SCF Catfish Statistics

[rsimms]

I have slowed down on my TNDeer usage this year. For those looking for me, my apologies. For those not interested, you're welcome.

I thought I would share my catfishing results to-date. At Scenic City Fishing Charters (with six bass, catfish and crappie guides) we don't keep secrets. We tell folks like it is. We don't want to take anyone's money under false pretenses. The money isn't the only reason we do what we do.

The catfish bite has been off about 30 percent this year compared to 2018, with detailed statistics to prove it. I keep count and daily records of every catfish that comes over the side of my boat. To-date this year my clients have caught 891 catfish. In 2018, after an equivalent number of guide trips, clients had boated 1,269 catfish. That's a 30 percent decline.

The catch rate in 2019 has been 3.15 catfish per hour. In 2018 the catch rate was 4.15 per hour. The "trophy fish" bite has been down as well. In 2018 my clients boated eight cats 50-pounds or above. This year, only one. My clients have caught 25 TARP fish (20-40 pound class) which has been nice.

Not many folks I know keep detailed records but from the anecdotal evidence I hear throughout the Tennessee River region, it has been the same for most.

Why?

I wish I knew. Last winter was exceedingly wet with Chickamauga flood gates open non-stop from November until February. One would think that had some affect but in reality, who knows.

I'd love to hear some feedback from some of the other serious catfish folks?

But, all that said, even if it has been a little harder work for me and the other SCF catfish guides, we continue to keep folks happy and that's really what it's all about. Here's a few of my favorite photos from this year.

 

[poorhunter]

Thanks for posting!

 

[Crosshairy]

Very interesting statistics. I appreciate your transparency!

Have you seen any change in the number of anglers on the water (i.e. fishing pressure), and do you think that has much bearing on catch rates for catfish?

Also, have you kept records of the TVA-reported flow rates relative to your catch rates? Since you guys do a lot of tailwater fishing, it would be interesting to draw that correlation relative to last year (if there was one).

 

[WTM]

adding to Cosshairy's question on flow rate, how much rainfall have you guys had on that end of the state? on this side almost zero in the last few months, which has played heck with current, PH and DO levels.

i would go back and look at your records from last year and rainfall amounts and compare them with your catch rates from this year.

 

[Crow Terminator]

I think overall fishing has been slow for the year. My dad's theory is the chemicals being sprayed in the water to kill the weeds has also killed off a lot of the fry and therefore we are seeing results of that. I'm not sure myself. I've not been fishing down in your part of the world but in the upper part of Watts Bar/Ft Loudon dam area, there is a ton of baitfish right now. They are small shad but there are massive schools of them everywhere. They will blank out sonar screens they are so thick. My theory in that part of the lake is that there's food for the predator fish everywhere they turn, so they just aren't as interested in lures. The fish I have caught have been healthy and big guts on them...kinda like how they do during the shad kill winter months but they have been few and far between. I am however restricted to being land locked and bank fishing so that limits me quite a bit.

This is just hearsay and probably inaccurate but this topic came up at work last week. One of the guys said his son fishes high school bass tournaments and their past tournament had 150 something teams fishing in it, and only 12 lbs was weighed in. I thought he meant that 12 lbs won it...but he said no, 12 lbs total for all boats combined and the winner just had 3 lbs. I can't find an online source for that info so it's just hearsay.

 

[rsimms]

Very interesting statistics. I appreciate your transparency!

Have you seen any change in the number of anglers on the water (i.e. fishing pressure), and do you think that has much bearing on catch rates for catfish?

Also, have you kept records of the TVA-reported flow rates relative to your catch rates? Since you guys do a lot of tailwater fishing, it would be interesting to draw that correlation relative to last year (if there was one).

Since catfishermen are sort of a rare breed anyway (compared to bass guys), I have not noticed a difference in pressure. The one exception might be at the Sequoyah Nuclear Outflow, a very popular catfishing area. If anything I have seen far less pressure there than in years past.

But, I don't think pressure affect catch rates. The Tennessee River is a catfish factory. Commercial fishermen have been taking cats from the river for decades by the thousands (or millions) of pounds a year and I KNOW there are far fewer commercial fishermen now than there was 20 or 30 years ago. That is definitely not a negative factor.

I have not done the detailed correlation between rainfall vs. catch other than the mention of the exceedingly wet winter. Otherwise, that's getting way too detailed for me.

I have wondered if months and months of high water and flood conditions MIGHT have scoured some of the mussel beds clean. I do know catfish love mussel beds and those create some of their most active feeding areas. If they're reduced the cats might be less concentrated and feeding less actively. But that is just one of my wild ass theories with no evidence of basis in fact.

I just know there are always up and down variables from year to year... and the cats change preferred locations from year to year.

The only thing I know for CERTAIN is that there are way too many variables - some we understand and some we've never even imagined - for us to comprehend exactly why fish do what they do. The only thing we can do is go fishing.

 

[WTM]

could very well be. one tell tale sign would be dead mussels in the trash line on the banks. floods can kill thousands in certain areas where the substrate is not solid. the flood before this one virtually removed every stitch of milfoil from kentucky lake, although some will believe is was a spraying effort. TVA, TWRA or private contractors dont spray the entire lake, usually just around ramps and docks.

even chickamauga is vunerable:

https://m.bassmaster.com/conservation-n ... ssee-river