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Tennessee anglers flip over big
catfish at legendary 'Quake Lake'
catfish at legendary 'Quake Lake'
TOP: Billy Blakley, a
guide for Blue Bank
Resort on Reelfoot
Lake, Tenn., flips a
shad to a cypress
tree to entice catfish.
BOTTOM: Billy
Blakley, a guide for
Blue Bank Resort on
Reelfoot Lake, Tenn.,
shows off some
catfish he caught
one morning by
flipping shad under
cypress trees
standing in about
three to five feet of
water.
guide for Blue Bank
Resort on Reelfoot
Lake, Tenn., flips a
shad to a cypress
tree to entice catfish.
BOTTOM: Billy
Blakley, a guide for
Blue Bank Resort on
Reelfoot Lake, Tenn.,
shows off some
catfish he caught
one morning by
flipping shad under
cypress trees
standing in about
three to five feet of
water.
Although catfish attract a small, but fervent following in many areas,
some anglers really flip over whiskerfish.
“I was bass fishing one day, flipping jigs against cypress trees, and
caught an occasional catfish,” said Billy Blakley, a guide for Blue Bank
Resort on Reelfoot Lake in Hornbeck, Tenn. “Later, I brought out some
shad and flipped them next to the trees and wore the catfish out.”
Created during the great earthquake of 1811, when the Mississippi
River flowed northward into the broken lowlands of northwestern
Tennessee, Reelfoot Lake still resembles a fractured swamp. Cypress
trees, stumps and thick vegetation separated by a few open water arms
dominate “Quake Lake.” Spread over 18,000 acres, Reelfoot averages
about 4.5 feet deep, but some holes drop to more than 18 feet deep.
Cypress trees provide excellent roosts for birds including double-crested
cormorants. Feeding mainly upon shad, the birds deposit fish-rich waste
products around the trees. The droppings stain the leaves white. That
fishy waste material hitting the water attracts catfish.
What works at Reelfoot Lake would work in any lake with an
abundance of trees and fish-eating birds. Almost like bass fishing, Blakley
simply slips a fresh threadfin shad to a 4/0 hook and flips it as close to tree
trunks as possible, preferably on a tree stained white by birds sitting in
three to five feet of water.
Often, the bait never hits bottom before a catfish slurps it. If it does hit
bottom, let it rest a few seconds and them pop it up a bit, letting it flutter
back to the bottom. Fish completely around a tree truck because catfish
might hold on one side or another, but don’t waste time around a tree that
doesn’t produce any bites. After a few minutes of no activity, move to
another nearby tree. However, some trees might produce several catfish in
a couple minutes, so keep fishing as long as something bites.
“When it’s a calm day, I don’t use any weight at all,” Blakley said. “I just
flip the shad against the tree trunks. The shad drifts to the bottom
naturally. When it’s windy, I need a little weight to get the bait to the
bottom. On windy days, I use a leadhead jig or a slip sinker, just like a
Texas-rig for bass. It’s almost like combining the fun of bass fishing with the
size and abundance of catfish with little pressure.”
For the best results, look for trees with birds sitting in them, especially
if they’ve been in the tree for a while. If people can’t find birds roosting in
trees, they should look for white splotches on the leaves. They might also
look for fish activity around the trunks of trees.
“I like to fish under a ‘fresh’ tree,” Blakley said. “I like to find a tree with
birds sitting in it and run them off. If they’ve been sitting in the tree for a
while, I know I’ll catch fish. When I see the trees with white on the leaves
and branches, I know I’ve found fish. People don’t have to get up early. It’s
a really good technique to use in the middle of the day. The brighter the
sunlight on the water, the tighter the catfish hung the trees.”
Since birds “chum” the water with fish pieces, shad probably makes the
best bait. Many people catch their own shad with dip nets or cast nets.
Anglers could also use live shad, shiners, minnows or other fish. With live
bait, they might also catch more flatheads and blue cats or even bass and
crappies. People could also use any of the common catfish baits including
nightcrawlers, dough balls, commercial stinkbaits, fish chunks, livers,
shrimp, crawfish or other morsels. Just about anything works when
cormorants put “fresh chum” in the water.
