Heat Wave. Expect the prespawn bite for Red River catfish to slow as heat moves into the region this week. DEO Photo by Brad Durick.

By Brad Durick

Get ready for some catfish shock. The forecast is everything we don’t want: nice stable comfortable weather shifting right to nasty hot. Water temperatures will be rising very fast into the 70s and shocking the fish for a few days and then I suspect the spawn will be close behind.

In the meantime, get out and take advantage of what we have left of the prespawn. The water levels in the Drayton area are back to low, in step with the rest of the Red River. The fish are feeding in the faster water for now which I expect to slow down the early part of next week after the heat. Sit times have been 15-20 minutes with fresh cut bait being the best. I have not seen a big need to change bait often, just get it in the right spot and stay on the move to find active fish. One thing I have noticed is once you catch a couple active fish you will notice light taps and pecks. Just move to the next spot rather than waiting for the next fish.

The river is extremely low and caution should still be exercised when boating (especially below dams) to ensure the safety of you and your equipment.

Brad Durick is a Dakota Edge Outdoors Contributing Writer and a licensed ND Fishing Guide specializing in trophy catfish on the northern Red River.