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Night Monster Catfish fishing - Read Tips below
Some
of the most enjoyable fishing I’ve done in the Inland Northwest has
been the times spent night fishing for catfish on Sprague Lake.
One
of the reasons that I wanted to do an article on catfish fishing on
Sprague Lake is that I recently learned of proposed plans by the WDFW,
(Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife), to rehabilitate the lake this
fall. It seems that the fishing angler density has fallen off the past
few years to one of the lowest in the state. WDFW surveys say that the
lake attracts fewer than five anglers per acre a year.
While Catfish can be caught during the day at Sprague Lake, I’ve always had the best results and experience at night.
I,
for one, would miss the magic of Catfish fishing at night on Sprague.
My son and I usually head out with plans to be on the water prior to
sundown. The best times for us are the hot nights of summer when the air
temperature stays in the high 60’s and above after dark. Far enough
from the city lights, the stars overhead shine brilliantly and the band
of our Milky Way Galaxy can be clearly seen. The stars seem close enough
to reach out and touch them.
Another
part of the magic are the multitudes of bats, feeding on flying
insects, swooping so close that they often tick your line as it leaves
your rod tip to the water. Besides being harmless to humans, bats eat
their weight in mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects nightly,
which might otherwise be feeding off of you. Despite this benefit, I
still recommend the use of a good spray or lotion repellant containing
"deet". The best I’ve found is the Avon product called, "Skin-so-Soft".
It is far and away the best smelling repellent I’ve used that was still
highly effective.
Harper
Island on the southwest end of the lake is an extremely active bird
nesting site and even at night the sounds of gulls and other waterfowl
fill the air. I have often wondered if the birds on the island ever
sleep. If they do, you wouldn’t know it from the noises coming from
there, even well after dark.
Since
it is the nature of Catfish fishing to be a waiting game… a lot of that
time is spent talking, telling stories of past fishing trips and
anything else that comes to mind. We usually bring along a small propane
barbecue and cook burgers and hotdogs. Good flashlights are essential,
and one of the foam mounted headlights that can be hooked up to your 12
volt battery can be pretty handy for navigating to and from the boat
launch, along the shoreline, and around Harper Island (see map above) on
the southwest end of the lake. Usually one angler holds the light for
the person fighting the fish or head-mounted lights can be great also.
The east side of Harper Island has been our preferred spot for night
cats, but I have heard from other people that the creek mouth, (Cow
Creek), at the far southwest end of the lake is quite good also. Either
spot is just a short distance from the public launch at that end of the
lake.
Now let’s get down to the equipment you will need for these monsters.
Rods:
First you will need a good stout rod. Any heavy to medium heavy rod in 6
to 7 foot length will probably suffice. Ugly sticks will do the job
well enough.
Line:
Line requirements too, are fairly simple, 15 to 25 pound monofilament
or braid or heavy test fluorocarbon. If you’re fishing for trophy’s that
get much bigger than 20 to 25 pounds you might want to up your line to
30 or even 35 pound test.
The Right Hook:
The right hooks just may be the most important factor to consider.
Since practically every bite you get your bait is swallowed, you want to
make sure that when you set the hook that you don’t gut or throat hook
your fish. A circle hook will slide back up the throat and then usually
hook in the jaw.
In
addition to setting without rod action, circle hooks are favored in
commercial fisheries because they hook and retain fish, even on slack
lines. They also tend to hook fish in the jaw, causing less mortality
than standard J-hooks. Make sure to use a heavy-gauge hook. Cats have
been known to straighten thin-wire hooks.
The Hook-set:
Using circle hooks requires some attention to your hook-set. With reels
with a clicker you would set your drag light and turn on your reel
clicker. When the clicker starts to click, (indicating that the bait has
been taken), tighten up your drag and slowly bring back your rod tip
with a gentle sweep. Too early or too aggressive a hook-set can pop the
bait out of the catfish’s mouth.
What Bait to Use?
I have the best luck with a golf ball size chunk of fish on a 3/0, 4/0
or even a 5/0 size circle hook. Trout chunks work great, (but you didn’t
hear it from me), and some people persist in using earthworm, chicken
livers, stink baits and even cornflakes, oatmeal and flour concoctions.
The truth is, just about anything edible with a strong scent is likely
to attract and entice a catfish to bite.
Reels:
Hands down, large bait-casting style reels have the cranking power to
move these big fish. Spinning reels can and do work and many catfish
fishermen swear by them. Just for fun, my 31 year old son hooked and
played one large catfish with a child’s Scooby-Doo pole and even its
inferior reel might have brought it boat side had the line not been
broken off on the outboard motor.
Other tackle:
Some people use weights to keep their baits on the bottom. With a large
chunk of fish on your hook I haven’t found it necessary. Besides, the
rocky bottom of Sprague can cause your weight to hang-up in the rocks.
Some cats do like to roll when hooked, so a good ball-bearing swivel can
be an advantage. Bobbers can be a good idea both from the standpoint of
being a bite indicator, and, (if it is being slowly blown across
the surface), it can drag your bait along with it presenting it to a
larger area. I prefer to watch my line and rod tip. There isn’t usually
much doubt when you have a catfish on. Last, but oh so important, a good
large net is an essential item to boat these behemoths.
The Fight:
I have heard some people say that catching a large catfish is like
pulling in a large log, or some other such nonsense. These comments are
usually made by someone who has never caught a large catfish. I can bear
testimony that a Sprague Lake catfish of good size usually puts up one
heck of a fight.
Getting there:
The
town of Sprague is just 37 miles from Spokane, WA. After leaving I-90
go through the town to the South shore road following it to the public
access road near the southwest end of the lake.
By David Wright
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