Big fish lurk in area waters and can provide a thrill

In light of the recent tragic attacks in our country, it is difficult to write about fishing. It just seems so insignificant considering the loss of life, injuries, and destruction that have occurred. However, I will give it my best shot.

Many of us love to fish and, in fact, it is my favorite pastime. One of my first trips each year is usually to Duck Creek Conservation Area's Pool #1 to catch some chain pickerel. Crappie are a spring-time favorite when they are shallow and easier to catch. I also join a good friend for a few crappie outings each winter. I love to fish for largemouth bass in our area lakes each spring. Smallmouth and spotted bass are my favorite targets in local streams each summer.

I'm sure you will agree that catching large fish is exciting and creates memories that will last a lifetime.

Sometimes you have to fish new areas or use different tactics to increase your chances of landing the big one. This past week I went fishing with a good friend on the Mississippi River near Cape Girardeau. We caught two channel catfish and eight blue catfish. Most of them were between 5-10 pounds, which are good-sized fish. One of the blue catfish weighed about 30 pounds; catching a fish that big in flowing water sure was exciting.

Large catfish can be caught from several near-by waters. As mentioned above, the Mississippi River is an excellent place to try for large flathead, blue, and channel catfish. Where else can you find large catfish? Channel catfish are common in most area lakes and streams. The Conservation Department also stocks channel catfish every fall into most local public lakes. Each year a few large blue and flathead catfish are caught in Wappapello Lake. There are a few flathead catfish in Lake Girardeau and there are probably some large ones. Nearly two years ago, we netted and released a 40-pound flathead.

Heavy duty rods, reels, and line will be needed to land a monster catfish. A variety of bait can be used, including shad, prepared stink bait, or liver. You will also need to use enough weight to reach the bottom.

To give you an idea of the potential size these catfish reach, let's take a look at Missouri's state pole and line records. The record channel catfish weighed 34 pounds, 10 ounces. The largest flathead catfish tipped the scale at 77 pounds, eight ounces. Amazingly, our record blue catfish weighed a whopping 103 pounds.

Another fish in our region that can reach trophy size is the muskellunge, also known as muskie. These fish are the largest member of the pike family which commonly reach 20-30 pounds. Missouri's state record is 41 pounds, two ounces. Two Southeast Missouri lakes have been stocked with muskies to give anglers the opportunity to catch a trophy-sized fish. Lake Girardeau was initially stocked in October 1995 while Lower Taum Sauk Lake was first stocked in October 1998. Muskie are stocked in low numbers and they are difficult to catch. Maybe that's why they are called the fish of 10,000 casts. We sampled Lake Girardeau last spring and caught muskies up to 42 inches long that weighed about 20 pounds.

If you choose to fish for muskies, you will need to use heavy fishing tackle. Large lures, usually 5-10 inches long and weighing up to 3 ounces, are typical baits. Steel wire leaders are also recommended because muskies have lots of sharp teeth that can easily cut the fishing line.

Muskies do something that most fish don't do, they will often follow the lure to the side of the boat. If your heart can stand it, you should move your lure in a figure-8 motion at the end of each cast when your lure is by the side of the boat. Seeing a large muskie at boat-side can be quite exciting, but a strike from a muskie at that distance is an incredible experience.

The length limit for muskies is 42 inches in Lake Girardeau and 36 inches in Lower Taum Sauk Lake.

There are no size limits for catfish in Southeast Missouri so you can keep any size catfish you wish. No matter what kind of large fish you catch, I hope you will consider releasing them. Many anglers have begun to practice selective harvest by keeping the more abundant smaller fish and releasing their big fish so they can grow even larger. In that way, you will conserve these trophies that most of us love to catch. Maybe each of us will soon catch the fish of our dreams.

Mark Boone is a fisheries management biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation.