A strong set of large catfish continues to provide good summer angling on the Red River of the North. DEO Photo by Brad Durick.

By Brad Durick

Catfishing continues to be good on the Red River in and around Grand Forks but has slowed some over the past week. The heat and a water color variation have made fishing a little tougher but it is still outstanding. There are still many big fish around to be caught with many in the 14-to-16-pound range with some running even bigger.

Since it got hot over the weekend, the fish have moved deeper during the day. They seem to be liking the slower currents in the morning and then moving into the faster currents as the day goes on. Goldeye has been the big fish bait of choice but suckers are working and frogs are starting to play into the mix as well. A 25-to-30-minute wait time on a spot is what it takes to make sure fish are able to find the bait.

All ramps in the northern valley are in good shape, except Drayton. They are finally to the right water level there, but mud and debris still have everything in fairly poor shape.

The next tournaments are Cats Incredible in East Grand Forks July 30 and 31. The Catfish Capital Challenge in Drayton is set for August 12 and 13 with a guaranteed $10,000 cash prize for first place.

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