Depends once the water starts to cool I switch over to crappie, trout and bass again then when it starts to warm again I switch back. I fish year around for Bass but flatheads, crappie, and trout are seasonal unless you know where the flats are hiding!
Think about it this way, when do you stop eating??? You eat when it's cold or hot. Flathead got to eat to live. You just have to use diffirent techniques but you can catch flats year round.
From what I have understood, flathead catfish will remain active until the water temperature drops below 70 degrees. The waters that I have fished seem to carry this statement...fishing dies off when the temps drop.
Channel cats will remain active depending on the environment. Northern Arizona channels will go dormant around the 1st of November and will gain activity in April or May depending on how soon it warms up.
For the rest of Arizona, I would assume that catfishing would be active most of the year...except in places where the water temps drop significantly.
Depends once the water starts to cool I switch over to crappie, trout and bass again then when it starts to warm again I switch back. I fish year around for Bass but flatheads, crappie, and trout are seasonal unless you know where the flats are hiding!
i kinda disagree with majority here. i agree az is great fishing, but not yr round. at least for cats. i live in yuma and when water drops in temp for winter, cats get lockjaw except for few channels. if you're catching lots of channels in winter around yuma, take me and show me. i've got the boat. if flatheads, like some have hinted, again, show me. i want to learn this cause i find this hard to believe. didn't call BS now, just i and my friends here can't find them.
gary
i kinda disagree with majority here. i agree az is great fishing, but not yr round. at least for cats. i live in yuma and when water drops in temp for winter, cats get lockjaw except for few channels. if you're catching lots of channels in winter around yuma, take me and show me. i've got the boat. if flatheads, like some have hinted, again, show me. i want to learn this cause i find this hard to believe. didn't call BS now, just i and my friends here can't find them.
gary
I agree with you about being able to fish for flatties during the winter on the river or in the canals...but... if the temps in the lakes (Roosevelt or Pleasant) hold higher than 70 degrees, they are apt to remain active and feed. If the temps drop lower, they will go dormant.
I remember fishing in Powell in March and doing really well on channel cats...but I was fishing in 40 feet of water and the temps were warmer down that far than they were on the surface.
i kinda disagree with majority here. i agree az is great fishing, but not yr round. at least for cats. i live in yuma and when water drops in temp for winter, cats get lockjaw except for few channels. if you're catching lots of channels in winter around yuma, take me and show me. i've got the boat. if flatheads, like some have hinted, again, show me. i want to learn this cause i find this hard to believe. didn't call BS now, just i and my friends here can't find them.
gary
I think conventional wisdom supports Gary but we've had a lot of new members join this summer and if they're catching through the winter, then we'd love to hear about it...never too old to learn new tricks..:cool2:
I fished the CO river and related waters through the winter last year, and had success on every trip..
I also fished Roosevelt, I think every winter month, and caught fish,,Flatheads and channels..
didn't really notice a big difference..due to the "off" months!!
I fished the CO river and related waters through the winter last year, and had success on every trip..
I also fished Roosevelt, I think every winter month, and caught fish,,Flatheads and channels..
didn't really notice a big difference..due to the "off" months!!
So Greg.... you want to hit up Yuma... or Squaw lake just before Xgiving... going to come down that way with my boat... might even come down after a stay at Mayflower or McIntyre for a night....
Would like to get some other folks down to "Squaw". (on the California side)... good camping and the fishing is...... well what can I say....
That has possibilities,, Not familiar w/ Squaw Lake, but, downriver from the usual is interesting to me..there's reports of unmolested Flats in that area..:wink:
We'll have to get the pencil out, and see what the calendar says!!
I remember someone saying 100' deep wasnt uncommon to catch em out Rosey in the winter time!I know that water gets cold,usually snow all around Rosey throughout the winter!
I remember someone saying 100' deep wasnt uncommon to catch em out Rosey in the winter time!I know that water gets cold,usually snow all around Rosey throughout the winter!
Crazy stuff huh! I know very very little about river fishing,and this is where this vid is from,but gives you the idea,the fish are there,you gotta find em! Makes ya wanna go fishin! Did you that water temp of 34 degrees,brrrrr
You bait have to be right dere in front dey noses or sumptin. Ihuh goan trouts fishin in da winter.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Catfish Angler Forum at USCA
2.6M posts
49.9K members
Since 2003
A forum community dedicated to catfishers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tackle, noodling, tips, tricks, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more!