During most of the year, catfish are pretty easy to catch if you’re savvy to their ways. This is not so during their summer spawning time, however.
As spring begins, catfish respond quickly to anglers’ offerings. Warm spring rains plus longer days raise the water temperature and stimulate feeding activity. Catfish are active, hungry and concentrated in dense schools this season.
As spring ends and summer begins, however, catch rates drop because mature catfish become occupied with spawning activities and eat far less. With flathead catfish, this occurs when the water temperature is 66 to 75 degrees. Channel cats and blues spawn at 70 to 74 degrees, with some spawning activities happening in the 80- to 81-degree range in shallower, warm-water lakes.
All catfish nest in cavities. Flatheads use hollow logs, holes in clay banks, root masses in downed trees or manmade structures such as old tires and metal
