Can’t Cool the Cats.  Despite a cooler stretch last week which lowered water temperatures on the Red River, the bite for channel catfish remains hot on the flow heading into fall. DEO Photo by Brad Durick.

By Brad Durick

The cold front from late last week was harsh when it came to conditions for catfish angling. Wearing socks – let alone ice fishing gear – in September is not my idea of fun. The water temperature dropped about 13 degrees in just four days in the Grand Forks stretches of the Red River. Surprisingly, though the bite did not slow all that much considering how chilly things felt in the boat. 

Fishing is really good right now and getting better every day for catfish. The water levels are stable, as is the temperature. With the warm weather this week, things should really get good. Fish are in the mid-river holes near the main current. It seems the faster the water is, the better. 

There are two patterns going right now: finding deeper water and sitting for 25-to-30 minutes, or fishing the shallower fast water with shorter sits. If they are there in the shallower stretches, they will bite within 15-minute sits. Most spots for right now are producing one or two fish before it’s time move on. 

Dead sucker is my go-to again when it comes to baits over the past week. I have also caught a few on frogs and even garlic Jell-o chicken. 

September fishing still looks great after this big front is finished. I have many dates available to take advantage of this.

Brad Durick is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a licensed ND fishing guide specializing in trophy catfish on the Red River in and around the Grand Forks area.