Fishing Frenzy

It's probable that people who love catfishing might have a preference for the Red-River-of-the-North or the Red-River-of-the-South. The rest of us will probably find both regions intriguing. The northern waterway has a rich history complete with Indian tribes, fur trappers, and the Hudson Bay Company. The southern one has its own stories, like border disputes between the United States and Spain (and later Mexico) and a 160-mile-long log jam. They both boast a population of monster Red River catfish.

The Red-River-of-the-North runs along the border of Minnesota and North Dakota and on into Manitoba, Canada. It's 545 miles long and eventually reaches Lake Winnipeg. It runs through the RR Valley of the romantic cowboy lament, which is really the ancient bed of a lake formed eons ago by glaciers.

Dedicated fishermen of this far northern region declare that they can offer visitors the 'best catfishing on the planet'. They say that the channel cats are big and numerous, so an excursion on the water can mean hauling in twenty-pounders all day long. There are some great photos online to show that it's not all brag.

There are guided trips that take you out to where the monster channel cats lurk along the bottom. On a good day, you can hook as many twenty-pound-plus cats as you can handle. Guides can also be engaged for a half or full day to show individuals or groups to the best fishing spots. Check out the photo galleries to see happy fishermen and women holding their catch, which is always more than an armful.

The southern Red marks the border of Texas where it adjoins Mexico and Oklahoma. It flows through Arkansas and ends in the Atchafalaya in Louisiana. Along the way it absorbs many strangely-named waters, like the Witchita, the Ouachita, Muddy Boggy Creek, and Loggy Bayou. It has several species of cat: channel cats, flatheads, and blues.

Down here they also have huge channel cats. The record is 58 pounds, but anything over twenty pounds is more than an armful. The flathead record is over 100 pounds, while the blues can get even bigger than that. To catch them, you can use a rod and reel baited with worms or minnows or chicken livers. A more adventurous way is 'noodling', which means feeling around in the murky depths with your bare hands, using your fingers for hooks.

Other legal ways are much more leisurely. You can suspend baited hooks from plastic Coke or milk bottles (jug-fishing), use a slat-trap where the fish swim in for the bait and then can't get out, or snag them with three-way hooks. These may be less sporting but can quickly fill a freezer with a months-long supply of fish.

Whichever way you go, north or south, there are lots of fish. There's also wealth of fascinating history, many rural towns and larger cities, and a whole lot of scenery. Avid fisher-folk will love catching these large, tasty fish, while the whole family will find entertainment either on or off the water. Even if you don't get a record fish, you'll have a lot of fun and take home great memories of one or both of these great regions.