DuPage - St. Charles Pond
Catfish Like This Can Be Found All Over DuPage County
Last Friday I took a couple of guys with VERY limited fishing experience to one of my favorite spots. I’ve always done well out there so I thought it’d be the perfect place to take some greenhorns. My main goal for the morning was to get them on some fish, but of course I was hoping to catch a few of my own too.
The fishing was slower than usual but one of them landed a couple and the other guy just kept missing them. It wasn’t much action but it was enough to keep us all interested. I also got to sneak a few casts in, in-between teaching, tying knots, and dealing with snags, and I hooked up with a couple medium sized bass.
But the real excitement of the day came when I was showing them how to fish with a wacky rigged Senko. I tossed it in, started to explain what to watch for, and then bam, all of a sudden my reel was paying out line to the monster on the other end. After a battle of a few minutes, I realized that I didn’t have a bass at all. Instead it was a 24.5” catfish*!
It wasn’t exactly the fish I was after, and wasn’t quite the day I’d hoped for but it was definitely one that all of us will remember for a long time! And it definitely made all of want to hit the water again soon!
*Much to my dad’s chagrin this big boy escaped the frying pan is still swimming!
Status: Released
COTD - Big St. Charles Cat
- Details
- Category: Catch Of The Day Catfish
- Written by DuPage Angler Patrick Brewer
- Hits: 2977

I want a kitty cat! I am hitting the fox a lot this season.

I used to fish for channel cats on the Tippecanoe River in Indiana with my father (Wacky Bass). I miss those days very much. I especially miss the times when he hooks into a huge flathead and it gets away. LOL I wish you could have seen and heard him!

I agree. It's be a long time since I've been catfishing.
And I won the weighted hook-dealie at a DA event....hmmm.....chicken livers anyone?
And I won the weighted hook-dealie at a DA event....hmmm.....chicken livers anyone?

We need to get out cattin. If I see my contact on that awesome cat wateri will talk to him, maybe he will let us fish just one night for a segment.

Awesome fish..............yes, more catfish this year.

I need to fish for more cats this season.