(This is part 1 of a two-part series to be concluded in the Thursday edition.)



East Texas is full of good places to catch a mess of catfish.

If you don’t believe that then drive down some of the farm to market roads in the region and see how many flathead heads you see displayed on fence posts. It might surprise you but in some areas that is the way anglers in rural areas brag about their catfish angling exploits and no doubt offend a few weak-stomached folks along the way.

With that said, the region offers excellent fishing for flatheads, channels and blues. Some water bodies are great for all three while others have a more specialized focus. Let’s look at a few of the best.

Lake Livingston is the best all-around producer of catfish in East Texas. The fish there are plentiful and grow to enormous sizes and there are lots of ways to catch them.

Flatheads provide some of the best action for rod and reel anglers, particular those who venture out to fish at night.

The shallow coves bordering the main lake as well as some of the islands along the main lake provide an excellent place for the predatory species to hunt baitfish that congregate in the shallows after hours. Live perch fished on the bottom on a Carolina rig is probably the most popular method.

For trot liners, targeting flatheads in their deepwater daytime haunts is the best method. Look for major structure around the main channel of the river to provide the best action. The channel gets deeper as it moves toward the spillway and you will find lots of anglers rigging up trotlines there. Again, stick with live bait like perch or large goldfish.

The area below the spillway can also provide excellent fish for anglers armed with surf roads baited with cut bait, usually perch, carp or buffalo.

This is where the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department catches their blue catfish broodstock for the stocking program, so that should be a hint as to the productivity of the spot.

         The tactics there are simple. Be prepared to make long casts and face heavy battles with big catfish in the powerful current

Fayette is probably the most overlooked and underutilized catfish destination in the eastern half of the state. Yes, that’s a bold statement, but there are lots of catfish in this 3,000-acre jewel located near La Grange.

         Drifting cut bait in the grassy coves is a good way to score on blues and channels here. I used to fish Fayette County a lot back in the late 1990s, using live water dogs to catch largemouth bass and learned the cats also like the water dogs, which are by the way the larval form of the tiger salamander.       

         Another good spot is the riprap along the dam. If you watch your electronics, you might notice a lot of suspended fish there. Chances are the larger ones are catfish and they are suckers for a live crawfish or chunk of cut bait fished on a free line with a split shot rigged just above it.

         Right now, the hotwater discharge can be good at night for anglers fishing cut bait on the bottom. It has been known to give up some 20-pound plus fish.

         Anglers should note that trotlining is illegal here and that is probably the reason or the excellent rod and reel action.

          In the Thursday edition we will examine the Sabine River north of Toledo Bend and check out a couple of other East Texas’ hot spots for one of the tastiest fish in the South.

Chester Moore, Jr.  is The News Outdoors Editor.  Chester Moore, Jr. To contact Chester Moore, e-mail him at cmoore@fishgame.com. You can hear him on the radio Fridays from 6-7 p.m. on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI or online at www.klvi.com.