Everything I have seen revolves around rivers...do you remember the time of year? I was told June

Wealth of knowledge here.

Thanks for the replies guys!

A buddy has fished them in the area I want to target them in, but hasnt in years.

Might go with him and try. He said he used to use a worm harness and a big ol worm and did well.

We will try different stuff. Because I work till 7 that time of year, being able to fish them in the dark has me kind of excited.

Catfishing is a lot like trapping. Learn the biology., and seasonal life cycle of your quarry.



Try to ignore all the old wives tale type advice.



When the water Temps start warming in the spring, they put the feedbags on to prepare for spawning. They start spawning when the water Temps hit 70° f......ish. From 50° to 70° they are on a rampage and can be thebest fishing of your life.


Your number 1 bait is fresh cut local bait fish. No2 is large live baits like full grown bluegills, or perch, or bullheads.
Gizzard Shad is king in my neighborhood.


Tournament catfishermen use blood baits, which are just congealed blood.


In moving water look for geographic areas that concentrate fish, like dams, deep holes, etc. If you can drive up to them, they will get fished out pretty regular.

In static water look for the areas where they're going to be hunting when it gets dark.




Once they start spawning they get spread out and harder to catch.


They get active again in my latitude about the the middle of August, and then it's good till the water goes below 50°f in the fall.





Fwiw

I've got a buddy that fishes rivers and large lakes for the blues such as the one you pictured. He also catches his fair share of flathead and channel cat. I've rode with him a few times and fished with him. He uses chicken breasts cut into large chunks with nothing more than strawberry jello. He hammers them. I would never have believed it if I didn't watch it and it's worked for me in our smaller rivers/lakes here. He travels quite a ways for tournaments all over the country on rivers. Here's a few.

Nice fish.

Hutchy - yes it was June when we caught the catfish in Georgian bay. We were not looking for catfish. It was a blunder but still fun.

It is funny how those two front teeth of walleye hook the net and they cant get out, and how many fall out if other fish struggle in the net, underwater cameras show this now.

My son and a friend have made several trips to the Red river to fish the channel cats there and have done quite well with large sucker minnows cut into big chunks for bait. They have caught them close to 30 pounds there. Strong current so they were anchored.

Hutch, chicken liver with a patch of red felt soaked in anise oil...