I’ve been hearing rumors lately that the blue catfish are biting. That’s not hard to believe, because blue cats remain active year-round, irrespective of either water or air temperatures.
One of the most pragmatic reasons to fish for blue cats during the winter months is that — like almost every other species of freshwater fish I can think of — blue cats are at their culinary peak when the water they swim in is cold.
kAm}@E E92E 3=F6D 2C6?’E 7:?6 62E:?8 E9C@F89@FE E96 J62C] ~?6 52J >@C6 E92? b_ J62CD 28@[ EH@ 86?E=6>6? 2?5 x H6C6 D:EE:?8 @? E96 C:AC2A 36=@H %CF>2? s2> 5:D4FDD:?8 E96 C6=2E:G6 65:3:=:EJ @7 492??6= 42ED[ 3=F6 42ED 2?5 7=2E9625D]k^Am
kAmt249 @7 FD 492>A:@?65 2 5:776C6?E DA64:6D] pE E96 E:>6[ x G@F4965 7@C E96 7=2E9625[ 2?5 x DE:== E9:?< E92E 7:=6ED @C DE62<D 7C@> 2 7=2E9625 H6:89:?8 =6DD E92? 23@FE `_ A@F?5D 2C6 92C5 E@ 362E] x’G6 ?@H ;@:?65 E96 >2? H9@ :?D:DE65 E96 3=F6 42E :D 4@?D:DE6?E=J E96 36DE E23=6 72C6 @7 E96 E9C66]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 7:D9 :? |:DD@FC: E92E 2C6 ?@E @?=J 8@@5 E@ 62E[ 3FE E92E 2C6 2=D@ 62D:6C E@ 42E49 2?5 >@C6 C625:=J 2G2:=23=6 E92? 3=F6 42ED]k^Am
kAmu@CEF?2E6=J 7@C E96:C DE2EFD 2>@?8 E96 DE2E6’D 7:D9[ 3=F6 42ED 2C6 E96 @?=J DA64:6D 7@F?5 96C6 E92E @776CD 2?8=6CD 2 =68:E:>2E6 492?46 E@ D6E 2 >@56C? 52J H@C=5 C64@C5]k^Am
kAm%96C6’D ?@ 5@F3E E92E C64@C5\3C62<:?8 3=F6 42ED 2C6 DH:>>:?8 :? E96 A@CE:@? @7 E96 |:DD:DD:AA: #:G6C 3@C56C:?8 |:DD@FC: C:89E ?@H] (9:=6 :E’D ?@E 2D DFC6 2 E9:?8[ :E’D BF:E6 A@DD:3=6 6BF2==J DFA6C\D:K65 3=F6D 42? 36 7@F?5 :? E96 |:DD@FC: #:G6C 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm%96 ~D286 #:G6C[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 {2<6 @7 E96 ~K2C<D 2?5 %CF>2? #6D6CG@:C[ :D 9:DE@C:4 3=F6 42E 923:E2E] (9:=6 2?JE9:?8’D A@DD:3=6[ E96 ~D286 #:G6C’D EC@A9J 3=F6 42E 7:D96CJ 92D 366? D@ D6C:@FD=J 568C2565 3J @G6C92CG6DE E92E :E’D 6IEC6>6=J F?=:<6=J :E H:== J:6=5 C64@C5\4=2DD 7:D9 :? E96 ?62C 7FEFC6] w@H6G6C[ E96 ~D286 #:G6C 32D:? :D DE:== 2 8@@5 A=246 E@ 7:?5 3=F6 42ED 3:8 6?@F89 E@ DF:E >@DE @7 FD]k^Am
kAmx? 36EH66? E96 9F?5C65D @7 A@E6?E:2= H@C=5\C64@C5 7:D9 E@ 36 7@F?5 :? E96 |:DD:DD:AA: #:G6C 2?5 E96 >2?J 9F?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 3=F6D H6:89:?8 =6DD E92? 7@FC A@F?5D 7@F?5 :? E96 ~D286 #:G6C[ E96C6 2C6 `_D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 3=F6 42ED :? E96 a_\ E@ e_\A@F?5 4=2DD :? 2== E9C66 C:G6C DJDE6>D]k^Am
kAmpD 72C 2D x’> 4@?46C?65[ H96E96C >J AC:>2CJ 8@2= :D 7C6D9 7:D9 7@C 5:??6C[ 2 A9@E@\@A H:E9 2 7:D9 =:E6C2==J 2D =@?8 2D >J =68 @C 2 ?:496 :? 2?8=:?8 9:DE@CJ[ E96 3=F6 42E :D 2 92C5 49@:46 E@ 362E] %96 724E E92E 3@E9 E96:C 3:E6 2?5 E96:C 7:89E 2C6 76C@4:@FD 5@6D?’E 9FCE 2?JE9:?8 6:E96C]k^Am
