pop but they’ll figure out something’s wrong real quick and drop the bait.”
This is where Hoover-Rathjen’s forward-facing sonar becomes indispensable. He can use it to locate active, suspended schools of fish, and then get ahead of them, as drilling directly over them can cause them to spook. He’ll tip his lures with a very small piece of crappie or bluegill just to add some natural scent, noting that bluegill guts work particularly well. He also says that if you live in a state where gamefish cannot be used as bait, chicken liver will get the job done. But more important than the meat du jour is the lure used for its delivery.
Get Down On It
According to Hoover-Rathjen, there is no secret weapon lure for catfish on the ice. He says “whatever gets down there” will work. If you consider you’re fishing vertically and trying to match the profile and action of a small baitfish, you have a lot of options, and while they’ll all connect, Hoover-Rathjen’s go-to is the Sixth Sense Gyro Tail Spinner, which is a modern, tougher version of the classic Mann’s Little George.
“I like the Sixth Sense because it has a beefy hook and a swivel molded into the belly,” says Hoover-Rathjen. “That swivel is really helpful when fighting a big cat because it’s stops them from gaining leverage and twisting the hook out.”
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While the Gyro, with its heavy body and flashing tail, is a favorite of Hoover-Rathjen’s, he says the fish can be fickle. Sometimes a small Kastmaster metal is the ticket, while other times a plain jighead tipped with bait is all they want. Regardless of what he ties on—and despite the fact that Hoover-Rathjen regularly tangles with cats weighing north of 20 pounds—he prefers 10-pound braid main line and a 12-pound fluorocarbon leader. While heavier line and leader might be the norm in other blue cat territories, it won’t present the smaller lures he uses as naturally and effectively on the ice.