Good to Great.  Big catfish are on the bite and the sustained success has only improved on the Red River in the past seven days. DEO Photo by Brad Durick 

By Brad Durick

If you can believe it catfishing got better that it already has been on the Red River. The pattern has remained mostly the same from the past two weeks and fish can be found right in the middle of the river at the heads of holes. They are in the areas that are three to six feet deeper than the flat running into them. Faster current has been the key to bigger fish. Sit times must be at the very least a continued honest 20 minutes and don’t be afraid to stick around longer if you feel you need to. When fishing faster water, you may be able to get fish quicker and get out.

All baits seem to be working at this time in the season. Again, this week they seem to be rotating between frogs and suckers so you will want to have both on hand. Goldey  is working but the other two seem better.

Last week construction began on the replacement of the Drayton Dam. That makes fishing under the dam from a boat off limits. The catch buoy seems to have changed the current some and I hear the fishing is a bit slower in that area.  In the end this dam project will be a great thing for fish movement throughout the Red River region.

Brad Durick is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and licensed ND fishing guide specializing in trophy catfish on the Red River in and around Grand Forks.