i'm getting interested in trophy catfish fishing and noticed most you catch big one drifting. I was wondering what rigs you use for that and where you drift for the(stumps, rocks,ect...). Any help appreciated. Thanks!

santee cooper rigs, fishing humps, creeks, points

I don't know that "drifting" and "Trophy" catfish really should go together. Most of the time you are going to find your "trophy" catfish holding in a spot that they like very much (for one reason or another). "Drifting" does not leave the bait in the same spot for long.

I usually catch many more fish drifting, but they are the best eating size in my opinion, not what I would think of as "trophy" or very large. I am sure you could drift upon a "trophy", but I have heard of the larger catfish being caught in a specific area with sumthing (maybe structure) holding them there for a reason.

Luc

Drifting is good thing this time of year:






Had two in the boat, before we could release the first one





This time of year (it's good to just be a drift - in the right spots).

Do not give up, they are there, (just find them)

i definitely agree that there are trophy fish to be caught drifting. i have caught counless 20#, bunches of 30#, 40 and 50# fish while drifting. drifting is a great way to cover lots of ground and catch fish. i think a fish over 5# is a trophy for some while others it is 20-30# to start trophy size. i target structure of some sort while drifting and drift that structure (contours, creek channels, road beds, levees, etc).

you will want something to slow your drift (socks, chute, something) and also run a carolina rig, santee cooper rig or a 3 way rig. use the minimum amount of weight you can get by with in order to get the bait to hold on the bottom.

experiment each day with different bait cuts (fillet, head, chunk, etc etc) to see what they want that day.

i have been using the 8/0 double action team catfish hooks and LOVE THEM.

make sure you have a good large net to land the fish also. some people tend to forget this but it is a worthwhile investment to get a good net. i think my net was in the $60 pr $70 range and has come in handy many times. it has an extendable handle and will easily land a 60+ pound fish. i think it is 48" across and about 6' deep.

fresh bait is key also, fresh shad, buffalo, carp, anything like that.

good luck to you.

i agree with shad. but u have to locate the fish and markem then drift very slow through them. its nice when u find them on a long flat.also lucky has a very good point a lot of big cats come from holes like that.just my 2 cents.

Im not an expert by no means but a well known guide told me to drift in the months from sept-oct. After that the "trophy" cats have began a grouping pattern thru march and you need to anchor out on river chanels and humps.

oh BTW the way when you anchor out, do not fish straight down beside the boat, you need to throw you line/bait out.

In my opinion(and we all know about opinions)we like to drift when the water first starts to cool down,Like nefishwilldo said september or so.Because the fish are just starting to come off there dormant summer patterns. Whith that being said the drift fishing just isnt as productive for me as some other options. Many fishermen do verry well drifting all winter long, and it works! Teamcatfish has some of the best products for drifting that you will find. Like the Smooth operateor snagless sinkers,Double action hooks,Sneek attack sinker slides,and the secret 7 bait is a must if your gonna drift the warm water! The most importaint thing to remember is to find the fish first,if your not in the right spot you cant catch the fish.

i like to drift to find the feeding fish. once found, i can troll against the wind and take the bait really slow across the fish when they are deeper than 25'
I drift thru the hardest structure i can find at the depth the fish are. Most of the time that is channels, deep humps, and ledges this time of yr. In the fall and prespawn the will be a little shallower and i can drift the timber and brush that i like to fish the most

If you have a GPS then drifting contours is a great way to locate fish, just mark weigh points when you catch big fish & maybe go back to those areas & anchor up & you may find some more big fish. Drifting will certainly help you find fish if you are unfamiliar with a lake or area.

To each his own , but I have caught my biggest fish drift fishing and many other people I know have as well.. You can catch trophy fish either way , I enjoy both anchoring and drifting.. IMHO what ever you are most confident in is the one you will have the best success at..

I sure didn't mean to imply that you could not catch large or trophy fish by drifting. I also agree, you have to find them to catch them.

I only meant, I catch alot of catfish while drifting (and drift most of the time), but you still have to find where the big ones are holding, and the biggest I have heard of caught is while they were anchored (or tied up).

I have found it difficult to keep from hanging up while drifting through the timber areas.

My 80 year old parents and my wife love to fish, but not in the cold *LOL* I manage to take them enough times during the warmer months that we keep both my parents and my freezers full of catfish though.

Luc

I drift for cats and have good results. My best time to drift is in the summer. I can catch big blues more often in the summer than winter. But most people catch big cats in the winter.

Alright.......Here is Spud's 2 cents worth. If you were at the tournament in Belton, u know drifting produced about 90% of the fish. Brother Terry gave a great point @ friday's meeting, don't find the fish first.....FIND THE BAIT FISH !!!! Look for bait fish in schools in deeper water near wind swepted points, countors, creeks etc... but if there is no bait fish around, the fish there are not feeding! Find the active fish, not the dormant ones. All actively feeding fish, no matter what kind will be where dinner is! Think about it, if you were hunger and wanting to eat, do you stay in bed or go to the kitchen? TEAM CATFISH has a great video showing what to look for on your graph when the fish are feeding. If i was more computer savvy I would post some pics I have of my graph marking feeding fish. During winter months, schools of bait fish, especially shad congragate in large numbers. If you find a spot with a very large school of bait fish, look for the edges of that school. You will more than not find fish on the edges and the school will be "broken" on your graph. That is showing the larger fish feeding and bait fish school moving around avoiding the feeding fish. Fish there!