Photo by Jeff Samsel

The lure of plentiful catfish beckons many South Alabama anglers today as it has for many years past. Fortunately, the major river systems throughout Alabama hold tons of cats. This is one sport for which the "good old days" were no better than the action is right now.

To learn the best locations for finding and catching cats, we talked to the south Alabama catfish specialist, David Armstrong. He is the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries biologist for District V. He is going to provide an overview of five places he considers above average for catfish action in the southern part of Bama. Then as a kicker, we will finish out with another overlooked destination of our own.

MONROE COUNTY LAKE
Armstrong selected Monroe County Public Fishing Lake, near Beatrice, as one of the best bets for catfish. Lake anglers usually can catch their limit of six cats, with the average weight running 3 pounds each. Usually it takes only a morning or an afternoon of fishing, and rarely a full day.

"In this lake, you don't have any current to deal with," Armstrong says. "This lake provides a great place to take your family and let everyone fish for cats."

Most catfishermen use commercially prepared stink baits, all different kinds of live worms, and some cut bait in this 84-acre lake that has easy access from the bank. Located on a feeder stream of Robinson Creek, Monroe County Lake holds only channel cats, which are restocked regularly by the DWFF.

"The lake has quite a few shelves, dropoffs and points, and the state has put brushpiles, logs and other structure in the lake to provide habitat for not only cats but also bass and bream," Armstrong explains.

If you're looking for a good place to catch a mess of cats and want to take your family and friends with you, try out Monroe County Lake.

The facility is open from sunrise to sunset six days a week beginning Feb. 1 and going through Nov. 30. It is closed on Mondays. For more information, call the lake manager's office at (251) 789-2104.

To reach Monroe County Lake from Monroeville, take State Route 21 north to Beatrice and go left on SR 265 for a fourth of a mile. Next, turn left on Robbins Street (County Road 50) and travel for 2 1/2 miles to the lake.

TOMBIGBEE RIVER
Obviously, the Tombigbee River is a long waterway, but the biologist focused in on a smaller area for catfish action.

"The Three Rivers area of the Tombigbee River all the way down to Bates Lake has provided a highly productive catfish hotspot in south Alabama for many years," Armstrong reports. "This region has a wide variety and plentiful numbers of catfish. Although the channel cat dominates the waters, you catch plenty of blue cats and an occasional flathead. In this section of the Tombigbee River, there is swift current and quite a bit of structure. You find numbers of willow flats and backwaters here, as well as hard, deep banks to fish in this region."

If you head for the Claiborne tailrace, take stiff rods, strong lines and heavy weights to get your baits down because of the very strong current.

Catfishing wears three faces in this region around Coffeeville. You find quite a bit of trotlining, a good number of jug-fishermen, and many rod-and-reel drift-fishermen bumping the bottom for cats. Access below Coffeeville Lock and Dam for shore angling is difficult, but a few catfishermen do show up there.

"The area below the U.S. Highway 84 bridge west of Coffeeville has good current, good banks and good dropoffs to fish," Armstrong says.

Catfish here prefer live shad, cut shad, catalpa worms and night crawlers. If you have a boat, you may want to head to the town of Coffeeville and fish this section of the Tombigbee River.