PHOTO BY JEFF SAMSEL

Summer, particularly late July and August, is the hottest and most humid time of the year. Catfish anglers spend their time on the water at night and most are busy sinking bait in 30 to 50 feet of water where the temperatures are cooler than the balmy shallows. What many anglers do not know is that large catfish prowl the shallows of tidal rivers at night looking for an easy meal. There are two Virginia tidal rivers where shallow-water angling is particularly good business: the James and the Rappahannock rivers.

JAMES RIVER
The James River has produced many trophy blue catfish and will likely continue to do so because of its great forage base of gizzard shad, herring and perch. The deep waters, the plentiful structure and the popularity of catch-and-release angling on the river is a plus that helps the fishery thrive. While the fishing is good in the deeper stretches of the river, some of the hottest and most productive fishing during the summer is in the shallow-water areas.

Captain Kevin Salmon runs a guide service for trophy catfish on the James River. He specifically likes to fish from Deep Bottom down to Prequile NWR at night, and he fishes the shallow flats that are common on both sides of the river.

With miles of flats available to anglers, I had to ask Captain Salmon what makes a particular flat worth fishing.

"I like to look for a mud flat that has a trough running through it. The trough does not have to be that much deeper than the flat itself, but if it is located near deep water where the fish can access it easily, it will hold bait."

Captain Salmon went on to say that bait washes into the troughs when the tide is running. Many baitfish are hit by boats and are easy meals for large fish that are cruising the troughs looking for dinner. Flats may only be a few feet deep, but the deeper troughs give the predator catfish a way to ambush their prey.

"I fish on mud flats that are typically 5 to 8 feet deep. The trough may be 2 to 3 feet deeper and as little as 60 to 70 feet wide. This makes for a natural funnel for bait to congregate in and therefore passing catfish will take interest in the area," Salmon pointed out.

He also said that because of high boat traffic and activity on the water, anglers enjoy another advantage at night: reduced recreational activity. Periods of high boat activity, the guide believes, make the fish skittish. Because the fish tend to be spooked easily, it is important that anglers study their maps (GMCO puts out a great map for the James and Rappahannock) and either drift into a likely position or idle up to it from at least 100 yards away.

Captain Salmon noted that he has had bites come in as few as five minutes after putting out a line, but then sometimes it takes an hour or two. Salmon also told us that he has often had clients catch two or three good fish right away and then the action dies down for an hour or two before picking back up. This is not abnormal. It is also important to understand that a moving tide is key to catching fish. A slack tide is a great time to move to the next spot.