Summary: In this weeks Catfishing Radio podcast we head out to the Ohio River near Henderson Kentucky and talk with Captain Paul Willett of Camo Fish Guide Service. Captain Paul Willett is based in Henderson Kentucky and fishes the stretch of the Ohio River in that area, and definitely knows his way around catching some big blue catfish. This is part of our ongoing coverage on big river catfishing and the catfish baits and catfishing techniques used for catching all the different catfish species. You can learn more in our other episodes with Brad Durick, Daryl and Jason Masingale, Ryan Casey, Bill Dance and Jeff Williams. The show starts with announcements and updates including some information on where I have been and why there was such a long lapse between episode 33 and the current show. Other updates include: Please take a few minutes to complete our 2012 listener survey Recent reviews on iTunes End of summer sale – Use coupon code LABORDAY for 15% off all products between now and September 4th Camo Fish Guide Service – Captain Paul Willett This segment of the show starts with an introduction to Paul Willett and Camo Fish Guide Service and some background on the area of the Ohio River where he fishes. Paul fishes a long stretch of the river that covers about 170 miles. He is the only Coast Guard licensed catfish guide on this area of the river. He not only fishes for catfish but also fishes for stripers and hybrids also. Paul provided some information on current and how it impacts the blue catfish bite and and talks in depth at how much the current impacts the catfish bite and how to read current to locate blue catfish. Paul also talks about drifting and anchoring and the difference between the two and how he determines when to drift and when to anchor and how a moving bait impacts the catfish bite. Next there is an in depth discussion on bait presentation, catfish rigs, how he uses his catfish boat in the process of fishing and presenting the baits in the right way. Paul uses a 7’6” MH Tangling With Catfish Rod, 80 Lb Braided Line, Shakespeare Tidewater Level Wind Reels and talks about his preference for inexpensive fishing reels. For leader line he uses 60 lb monofilament and and a large circle hook with the size tailored to the fish he is targeting and explains how current impacts catfishing with circle hooks and we have a discussion on the difference between using circle hooks in lakes and rivers. For bait he uses shad, mooneye and skipjack and has a variety of different presentations on how he rigs his cut bait. he also explains a method he uses for his slip sinker rigs and three way rig and attaching his weights so he can quickly and easily change his weights based on the current. Next Paul provides some information on drift fishing in rivers and shares how he determines his drift speed using a trolling motor and how important drift speed is and why and how important the proper bait presentation is in rivers. Channel catfish are also an option in the Ohio River and we talk some about how and where to locate channel catfish in rivers. Finally Paul provides some information for beginners on his biggest tips for locating and catching blue catfish in rivers which is using fresh bait. No matter what type of bait it is, it needs to be fresh and fresh bait will always work better than frozen bait. His second biggest tip is on bait presentation and rigging. There is a ton of more information in this show not included in this summary and this is a must listen show on locating and catching blue catfish in rivers. There is also a lot of information that will apply to locating blue catfish in lakes and reservoirs also. You can contact Paul Willett through his website Camo Fish Guide Service or on Facebook at his Camo Fish Guide Service page
