Crankbait Biting Catfish

Burke Lake summer catfishIts the summer doldrums again at Burke Lake. Even though the weather has been hot hot hot, my partner and I made it early and on a cloudy day. It seemed to be an excellent day for fishing so we rented a boat at the marina and then worked the weeded shoreline with spinner baits and soft plastics. Much to our disappointment, we had literally no bites whatsoever. We later drove over to a part of the shoreline with some steeper drop offs. My partner was throwing a Rapala DT-10 in the shad color at the shore while I worked a carolina rig. Its great to have a fishing buddy to work as a team with when out on the lake. Working a variety of representations means that we can find the right pattern for the day much faster than going it solo. Before we knew it, a decent sized channel catfish struck the crank bait. It isn’t the first time a catfish has taken an artificial bait and it shows that there are many ways to catch a ‘Cat’. Later on, I caught a 12″ largemouth on the carolina rig. The sun soon came out and we had to pack it in. I’ve now learned that during these hot months, you have to work baits deeper. The carolina rig was working around the 8-12′ depth. Look for places that have drop offs near the shore that provide cooler water. Having a fish finder to track the profile of the lake bottom was crucial. The last thing you want to do is roam all around the lake randomly when your time out on the water is limited.

3 Responses to “ Crankbait Biting Catfish ”

  1. IVB Says:

    Two weeks ago a cat hit my crank bait while I was fishing Hunting Run down in Spotsylvainia county. As you said, lots of ways to catch a cat..

    It’s been a few years since I fished Burke.. When I had time, it was our winter spot (way too crowded the rest of the year) and we would land at least one 6-7lb LMB each trip. Anyhow, I am looking to get back there this winter and I heard rumors that there is an issue with the dam and the water level so that it is hard to launch from the VDGIF ramp, do you happen to know if this is the case?

  2. admin Says:

    Hey there. Hadn’t heard about the water level issue. I haven’t been back to Burke since August and the water level seemed normal at the time. Best of luck if you do make it out there.

  3. Chris Says:

    dude, up for fishing sunday afternoon?

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