Jeff Barnard caught this 48-pound flathead catfish on the Tennessee River last summer, but he's still trying for a 60-pounder. Photo by Anthony Campbell.

Jeff Barnard was fishing off a rocky causeway in downtown Guntersville last September when he landed a 48-pound yellow or flathead catfish. It surprised some of the people who saw it afterwards, but not Barnard. He's a catfish specialist who makes a habit of working in quick fishing trips anytime he goes to Guntersville to visit his mom Glenda.

Barnard's autumn success shows how catfish -- including some real whoppers -- are closer than you might think. No matter what corner of the Cotton State you call home, chances are good that some really fine catfishing will be found nearby. From the Mobile Delta to the Tennessee River in North Alabama, catfish are abundant statewide.

The tactics Barnard employed are worth reviewing for anyone who wants to duplicate his success on any water in Alabama. Catching big cats regularly requires techniques designed specifically for those lunkers.

He was fishing in Guntersville Lake, a Tennessee River impoundment, when he got the 48-pounder. He was tickled to get it, but said his quest is to get one that goes 60 pounds or better.

Barnard was using chicken livers, a medium-action Ugly Stik rod and an Ambassadeur 6000 reel with 15-pound-test line. Ugly Stik rods are known for their ads that feature a heavily muscled man bending one double without breaking it.

"It was bent just about like the one in the ad after this catfish hit," Barnard mused, adding that Ambassadeur doesn't even make the 6000 series reel any more.

According to the angler, any places like the causeway bridges with deep water and rocks are good for catching catfish. He uses an egg sinker on the bottom with a hook about a foot up the line. He always takes lots of chicken liver with him. "You're always going to lose some bait," he pointed out, "because it's easy to sling off when you cast."

His brother Marty was with him when he caught the big one. They caught four others that weighed about 8 pounds apiece.

"I love catfishing and go every chance I get," Barnard assured.

He works the second shift in the maintenance department at a Boaz industrial plant, so a lot of his fishing takes place in the morning or even in the middle of the day.

The Alabama Department Conservation and Natural Resources Web site indicates biologists from the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries have captured yellow cats weighing 30 to 50 pounds in the Tennessee River during fish sampling expeditions. That indicates that Barnard's flathead has to be considered a top specimen. While the fish was a good one, it wasn't the fisherman's personal best. The biggest cat he's ever caught was a few years ago when he landed a 52-pounder.

"I still want to get one that weighs at least 60," he offered.