Our forecast for catfishing across the state is for another great year of full stringers and big fish. No matter where you live in Alabama, quality fishing is within a reasonable distance from home.

Mike Hall hooked this 87-pound blue catfish on a trip below Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River. Photo by Mike Mitchell.

Catfish populations are self-sustaining, stable and productive. These factors result in a fishery offering some of the best catfish action available anywhere in the nation.

For some anglers, catfishing is a numbers game, and their stringers are table fare. For others, it's strictly about size. Trophy anglers mostly practice catch-and-release. For those who do not, a new fishing regulation in Alabama limits anglers to the harvest of one catfish longer than 34 inches per day. It's our first catch limit on catfish and is aimed at protecting big fish stocks.

Let's take a closer look at a few selected fisheries for the coming year and see how you should approach them. We'll focus on places around the state with good fishing and the different techniques successful anglers use to catch Ol' Whiskers with rod and reel.

If you enjoy catfishing, now is the time to get serious about wetting a line.

WILSON DAM CHANNEL CATFISH
Last year, the team of Mike Mitchell of Albertville and Sammy Mitchell of Russellville won the Cabela's King Kat Tournament for Pickwick and Wilson lakes with five fish weighing 163.95 pounds. Mike Mitchell, who also guides for trophy blue catfish on the Tennessee River, reported poor fishing for the big bruisers during June, but he pointed out this month is a great time for catching channel catfish for the table.

"Since blues spawn on the Tennessee River in June," Mitchell explained, "it is my least favorite month for catching big fish. Feeding is not a priority for spawning fish. Furthermore, it's difficult to get bait to blues spawning under heavy cover.

"Instead of fishing for big blues in June, you can catch 100 channel catfish weighing 2 to 10 pounds, with an occasional 20-pounder. It's tremendous fun catching these fish on light tackle."

Even though Mitchell's drive takes two hours, his favorite place to fish during June is the Wilson Dam tailrace. It's not surprising, since he landed an 87-pounder there last year on the same light tackle he uses for channel catfish.

Mitchell's tackle consist of a light spinning rod spooled with 14-pound-test monofilament, a swivel, and a 3-foot leader of 30-pound fluorocarbon tied to a Team Catfish 6/0 circle hook. When he uses sinkers, they weigh up to 3 ounces.

For bait, the guide cuts fillets of skipjack herring into 3-inch pieces.

"Most of the time," he explained, "I don't fish in the current below the dam, so it's just the hook and bait. The skipjack sinks quickly in calm water. When fishing in the current, use enough weight to get the bait to the bottom."

Mitchell targets fish in depths between 2 and 20 feet, between the turbines and the lock.