Billy Blakely Catches All Kinds of Fish at Blue Bank
Resort on Tennessee's Reelfoot Lake
Catfish in the Sunshine
 Editor’s
Note: Billy Blakely, the manager and the head guide
of Blue Bank Resort on Reelfoot Lake near Tiptonville,
Tennessee, says Reelfoot’s fishing in the late
spring and all summer is as hot as a recently-shot pistol.
The first week in May, while at Bluebank, my fishing
friend and I saw good limits of crappie, bluegills,
catfish and lunker largemouth being brought in every
day, even on the days when the rain was pouring down.
This week we’ll show and tell you what’s
being caught at Reelfoot, and how anglers and guides
are catching them.
Question: Billy, I know you catch catfish during the
daytime and at night, but today let’s talk about
daytime catfish. Where do you find them, and how do
you catch em?
Blakely: We catch em on Yo-Yos and rods and reels. If
we’re fishing during the daytime with rods and
reels, I look for leaning logs out in the water. The
more the log leans, and the bigger the log is, the more
catfish you’ll find holding on that leaning log.
The catfish like to move into those leaning logs, wallow
themselves out holes and lie under those logs in those
holes and ambush baitfish.
Question: How do you catch those cats that are holding
under those leaning logs?
Blakely: We anchor upwind from the log and use a slip
cork. Since most of our leaning logs are in about 6
feet of water, we set the bobber stopper to stop the
cork when the bait falls about 5 feet. This way the
bait is suspended about a foot above the bottom. We
cast toward the log and let the wind move our cork and
our bait right up against the log. This way, the bait
moves naturally toward the fish, and you don’t
spook the cats by casting to them. We use Strike King
Dynamite for bait. We like the Dynamite because they’re
easy to put on the hooks. I’ll take one link,
cut it in half and fish with half a link. The flavor
I like the best is catalpa.
Question: Billy, if you’re planning to catch
catfish and will be fishing a 6-hour day with 2 people,
how many cats can you expect to catch?
Blakely: We’ll generally catch 30-40 + catfish,
and those cats will weigh from 90 to 130 pounds. In
one 6-hour trip, 2 fishermen can catch enough catfish
to have a major fish fry for two families.
Question: What pound test line are you using for these
cats?
Blakely: We use from 14- to 17-pound-test line with
either a 6 foot 6 inch to 7 foot rod, medium heavy to
heavy. You have to have the power in the rod to set
the hook hard and fast and get those cats away from
the log quickly as soon as they take the baits. If you
don’t move the cats away from the log as soon
as they take the baits, they’ll spook the cats
holding under the log.
Question: What’s the most number of cats you’ve
caught under one log?
Blakely: I’ve caught 40 cats out from under one
log previously. Those cats will weigh from 1-pound to
25-pounds each. And, most logs will usually produce
4 to 10 cats. Then the next day after you’ve caught
the cats out from under the log, there’s usually
4 to 10 catfish or more under the same log.
Question: Why does Reelfoot Lake produce so many cats?
Blakely: Reelfoot’s a really-old 18,000-acre lake,
and the cats have plenty of food and habitat. So, they
multiply like rabbits. There are also not very many
people who fish for our cats. Although we do have blue
cats and flathead cats in the lake, about 90% are channel
cats.
For further information about Blue Bank Resort, you
can call (877) 258-3226 or (731) 253-8976 or visit www.bluebankresort.com.
Until May 31st, Blue Bank has a special where you can
fish (includes boat, motor, gas, bait and ice) for 4
days and stay either 3 or 4 nights for $169/person,
with the cost $209 per person after that time. To learn
more about Strike King’s top-quality catfishing
products, go to www.strikeking.com
Tomorrow: Catfish and Bass by Starlight
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