“It’s a very simple technique,” Blakley said. “It’s a great technique to
teach children how to fish. It’s also good practice for someone who wants
to learn how to flip for bass. I use medium-heavy bass rods, but people
could use just about any rod or even a canepole. I suggest braided line or
something strong to pull big catfish out from under the cover. The biggest
I’ve ever caught by flipping shad against cypress trees is about 12 pounds,
but one day, we filled up a 48-quart ice chest with 240 pounds of catfish in
about 90 minutes.”
For booking trips, call Blue Bank Resort at (877) 258-3226 or (713)
253-8976. On line, see www.bluebankresort.com.
some anglers really flip over whiskerfish.
“I was bass fishing one day, flipping jigs against cypress trees, and
caught an occasional catfish,” said Billy Blakley, a guide for Blue Bank
Resort on Reelfoot Lake in Hornbeck, Tenn. “Later, I brought out some
shad and flipped them next to the trees and wore the catfish out.”
Created during the great earthquake of 1811, when the Mississippi
River flowed northward into the broken lowlands of northwestern
Tennessee, Reelfoot Lake still resembles a fractured swamp. Cypress
trees, stumps and thick vegetation separated by a few open water arms
dominate “Quake Lake.” Spread over 18,000 acres, Reelfoot averages
about 4.5 feet deep, but some holes drop to more than 18 feet deep.
Cypress trees provide excellent roosts for birds including double-crested
cormorants. Feeding mainly upon shad, the birds deposit fish-rich waste
products around the trees. The droppings stain the leaves white. That
fishy waste material hitting the water attracts catfish.
What works at Reelfoot Lake would work in any lake with an
abundance of trees and fish-eating birds. Almost like bass fishing, Blakley
simply slips a fresh threadfin shad to a 4/0 hook and flips it as close to tree
trunks as possible, preferably on a tree stained white by birds sitting in
three to five feet of water.
Often, the bait never hits bottom before a catfish slurps it. If it does hit
bottom, let it rest a few seconds and them pop it up a bit, letting it flutter
back to the bottom. Fish completely around a tree truck because catfish
might hold on one side or another, but don’t waste time around a tree that
doesn’t produce any bites. After a few minutes of no activity, move to
another nearby tree. However, some trees might produce several catfish in
a couple minutes, so keep fishing as long as something bites.
“When it’s a calm day, I don’t use any weight at all,” Blakley said. “I just
flip the shad against the tree trunks. The shad drifts to the bottom
naturally. When it’s windy, I need a little weight to get the bait to the
bottom. On windy days, I use a leadhead jig or a slip sinker, just like a
Texas-rig for bass. It’s almost like combining the fun of bass fishing with the
size and abundance of catfish with little pressure.”
For the best results, look for trees with birds sitting in them, especially
if they’ve been in the tree for a while. If people can’t find birds roosting in
trees, they should look for white splotches on the leaves. They might also
look for fish activity around the trunks of trees.
“I like to fish under a ‘fresh’ tree,” Blakley said. “I like to find a tree with
birds sitting in it and run them off. If they’ve been sitting in the tree for a
while, I know I’ll catch fish. When I see the trees with white on the leaves
and branches, I know I’ve found fish. People don’t have to get up early. It’s
a really good technique to use in the middle of the day. The brighter the
sunlight on the water, the tighter the catfish hung the trees.”
Since birds “chum” the water with fish pieces, shad probably makes the
best bait. Many people catch their own shad with dip nets or cast nets.
Anglers could also use live shad, shiners, minnows or other fish. With live
bait, they might also catch more flatheads and blue cats or even bass and
crappies. People could also use any of the common catfish baits including
nightcrawlers, dough balls, commercial stinkbaits, fish chunks, livers,
shrimp, crawfish or other morsels. Just about anything works when
cormorants put “fresh chum” in the water.
“It’s a very simple technique,” Blakley said. “It’s a great technique to
teach children how to fish. It’s also good practice for someone who wants
to learn how to flip for bass. I use medium-heavy bass rods, but people
could use just about any rod or even a canepole. I suggest braided line or
something strong to pull big catfish out from under the cover. The biggest
I’ve ever caught by flipping shad against cypress trees is about 12 pounds,
but one day, we filled up a 48-quart ice chest with 240 pounds of catfish in
about 90 minutes.”
For booking trips, call Blue Bank Resort at (877) 258-3226 or (713)
253-8976. On line, see www.bluebankresort.com.
