For those of you who think it’s too early to be fishing the river, or who think it’s too cold and muddy, you’d better think again. The other guys are catching your fish. According to press reports released by KingKat, Rob Benningfield (Bowling Green) and Ed Moore (Louisville) landed a 73.65 pound blue catfish while fishing in 25-30 feet of water just west of Louisville. They reported using skipjack for bait.

As big as that fish was, however, it isn’t all that unusual. The Ohio River is considered one of the better catfish fisheries in the country. Blues and flatheads over 40 pounds are common, with channels up to 10 pounds routine.

For the most part all three species can be found in the Meldahl and Markland Pools. Typically they’re found near baitfish, along drops and channel swings as well as in or near current. The biggest ones are almost always caught with cut or live bait, although eating size channels are famous for slashing into crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

KingKat is a serious catfish tournament trail sponsored by Cabela’s and other top-shelf industry companies. They have several Ohio River tournaments scheduled this year. To fish one of them, or learn more about their organization check them out at www.kingkatusa.com.