John’s Note: Creekbanking for cats brings together all the ingredients of the finest outdoor living as it is…

* a solace to be rubbed on the soul of mankind;
* a potion with mystical powers to eliminate worry;
* a time for lying, for remembering and for enjoying the fellowship of good friends;
* an outdoor activity where the catching of a catfish is the excuse for the creekbanking experience, but never the ultimate goal; and
* an adventurous night in the woods and on the water.

Trotlining and jug-fishing are not the only two methods to obtain catfish when out creekbanking at night.

I’ve had some fine adventures using set-poles and limblines. A set-pole is a small, green limb or cane that’s forced into a muddy bank with the line, hook and weight tied to it and baited for catfish. There are several tricks to putting out set poles.

1) Make sure the limb is either green or that you use cane. I have seen novice set-pole fishermen utilize dry sticks on which to tie their lines. Then when the anglers go back to check their “sets,” they find the sticks broken from the savage strike of weighty catfish.
2) Be certain that the set-pole is pushed down deep enough in the mud or clay, so that a cat can’t pull the stick from its mooring.
3) Set the pole almost straight up and down. Then when Mr. Whiskers hits, the pole will bend, and the limberness of the pole will fight the cat.

To learn more, click here and get John E. Phillips’ new Kindle book, “Catfish Like a Pro.”

About the Author

John Phillips, winner of the 2012 Homer Circle Fishing Award for outstanding fishing writer by the American Sportfishing Association (AMA) and the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors. Click here for more information and a list of all the books available from John E. Phillips.

Next: Limblining for Catfish

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