Where & How Right Now

Location—In ponds and small lakes that lack deep holes, channel cats begin to gather in the deepest portion of the basin once water temperatures fall below about 50˚F. Particularly in farm ponds where pond owners feed the fish during summer, cats often compete for food (and anglers’ baits) as the natural forage base dwindles beneath a sheet of ice. Waters that offer a combination of a large catfish population, small wintering area, and limited forage afford the best ice fishing opportunities.

Depending on the size of the pond and how it was constructed, deep water often is scarce. In ponds dug with earth-moving equipment, the deepest water usually is in the center of the pond. Ponds formed by a dam and filled with run-off are deepest near the dam. Inactive cats usually hold on the bottom in the deepest available water, but active cats may cruise shallow flats, especially during periods of mild weather.

Finding cats in larger lakes with large expanses of deep water can be more difficult, but the same location principles apply. In a lake fed by a creek, the lower end of the creek and the lake may hold cats during summer, but the deep lake basin provides better winter habitat for both populations. Stream fish may begin filtering into the lake in late fall and naturally funnel into the deepest water. Fish from the lake also move toward deep water when temperatures fall into the low 50˚F range.

Water levels in the river are low during winter, but a moderate current often extends into the head of the basin. Cats avoid direct current, but this minute current delivers a constant stream of nutrients that attracts and holds schools of baitfish. Bottom composition often changes from mostly silt at the mouth of the creek to sand and gravel near the first major drop-off. The transition zone between hard and soft bottom also tends to concentrate prey. Inactive fish may hold anywhere in the deep-water zone, but active cats often feed in the area where deep water, current, and substrate edges meet.

Presentation—If the stereotype most anglers have of channel catfish during winter were true, stationary presentations like tip-ups and floats would be most effective. But an active jigging presentation usually produces more fish. Catfish possess extraordinary taste and olfactory senses, but when algae dies in lakes and ponds and sediment settles in rivers, vision becomes an important feeding sense.

During winter as during most of the open-water season, fresh cutbait usually is most effective. Instead of using pieces of round-bodied baitfish like chubs and suckers, try small baitfish with a thin profile like shad and shiners. Remove the head and tail sections from a 3- or 4-inch shiner and you’re left with a chunk of meat the ideal size and shape to tip a #2 jig hook.

Standard roundhead jigs with long-shank hooks work well for cats, but choose jigs with heavy wire hooks when you’re into bigger fish. Make sure the hook gap is sufficient to accommodate the bait. Bend the hook point out about 10 degrees to further improve hooking ability. A selection of jigs weighing 1/16 to 3/8 ounce will cover depths from less than 10 feet to more than 40. Cats usually aren’t color selective, though fluorescent and glow colors are more visible in stained and deep water.

The same rod and reel combos used for walleyes will work for smaller cats—medium-power spinning rods and lightweight spinning reels spooled with 6- or 8-pound monofilament line. But longer heavy-power lake trout rods matched with larger-capacity reels and 10- to 15-pound line may be needed on waters where cats commonly exceed 10 pounds.

Aside from a rod and reel, a sonar unit is the most important piece of equipment for catching cats through the ice. Cats seem to spend most of their time resting on the bottom in deep water, but may suspend at any level when searching for food. A flasher helps locate dormant fish on the bottom that may be tempted into biting; place your jig at the level where active fish are holding, or find concentrations of baitfish that likely will attract foraging cats.