Top 5 Catfishing Spots In Tennessee
We know which waterways have the most catfish and the largest ones too, so if you want to go catfishing in Tennessee, here are 5 of the best places to visit.
1. Reelfoot Lake
One of the most popular catfishing spots in Tennessee is Reelfoot Lake. This lake has tons of open areas, as well as an abundance of smaller channels too. Here you can catch a lot of big flathead catfish, but there are also lots of big bream too. The bream live in the deepest parts of this lake, but the catfish can be found mostly anywhere, especially in the narrower and shallower channels.
If you go fishing here, especially for the flathead catfish, it is recommended that you use night crawlers and other forms of live bait, as these catfish seem to like worms and other such live baits the most. Using a floater is recommended too, as catfish do not require super quick movement to attract their attention. Also, in the areas where there are the most catfish, you will notice that it is quite shallow as well, plus there are lots of weeds, rocks, and stumps.
This means that there is no need for gear intended for deep water fishing. Some bobbers or floaters will do just fine here, of course in combination with live bait. Also, due to the fact that there are so many obstacles in the water, many choose to rent special boats on the lake instead of bringing their own, with many choosing to fish from the shore.
However, there are tons of accommodations and beautiful inns around Reelfoot lake, so this makes it a great weekend or week long fishing destination for many. Here you will find catfish between 1 and 5 pounds, with 10 pounds being the maximum size for catfish in Reelfoot Lake.
2. The Mississippi River
This is Tennessee, so of course we have to talk about the Mississippi River. This massive river borders Tennessee for a whopping 167 miles, and most of it is great for catfishing. It is usually regarded as the very best catfishing destination in all of Tennessee. If you want to go for the biggest catfish around, this river is a good place to start. Here you can find absolutely massive blue catfish, with the record being a whopping 116 pounds, which was actually caught right across from Memphis Tennessee.
There is more to it than that, because the Mississippi River is also home to a lot of smaller channel catfish that like to swim in the smaller channels. Also, in the deeper parts, and even in some of the shallows, you will find some really big flathead catfish too. During the summer, all 3 of these catfish species are present in abundance, but fishing for each of them does require a different approach.
If you are going for the blue catfish, drifting slowly with cut skipjack is the way to go. For the channel catfish, bottom fishing with cut shad is best. For the flatheads, which like to be near cover, like live gizzard shard, which seems to attract them the most. One thing that many people note about the Mississippi river is that catfishing here is very predictable.
There are very well-defined areas known for having lots of catfish and they never really change. As long as you know the seasons to fish in, and which spots to fish in which seasons, plus which kind of catfish to go for, you should have no problem hooking a whole lot of fish on a daily basis. As long as you are not a commercial fisherman, you can take catfish of any size out of this river without any legal issues.
3. Cumberland River
If you are looking to catch a lot of big jumbo catfish, the Cumberland river might just be the best destination for you. Not only does this river has big fish, but lots of them too, serious amounts. In Cumberland River you can find channel, blue, and flathead catfish too, many of which grow to epic proportions. There are two lakes attached to this river, Barkley and Cheatham. Lake Barkley actually produced the state record blue catfish catch at over 112 pounds.
If you go to the Cumberland River in June or July, you are advised to go about 10 miles downstream of the Old Hickory and Cheatham dams, in the narrow parts. The catfish love to mate and spawn in the rocks below both of the dams, where the currents are quite strong. In other words, if you go fishing here, prepare yourself for some fairly strong currents. They love to gather in the tail water, so this is a great place to go.
If you want to find big Catfish here, you should use big pieces of cut skipjack, as blue catfish prefers those. If you are going for flathead catfish, using live bream or shad is best. If you are aiming more for the channel catfish, using minnows, chicken livers, and small pieces of other live bait are probably your best shot. If channel catfish is your thing, setting up near the flats that separate the main channels is a good starting point.
4. Kentucky Lake
Kentucky Lake, opposed to what the name might say, is actually the biggest lake in all of Tennessee. It starts near the Alabama border and runs all the way down to the Tennessee line. This place is like a factory for catfish and here you can find all kinds including channel catfish, blue, and flathead catfish too. At Kentucky Lake, you can start right at the dam, which is great for anglers in boats. Using three way rigs with cut bait works awesome here for catching big blue catfish. The tail water behind the dams is also known to house some big flathead catfish too.
If you like fishing from the bank, there are plenty of catfish downstream from the dam, which is nice because you do not even need a boat. Doing this, it is recommended that you use surf-casting gear to skip cut bait, such as shad, along the bottom. Yes, it’s a good way to lose tackle, but it is an even better way to catch lots of big catfish. There are lots of channel catfish and small blue catfish here, but you never know when you might find a large one.
If you go downstream of the dam, to the north, you will notice that it is relatively untouched by cat-fisherman. It’s a remote area, but there are lots of holes in the bends where large catfish tend to gather. These holes in the bends of the northern stretch of the river are home to some really big blue catfish. Here you can fish from a boat or the shore, using suspended rigs or even bouncing the bait along the bottom. For summertime lake catfish, many people here like to use simple minnows as bait too.
5. Woods Reservoir
If we are talking about tributary reservoirs, the Woods Reservoir is the one which attracts a lot of attention. Now, the catfish here are usually not that big, topping out at about 6 pounds, but larger ones have been known to frequent this area. While the fish here may not be huge, there certainly is an abundance of them. If you do it right, when fishing in this reservoir, you should be able to catch a fish every few minutes without problem.
If you fish in the Woods Reservoir, the fish you are most likely to encounter is the channel catfish. What you do need to be aware of is that there is a warning in place which states that catfish from this area should not be eaten, but you can still fish for sport here. This might actually be a good thing, because for this reason, many people stay away from the Woods Reservoir, thus allowing catfish populations to flourish.
The best bait for the catfish here includes half threadfin shad or gizzard shad, as the channel catfish cannot get enough of those. The best way to fish here is along the banks, using various lines set at different depths, as there are catfish at all depths here. Using a stout rod with live bream is a good idea too, as although it is rare, coming across a huge jumbo flathead catfish is not unheard of here.
Need some Deep Sea fishing spot suggestions? here are the best in the US.
The post “5 Best Catfishing Spots In Tennessee” appeared first on Fishtackly.
Conclusion
Hope this post was helpful to you and that you have a very successful trip fishing with your friends and family! Check out the other sections of my blog for more tips on ThebookOnGoneFishing.
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