How to Fish the Wolf River for Catfish in Wisconsin

The Wolf river is located in Wisconsin. For over almost 100 years now my family has fished this river for Catfish. My grandfather started fishing for Catfish in the early 1900s. More than likely driven by necessity than anything else. He loved to fish but catching enough for a family of eight could sometimes be a challenge. He had to figure out a way to catch enough fish for the whole family that would take up most of the day. Then at least he could fish all day for smaller fish than catfish and use some of the fish for bait that he deemed suitable. While some people look at cat fish as an inferior fish,maybe because they are considered scavengers. Meaning they will consume almost anything. They are sort of the clean up crew for the river. Eating dead and decaying fish and animals that fall into the river is one of their daily routines. They will also eat live bait of almost any type. Worms, minnows and cheese are some of our favorites baits.

My family learned to prepare Catfish so well that almost all of us preferred it over any other fish. The meat is white and firm and when cleaned and handled properly it does not have a strong fish smell at all.The Catfish also has larger bones than many fish,making it easier to eat. Certainly over the years our grand father would try many different methods and baits on the Wolf River. He taught us all the methods that were successful for him. One of the most productive methods for us has been fishing at night with a cane pole. Finding a shallow bank and anchoring the pole into the sand bar. Using a stick shaped like a Y midway down the pole will give the cane pole support. You wont have to hang on to your pole. We place a small bell at the end of the pole. When the bell starts ringing we normally wait and let the fish get hooked by itself.

This method has been so successful for us over the years, In fact we caught a 53 pound Catfish using this method. We were using live minnows for bait. The fish was so big we had to use our boat to land it. Catfish can be particular sometimes but if you are not having success using your present method. Try a different bait or fishing at a different time of day. If that doesn't work try a different spot. Most fisherman are aware that water levels and currents have plenty to do with your fishing success. Always be respectful of other peoples properties when venturing out.