Think Northwoods fishing and walleye, muskie, and smallmouth bass come to mind -- unless you're John Dickelman. His first thought is about catfish, big channel catfish -- trophy catfish up to 20 pounds and larger!
The Red River flows through Dickelman's backyard in Moorhead, Minn. Captain Dickelman's fishing clients park in his driveway, walk down to the dock and motor off on his pontoon boat in search of some big whiskered brutes.
Dickelman was once like every other angler in the Fargo/Moorhead area. He would drive past the Red River on his way to a lake in search of walleyes. But that changed when he found himself boat-less for a bit. A shore angler, Dickelman started to give the Red a try.
"We'd drive 50 miles to a lake to catch four or five walleyes," said Dickelman, who is 37. "But five minutes from home, we can catch 25- to 30 catfish a day. A lot of locals think it's a dirty river and it is just not utilized. It's full of fish and people drive right over it."
In addition to accessibility, Dickelman likes catfish because they're aggressive.
"They're strong and their fight is awesome," he said.
Another plus: tackle is simple.
"A 2- to 6-ounce slip weight and a No. 5 circle hook are all you need. Anybody can do it. It's a matter of knowing where to find them," he said.
Red River: Prime For Channel Cats The Minnesota DNR says the Red River from Fargo/Moorhead north to Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba "is prime catfish territory." Channels there live up to 24 years and reach more than 30 pounds on a menu of bottom-dwelling insects, snails, crayfish, minnows, and young fish.
Dickelman admits some people may not like the Red because it is murky. But biologists from the Minnesota DNR say that the murky water assists in the survival of young of the year catfish because they are able to avoid sight-feeding predators. At the same time, according to the MDNR, water-quality of the Red is considered high. Evidence lies in the fact a huge mayfly hatch takes place every summer and that just would not happen if the water was of poor quality, the biologists say. Dickelman says the hatch brings on some of the best catfishing of the year.
The spawn happens in the river when the water is around 75- to 80 degrees. MDNR says to look for the spawners near hollow logs, log jams and undercut banks. Dickelman narrows his search even more no matter what time of the year it is. Catfish, like other river species, look for places to avoid the main current, but stay close so they don't have to work so hard to find food that floats within range. Yes, holes will produce fish, he said, but the fish tend to be on the smaller side and holes can be fickle. Fish can be there one day and gone the next. The log jams and brush piles are far more predictable locations to find big cats.
"They can lay behind the debris and the food comes to them," Dickelman said.
The primary question Dickelman faces each day is, which brush piles or log jams are likely to hold fish? The Red River is full of them. Though the Red is prone to flooding in spring, most of the woody cover is visible above the surface. That's especially true since the river has been down several feet recently. The piles that are submerged give themselves away by creating visible current changes above them. In higher water, he looks for woody cover on the inside of river bends where current slows. Fishing is harder in low water when catfish can move at their pleasure without burning too much energy.
"I'll flip flop, faster water, slower water, to find where they are that day," he said.
Another tactical change in low water -- he gives spots more time before moving because fish are lazier. The normal wait time is about 15 minutes, but if there's no fish, he moves. Low water may stretch the wait up to 30 minutes.
"They can eat when they want," he said.
Cold weather will send them deeper for a while. Night fishing doesn't seem worth the bother. Daytime fishing produces just as well, perhaps because the murky water keeps light penetration to a minimum anyway so the fish don't notice much difference whether the sun is up or not.
Dickelman anchors the 20-foot pontoon boat he uses above the wood and casts downstream to it so the scent from his bait drifts into the cover and attracts fish. When the cover stretches from deep water to shallow, Dickelman makes sure that lines are set at various depths, deep, mid-range and nearer shore.
Bait?: Frogs, Cut Bait The standard baits on the river are frogs and cut bait. Many anglers use gold eyes. Dickelman uses cut suckers on a No. 5 circle hook. He almost never has a fish swallow a bait. Stink baits work, but they attract smaller fish and the small treble hooks get taken too deep too often.
The rods range from 7- to 8 feet long. These longer rods allow him to cover more water from a stationary position. He uses good-quality baitcasting reels because lesser-quality equipment won't stand up to the challenge.
His main line consists of 30-pound monofilament with a 20-pound-test leader. His weights are slip sinkers that range from 2- to 6 ounces depending on the speed of the current.
Once in place with the right bait and gear, it's a matter of casting downstream toward the wood, putting the rods in the rod holders and waiting. A bite is signaled by a rod loading up. Once they do, a small sweep upward and the hook is in.
Most people fish the river from boats.
"Shore fishing is tough," Dickelman said. "The current will blow your line back."
But the Red River can be hard to navigate because of all the trees and submerged concrete. He advised to take your time.
"I see people going all out on plane. They're crazy," he said.
Bigger fish are released unharmed. But one reason Dickelman loves catfish is the smaller ones taste great when they're freshly cut. Keep recipes as simple as the tactics that brought them to the table in the first place. He soaks fillets in salt water for 24 hours before using a 50/50 mixture of Shore Lunch brand breading (regular and Cajun and adding lemon pepper and seasoning).
Try taking a break from walleye, muskies and smallies. Give catfish a try. They'll have you seeing red, the Red River, that is.
Contact Dickelman at Catfishing with John Dickelman http://jkcats.com or phone 701-261-9216.