Kayak Fishing for Catfish

Loads of local folks are gathering up at the usual spots on the Deep Fork River. This time of year, when the Deep Fork River rises it brings white catfish in addition to water. These white catfish are said to merely be blue cats that have altered pigment due to the stained water. My Dad claims they are tastier than other catfish and I am inclined to believe him. He has hung a tooth on many a catfish.

Dianne has been catching them off limb lines from her Old Town Vapor Kayak (Pics on Flickr). The Deep Fork River makes a good fishing line spot for us because it is close to home. Limb lines are a great way to catch catfish, but you have to 'run' them every four hours or so to harvest fish and or re-bait your lines. Our new Kayak Fishing page has all of the details to get your started limb lining for catfish in your kayak.

Watch your fingers during this type of fishing, Dianne caught a rather large Gar today. Gar have teeth like a dog and are much more risky to handle than catfish. Most folks use a thick leather glove to protect their hands from gar teeth. Dianne also uses a lip grip gaf to help keep her prey under control while kayak fishing.

I had a three-day weekend scheduled and the weather forecast suggested I spend every day of it indoors. I am glad I ignored the weatherman. I went mushroom hunting in several spots and paddled both Grave Creek and Deep Fork. Spring is usually short in Oklahoma, don't let it go to waste!

It is kayak buying season. Bass Pro Shops has Old Town Rush kayaks for $299 each and that is a pretty sweet deal. OKC Kayaks is churning out the new kayakers with their social paddles, swamp paddling trips and blemished kayak bargains. Even my buddy Yakker got himself a new fourteen foot sit-inside kayak. I prefer ten foot kayaks for my sunset chasing, but Dianne is finding her twelve foot Vapor to be an excellent platform for fishing. Get yourself a kayak and hit the water!

The Illinois River in Tahlequah, OK has been flowing at a consistently excellent level for weeks. This is the perfect time of year to enjoy some kayaking in Tahlequah, Broken Bow or the waters of Arkansas and Missouri.