Strikes are identified by holding the rod tip several inches above the reel. He routes the line across his forefinger and then runs it between his hand and the rod, and feels 75 percent of the strikes on the braided line before he detects them on the rod. That scenario seldom occurred, he says, when he used less sensitive monofilament, especially when probing depths of 30 feet or more and battling a pesky wind.

With the long rod, Schmidtlein can slowly lift his bait several feet off the bottom, often a deadly way to generate a bite. He says that channel cats regularly bite as the bait rises. Despite the light rod, he has enough leverage for a solid hook-set. In addition to his slow-lift presentation, he says that deep-water channel cats often suspend, and a longer rod allows him to more easily cover a 10-foot depth zone off bottom. After a major feeding frenzy in summertime, schooling channel cats often suspend 4 to 10 feet off bottom and at times up to 25 feet above it.

Precise depth control and braided line are critical elements of his vertical presentation for suspended fish. He marks his line at 5-foot intervals with a black permanent-ink marker and at 10-foot intervals with a red marker. Yellow and chartreuse hold the marks well, allowing him to determine depth as the bait descends. When a catfish strikes, he knows the depth that fish inhabited and can quickly lower baits to catch more at that same depth.

To some anglers, bright line scares off fish, he says; but he believes that it attracts their attention to the bait. If an angler thinks the bright line is a detriment, the permanent marker can be used to camouflage the bottom portions of the line.

For terminal tackle, Schmidtlein prefers a number 6 heavy-duty treble hook, choosing a #4 if he’s catching some catfish that weigh more than 4 pounds. Immediately above the hook, he uses a slipsinker, ranging from 1/8 ounce in shallow water to 5/8 ounce in 50 feet of water. At times, however, he finds that the catfish strike better on a sliprig consisting of a slipsinker, a small barrel swivel, and 18 inches of leader, rather than with the sinker resting on the eye of the hook.

When the fish are tentative, he switches to light line without a sinker and a #10 hook. But if there’s wind and the fish are deeper than 20 feet, his weightless tactic becomes problematic. It also tends to hook catfish deep in their throats, severely injuring some fish and jeopardizing his devotion to catch-and-release.

Baits and Seasonal Location

Schmidtlein makes two baits to use at his chum sites. One is a punchbait made mostly from fermented cheese, a bait that’s soft and contains fibers, with a binding element that makes it adhere to a treble hook. The hook is baited by grasping its shank with a pair of needlenose pliers and sweeping it in a figure-8 motion through a container of bait. In the water, it has a smoky hue, creating a cloud around its periphery that he says is attractive to channel catfish. Moreover, some of the fiber suspends in the water, creating another chumming ingredient.