I have fished Joe Pool for years for LMB and sandies, but never Cats other than an occasional one by the marina. Where should I start looking other than the marinas?

Bill

You can find catfish pretty much anywhere on Joe Pool near a few brush piles...also, the old roadbed is a good spot...if you like, chumming with some sour maize a few days in the same spot will draw the channels in like nothin' else...just find a good spot and start chummin'

DJdiggy,

I wish it were that easy. I have had my ups and downs with JP Catfish. Generally I will work like crazy for a week to find where they are at, do real good for a week or two max then they vanish and the search begins again.

Last year I really gave it hell, this year the heat and a new job has me spending a lot less time on any lake, even JP which is only 10 minutes from the house.

Here are some of the ways I have found them (of decent size you can get dinks anywere) and the time line of change involved.

Last year I got heavy on Sandbass, met Howell Dodd who became a great friend and helped with that a lot but the wisker fish kept calling me. I tried all types of areas including the bridge (where I had been advised to) and not much.

Then in early/mid summer I heard they were on the dam breast in the rip rap. I tried and nothing not a nibble! A week later a contact here gave me some GPS cords on the dam (which I promised not to share) and I tried them at late afternoon/dusk. Bamn! Nice ones and lots of em and it stayed that way for a week, then my buddy shows up to go with me and gone all we catch is a softshell turtle and two dinks.

A week later I go back to the bridge and do a bit of chumming in 22 feet of water and troll hell pet for sandies. Move to the chum area about an hour later and best I have ever seen! I was nailing 17-22 inchers left and right taking about 10-12 a day (many as I wanted to clean at once) for about two weeks.

Then you guessed it the thermocline forms and gone again. Where I just don't know, found a few in the Lloyd Park area off the pole line and back by one of the big brush piles but not many.

I even tried jugs and picked up mostly dinks. I don't know I think anyone can catch them on Pool it is catching them consistantly though out the spring-summer-fall that is the real key.

Wish I could be more encouraging but know this they are out there,

Thanks Jack. You have given me a few ideas to try out. Particularly the chumming thing.

I would rather be fishing for sandies on JP but here lately they are hard to find even with the Hell/pet. Maybe when we get out of this 100+ weather the sandies might get more productive.

Bill