Biologists working the Red River routinely take electrofishing samples. Ronnie Christ, one of the biologists taking part in the sampling, reports that the number of channel catfish turning up has been stunning. "The first time we tried it for catfish on the Red River, quite frankly, I was amazed," he said. "The water was covered with catfish. They were all around us. This didn't just happen once -- we found fish of such high numbers each time we did the electroshock samples."

Numerous sites on the Red River hold lots of promise for channel cat fans this month. Among these high-percentage locations are the areas near each of the dams. Channels are prone to suspend or hug bottom near these hard structures, so try freelining cut bait or night crawlers. And in addition to working the many laydowns and other wood cover along the river, try concentrating your efforts along areas with hard clay bottoms near the shore. Lots of channel cats will be spawning this month, and thus can be found in just a few feet of water. Use night crawlers or cut bait on a Carolina rig for these fish.

ATCHAFALAYA RIVER
The deep, mysterious Atchafalaya River -- up to 120 feet in depth in places -- boasts a wealth of areas in which the channel cat action is of noteworthy quality, according to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist Don Lee.

"One of the more popular areas on the Atchafalaya is around the locks near Simmesport, where water is diverted from the Mississippi," he said. "There is a lot of current in that portion of the river below the locks, and catfishermen enjoy plenty of success in this area."

Lee notes that cat activity along the Atchafalaya peaks shortly after periods of high water; when the water retreats, catfish really begin feeding heavily. A variety of methods can be used to catch cats at this time.

Good as the river proper is for catching catfish, the Atchafalaya Basin -- branching out into the lowlands of south Louisiana -- is a hotbed of catfishing activity. One reason for the Basin's fantastic catfishing opportunities is the topography of the area. As spring rains come and river levels rise, water spreads out over the low-lying swampland, inundating stumps, logs and other structure that catfish use for spawning.

Because of the fertility of the area, nutrient levels are high, and the water quality is outstanding. The Basin is also celebrated for its abundance of crawfish. Since mudbugs are a favorite menu item for catfish, it's hardly surprising that crawfish are the top bait, hands down, for drawing in the feisty fighters in the Basin.

Now that we've toured some of the river systems best for Bayou State channel cat fishing, let's take a look at some of the lakes whose prospects for 2005 are good. We'll start with a couple of south Louisiana lakes, which are in proximity to each other, that have long been known for their copious catfish production, especially for channels.

LAC DES ALLEMANDS
Relatively shallow and covering 12,200 acres 40 miles west of New Orleans, Lac des Allemands sees heavy fishing pressure from Crescent City anglers, but hangs in gamely as a notable venue for catching channel cats, says LDWF biologist Tim Morrison. "This is a very fertile lake," he observed, "with cane fields draining into the lake on the north end. This lake has heavy populations of channels, blues and flatheads."