March Catfishing Month In Review 2011 Edition

This is my monthly wrap up of all the catfishing tips, tricks and information from Learn To Catch Catfish for the month of March 2011 as well as an update on anything else going in my world or the world of catfishing.

Stuff I Was Doing This Month When I Wasn’t Here

I didn’t get to post near as much as I wanted to for March. Things get pretty insane around here when the first nice stretch of weather hits and all the “fair weather” fishermen come out of the wood work. The North Texas Catfish Guide Service phone line and email starts blowing up with people trying to get in on the spring blue catfish action (April is hands down the best month of the year for excellent numbers of blue catfish).

I shut Redneck’s Catfish Bait Soap down every winter (we cannot make bait when it is cold) and March is usually the first month it is warm enough to make bait so I spend a lot of time trying to juggle making bait, running the site, running guide trips and everything else and it all comes crashing down in March.

I posted earlier in the month on the Learn To Catch Catfish Facebook page I have been working on a catfishing book. I have been working on this since October and had full intentions of being finished by February 1 and by March 1 having it available but just got further and further behind. I have it finished up now (as far as being written) I just need to clean it up and package it.  The book is something that I wanted to release in the Spring so it looks like I will have to wait until next year. I am really excited about this though and cannot wait to get it out there.

I have also been working on Catfishing Radio Episode 1 and trying to work all the bugs out on that to make sure I get it right the first time around. I had to call in some heavy hitter tech guys to help me.  I am hoping to have the first episode of Catfishing Radio available in the next few weeks.

I have also been working with the guys over at Fish Explorer writing a couple of short articles for them and have a couple of other websites that contacted me and asked me to do some articles for them so I have been trying to get that wrapped up (I will post some links here when they get published).

There are a couple of big Learn To Catch Catfish projects I am working on putting the finishing touches on to help make the site bigger and and better than it already is.

To top that all off we passed a major milestone for subscribers this month as well!

This Month At North Texas Catfish Guide Service

I wanted to share a few pictures this month, something I have never done before. The Evans family came down from Colorado to spend a day catfishing with me last week. The  boys father recently passed away and they came to Texas to spend a day fishing and spread their fathers ashes in the lake at the end of the day. We had an amazing day of fishing catching excellent numbers of catfish and caught every single person in the boat a new personal best as well before they laid their father to rest. I had a great day on the water with these guys (and gal).

Catfishing News – March 2011

There are a couple of news stories of note this month:

• Virginia Produces a 109 Lb Catfish (photos below) – Tony Milam caught a new (pending) Virginia record blue catfish from Buggs Island Lake weighing in at a whopping 109 lbs (53 inches long with a girth of 41 inches).  My speculation is this is the first of many 100+ lb blue catfish that we will see surface in 2011.
• The fishing and hunting world is abuzz right now due to budget cuts (should come as no surprise unless you have been living under a rock). Obama announced his 2012 budget last month which included $1.7 Billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an increase of $48 Million from the 2011 budget. Sounds great right? Well the problem is that the portion that covers fish hatcheries is being reduced by $11.6 Millon, dealing a serious blow to several federal hatcheries. The issue is much more complex than this and has some serious potential impacts on fish and game and national parks management. I was on yesterday that outlined all of this and talked about some of the other issues so it should be interesting to see how it all shakes out. I will provide more updates as information is available.

March 2011 Catfishing Month In Review On Learn To Catch Catfish

Finally, this month on Learn To Catch Catfish:

• Catfishing Top Fishfinder Picks 2011 – A look at some of the best options for electronics for catfishing from new to used, and beginner to advanced to help you in choosing a fish finder for your catfishing boat.
• Catfish Rigs Revisited – Some updates with new illustrations and videos of some of the first catfish rigs I added to the website, a must read article!
• GPS Uses For Catfishing – A look and the when, where and why I use GPS for fishing for catfish.
• DIY Shallow Water Anchors – Step by step instructions on how to make your own shallow water anchors for skinny water catfish fishing
• Fishfinder Settings and Use For Catfishing – A look at some of the basic settings for your fish finder and answers to some of the common questions on marina electronics
• Best Catfish Bait – Catfish Bait Selection 101 – A look at some of the best catfish baits for blues, channels and flatheads.
• Transporting Fishing Rods For Easy Access, Less Damage – Some basic tips and tricks for storing and transporting your fishing rods to help keep them easily accessible and prevent damages.

March 2010 – A Look Back

These are some of the past catfishing articles from March 2010 (one month after I started this website) that I wanted to share with newer readers! This is not an all inclusive list but some of the highlights of a few of the more important articles

• The Blue Catfish Finger Munch Video – This is my favorite catfish video, hands down. I shot this a number of years ago but it makes me laugh every time!
• Tarpon Fishing Islamorada Florida Keys – Some pictures and videos from a memorable tarpon fishing trip in Florida (actually ties back into some catfishing articles).
• What Is Catfish Chum – A look at catfish chum, what it is and what it is used for.
• Rednecks Catfish Bait Soap History – A look into the history of my catfish bait company.
• Spring Catfishing Videos – Some clips from a TV show I did several years ago with Barry Stokes on Fox Sports *a must watch video series* There are a lot of excellent tips and tricks in here.
• Slip Sinker Rigs – Information on slip sinker rigs for catfish. One of the most popular (and effective) catfish rigs.
• Catfish Bait Recipes – Some catfish bait recipes including the recipe for the famous Texas Bells of Hell Stink Bait
• Catfish Punch Bait 101 – A look at catfish punch baits, what they are, and how to fish with them *a must read* If you fish with prepared baits there are some excellent tips and tricks in this article.
• How To Make Catfish Chum – Step by step instructions and information on how to make soured wheat catfish chum.

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