First, determine at what depth the catfish are likely to feed. In rivers with faster currents, often you can't locate catfish schooled up like you find them in lakes. But you can learn how deep they're feeding in a river by using your depthfinder. Locate three or four spots that are different depths. Bait trotlines in each of these in the same way, and put hooks at several depths to see which lines produce best. Then concentrate your fishing efforts on all the lines at that depth to catch more catfish.

You really don't have to have a boat to run a trotline for cats. You also can use a throw-line method. Tie a 3- or a 4-pound rock or other weight on the end of a main line. Attach five to 10 drop lines with hooks coming off that main line. After baiting the hooks, tie the other end of your line to a bush, tree or stump on the bank and throw the rock out into the creek or river. When you're ready to check your line for catfish, pull it in, take the fish off, re-bait, and throw the line back out into the water.

With these tactics in mind, let's take a closer look at some places to put them to use on the Chattahoochee and Tombigbee rivers as we bracket the state for catfish action.

LAKE EUFAULA
Anglers have known Lake Eufaula on the Chattahoochee River as the Bass Fishing Capital of the World. But anglers also catch numbers of blue and channel catfish from the impoundment. Lake Eufaula homes blue, white and channel cats, as well as yellow and brown bullheads. But area fishermen primarily catch channel, blue and white catfish.

In the last few years, Lake Eufaula has become one of Alabama's most productive spots for catching big cats.

Ken Weathers is the District VI Fisheries Supervisor for Alabama's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.

"Lake Eufaula has changed dramatically over the last few years," he explained. "For the last four years, catfishing has been really good. There's been a tremendous amount of cats caught on Lake Eufaula."

The blue catfish have made the most dramatic effect on Eufaula during that time, with good numbers of catfish of up to 18 pounds being caught while jug-fishing around the railroad trestle at Eufaula and farther down near the Walter F. George Lock and Dam.

"The growth of new underwater vegetation in Lake Eufaula has provided an excellent food source for sunfish," Weathers said. "Although the shad population of Lake Eufaula has declined, the sunfish population has increased. I'm not certain this is the primary reason for the increase in the catfish population, but after the growth of the vegetation, the catfish population has grown.

"Currently, the most popular method of catfishing at Eufaula is jug-fishing, and the biggest problem is keeping up with the jugs," the fisheries manager continued. "Most fishermen recommend putting out no more than 25 jugs at a time. The most productive places to jug-fish are in the backs of sloughs. I suggest you place some reflective tape on the jugs so you can keep up with them overnight. The best time to fish seems to be right at twilight.