A little help catfishing the MO river

[omaken]

Hi
I have fished the Mo. in the past with some luck. never nothing really big so I kinda moved on to the lakes. I really want to get back to fishing the Mo. there just something about the river.I'm sure you all know what i mean. I would like a little help on how you guys fish the river. I would fish below the dikes with some luck. Some one told me to fish a bove the dikes. that's where the feeding fish are. Looking to get a big cat this year so any help would be great. not looking for your spots just some of your experience. thanks for any help you can give.

Ken

[jdstraka]

Hi Ken and a Big Ol Welcome to the BOC. I fish the Big Mo. river here in Iowa around Co.Bluffs Ia. and all the way up river to the mouth of the Big Souix river at souix City Ia.You can catch channel cat most times using shrimp or night crallers and dip baits in the spring ranging from dinks up to 15 pounds or so. You can fish above wing dikes or in the scour hole off the tip and below the dike.If you want to catch larger fish,Flats and Blues you need to change baits,My Preferance is to use Shad or bluegill Live or cut,Try them both ways to see what there preferance is and then switch to that bait,Now all My larger flatheads have been cought at night as Flats move out of there lairs at night to feed and will move shallow to feed .I Like to fish the bottom end of sand flats below the deep holes that holds structure.Don't be afraid to fish shallow just a fue feet off the bank as i have taken some nice fish up close to the bank.You don't need to cast as far as you can throw out in the middle of the river. Now with that said the next best tip i can give you is to put your time in on the river and pay your dues cause the big boys didn't get big by being stupid.Good luck in your quest for the big Fish. J.D.

[Big Vic]

welcome to the boc Ken and good luck:smile2:

[newestcathunter]

I just started fishing the MO last year, looking to get a boat this season so I have better access. I hear alot of people talk of the dikes, I've looked on google earth for them but not sure where they are at.

Any info on where abouts they are and if you have to have a boat to have access to them would be great.

Thanks in advance and hope to meet some of the other local catfishermen/women this season.

[flathead_hunter]

I just started fishing the MO last year, looking to get a boat this season so I have better access. I hear alot of people talk of the dikes, I've looked on google earth for them but not sure where they are at.

Any info on where abouts they are and if you have to have a boat to have access to them would be great.

Thanks in advance and hope to meet some of the other local catfishermen/women this season.
the dikes are on the inside of the bend.... look around nebraska city the next time you are on google earth.... you can't miss them..... also i would fish the down river side of them never had alot of luck on the top

[newestcathunter]

After looking on google earth down by Nebraska City, I finally understand what a dike is! Thanks flathead_hunter. I see there are tons of them up and down the river from Omaha all the way down to Nebraska City.

Which brings up my next question. Once on the river how far do you guys normally travel from where you have loaded your boat into the water. After looking on google earth there look to be some pretty remote places on the river that you would never see from a car, would be neat just to take them boat to these places and check out the scenery.

[skawez]

i havent put a boat on the river havent gotten that far yet hope to this year.. but have gone out with a buddy on the river there in neb city... never gone north although thats where id like to go but hes always taken me south from the time and speed we were goin id have to say close to 7 miles south.:confused2:

[Big Vic]

I have never been on the river either BUT I think IF it was me I would go up river and be able to float back at least the first couple times out. :smile2:

[skawez]

I have never been on the river either BUT I think IF it was me I would go up river and be able to float back at least the first couple times out. :smile2:

well my way of thinking about it is if i run outta fuel or have mechanical problems i can float back to the truck whereas down river i gotta guess where i am when i get stopped i dont like bein lost .. besides only boat i got is my pops and id hate to say hey dad the boat broke down can you come get me idk where i am...:confused2:

[catmanjeff]

Just send up a flair and tell him to look out the window.:smile2:

[flathead_hunter]

something else i forgot of untill last night..... below neb. city around the power plant the corps and the state put in theese v dikes.... i never have seen one but heard alot about them.. all i know is they are about a foot under water..... the reason they built these things was for a bird to lay eggs on and the pallid sturgeon to spawn on the sand bars... unllike vic and skawez i would rather go down river i think there is better fishing down there... you can always float to st. louis:0a17::0a20::tounge_out:....lol

[catfishlarryiowa]

Hi Ken and a Big Ol Welcome to the BOC. I fish the Big Mo. river here in Iowa around Co.Bluffs Ia. and all the way up river to the mouth of the Big Souix river at souix City Ia.You can catch channel cat most times using shrimp or night crallers and dip baits in the spring ranging from dinks up to 15 pounds or so. You can fish above wing dikes or in the scour hole off the tip and below the dike.If you want to catch larger fish,Flats and Blues you need to change baits,My Preferance is to use Shad or bluegill Live or cut,Try them both ways to see what there preferance is and then switch to that bait,Now all My larger flatheads have been cought at night as Flats move out of there lairs at night to feed and will move shallow to feed .I Like to fish the bottom end of sand flats below the deep holes that holds structure.Don't be afraid to fish shallow just a fue feet off the bank as i have taken some nice fish up close to the bank.You don't need to cast as far as you can throw out in the middle of the river. Now with that said the next best tip i can give you is to put your time in on the river and pay your dues cause the big boys didn't get big by being stupid.Good luck in your quest for the big Fish. J.D. hi Ken welcome to the boc. J D gave you some good advice an the main one was you haft to put your time in. I myself travel sometimes 12 to 18 down or up river depending on the hole or the feeder creek even the condition the river is in. learning to read the river is a big plus. an rember be SAFE. larry

[catfishlarryiowa]

something else i forgot of untill last night..... below neb. city around the power plant the corps and the state put in theese v dikes.... i never have seen one but heard alot about them.. all i know is they are about a foot under water..... the reason they built these things was for a bird to lay eggs on and the pallid sturgeon to spawn on the sand bars... unllike vic and skawez i would rather go down river i think there is better fishing down there... you can always float to st. louis:0a17::0a20::tounge_out:....lol most of the v dikes i have seen are on the inside bends of the river. like you said a lot of them are under water so be very careful. also you have core dikes they run with the river.an they usually have a nice hole on the upper end if it is cut open.

[kmcalester]

Ken, welcome to the BOC!!!

[crazy]

the dikes are on the inside of the bend.... look around nebraska city the next time you are on google earth.... you can't miss them..... also i would fish the down river side of them never had alot of luck on the top


Kind of half a dozen one way and half a dozen another. Fishing below one is fishing above another. :smile2: That being said I have good luck fishing above and below.

[kooman]

something else i forgot of untill last night..... below neb. city around the power plant the corps and the state put in theese v dikes.... i never have seen one but heard alot about them.. all i know is they are about a foot under water..... the reason they built these things was for a bird to lay eggs on and the pallid sturgeon to spawn on the sand bars... unllike vic and skawez i would rather go down river i think there is better fishing down there... you can always float to st. louis:0a17::0a20::tounge_out:....lol
if ya float down to the brownville area well pick ya up and save you from the trip to st. louis