kAm%96 >2:? AC@3=6> H:E9 3=F6 42ED :D E96J 42? 36 5:77:4F=E E@ =@42E6] pDDF>:?8 @IJ86? =6G6=D 2C6 256BF2E6[ C6D6CG@:C 3=F6D >2<6 FD6 @7 E96 6?E:C6 H2E6C 4@=F>? 3@E9 G6CE:42==J 2?5 9@C:K@?E2==J] p55 E96 724E E92E E96J E6?5 E@ C@2> :? D49@@=D[ 2?5 E96 C6DF=E :D 92G:?8 2 H9@=6 =@E >@C6 H2E6C E92E 5@6D?’E 92G6 2?J 3=F6 42ED DH:>>:?8 :? :E E92? E92E 5@6D]k^Am
kAmq:8 C:G6C 3=F6 42ED 42? FDF2==J 36 7@F?5 :? E96 566A6DE 2G2:=23=6 H2E6C 5FC:?8 E96 52JE:>6 2?5 @? E96 D92==@H6DE 7=2ED 2E ?:89E] %92E H@F=5 36 D:>A=6 6?@F89 3FE 566A 9@=6D 2C6 566A 5F6 E@ 4FCC6?ED 2D 4@>A=6I 2D E96J 2C6 A@H6C7F=] #6249:?8 D92==@H H2E6C 7=2ED 27E6C 52C< C6BF:C6D E96 23:=:EJ E@ 2G@:5 32C86D[ H:?8 5:<6D[ D?28D 2?5 @E96C E9:?8D E92E 8@ 3F>A :? E96 ?:89E]k^Am
kAmw:C:?8 2 8F:56 H9@ DA64:2=:K6D :? 3=F6 42ED — @C :? EC@A9J 3=F6 42ED :7 E92E’D J@FC AC676C6?46 — :D 3J 72C E96 >@DE 67764E:G6 2?5[ 7@C >@DE 2?8=6CD[ E96 =62DE 6IA6?D:G6 H2J E@ DA6?5 E96 >2I:>F> 2>@F?E @7 E:>6 7:D9:?8 H96C6 E96C6 2C6 3=F6 42ED H:E9:? 42DE:?8 C2?86[ 2?5[ :? E96 42D6 @7 E96 3:8 C:G6CD[ 6>A=@J:?8 2 8F:56 :D 2=D@ E96 D276DE H2J E@ 8@]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ <66A:?8 J@F @? 7:D9[ J@FC 8F:56 D9@F=5 AC@G:56 A=6?EJ @7 7C6D9 D925 @C D<:A;24< 96CC:?8[ 2? :>A@CE2?E 724E@C D:?46 E96D6 EH@ @7E6? 5:77:4F=E\E@\7:?5 32:ED 244@F?E 7@C 2E =62DE h_ A6C46?E @7 E96 3=F6 42ED 42F89E 3J C@5\2?5\C66= 2?8=6CD]k^Am
kAmp?5 DA62<:?8 @7 C@5D 2?5 C66=D[ >@DE 8F:56D DFAA=J E24<=6 DF:E23=6 7@C E96 H2E6CD E@ 36 7:D965[ 3FE >2<6 DFC6 E96C6 2C6 ?@ >:DF?56CDE2?5:?8D @? E9:D DF3;64E 367@C6 E96 52J @7 J@FC EC:A]k^Am
kAmp?8=6CD D66<:?8 25G:46 @? 9@H E@ 2DD6>3=6 E96:C @H? 3=F6 42E E24<=6 ?665 E@ 36 2H2C6 E92E 3@?27:56 6IA6CED 42? ?62C=J 4@>6 E@ 3=@HD 2C8F:?8 23@FE H92E J@F D9@F=5 49@@D6]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C >6[ >J 3=F6 42E 32EE6CJ 4@?D:DED @7 f\7@@E $92<6DA62C6 &8=J $E:4< 2?5 q6C<=6J q:8 v2>6 C@5D A2:C65 H:E9 D6G6C2= 3C2?5D @7 E@A BF2=:EJ 32:E\42DE:?8 C66=D] %96 C66=D 2C6 DA@@=65 H:E9 ed\A@F?5 E6DE 3C2:565 CF??:?8 =:?6 E:AA65 H:E9 b_\A@F?5 7=F@C@42C3@? =6256CD 7C@> e E@ be :?496D :? =6?8E9 56A6?5:?8 @? AC6G2:=:?8 4@?5:E:@?D]k^Am
kAm{:<6 >2?J @7 >J 42E7:D9:?8 A66CD[ x’G6 364@>6 7@?5 @7 4:C4=6 9@@<D[ 3FE x 5@?’E FD6 E96> 6I4=FD:G6=J] %96C6 2C6 >2?J @442D:@?D H96? x 49@@D6 2? t28=6 r=2H >@56= gc 9@@<[ ;FDE 2D >J 8C2?572E96C 5:5 =@?8 367@C6 x H2D 3@C?]k^Am
kAm|J >2:?DE2J H6:89ED 2C6 7=2E D=:A D:?<6CD H6:89:?8 7C@> @?6 E@ 7:G6 @F?46D[ 3FE x AC676C 2 D?28=6DD EJA6 H6:89E 7@C 5C:7E:?8]k^Am
kAmw@=5:?8 2 32:E :? A=246 @? E96 3@EE@> @7 2 4FCC6?E\H2D965 |:DD:DD:AA: #:G6C D4@FC 9@=6 42? C6BF:C6 2 =6DD DF3E=6 2AAC@249] %92E’D H96? x C6249 7@C AJC2>:5\D92A65 D2=EH2E6C 32?< D:?<6CD H6:89:?8 2D >2?J @F?46D 2D :E E2<6D]k^Am
kAmw6C6’D @?6 =2DE A:646 @7 25G:46] r9@@D6 4=@E9:?8 E92E H:== <66A J@F H2C> 2?5 5CJ 6G6? :7 E96 H62E96C 56E6C:@C2E6D] %9C66 A6@A=6 5:65 @? 2 9:<6 :? E96 |2C< %H2:? }2E:@?2= u@C6DE C646?E=J 3642FD6 E96J 2DDF>65 2 52J E92E DE2CE65 H2C> H@F=5 DE2J E92E H2J]k^Am