A steady summer bite continues, and slight tweaks in gear will help up your odds when angling for catfish on the Red River of the north. DEO Photo by Brad Durick.

By Brad Durick

Not much has changed with catfishing on the Red River since last week’s reports.  Water temperatures remain in the mid-70s and catfish are still in the middle of the river for the most part. If the weather is stable, they are in the heads of the holes and in the faster water. If there is a front that comes around, they are more to the middle of the hole or even up on the flat shallow water in the off-current areas. It’s also a good idea to check for catfish on the back of an inside bend.

All baits seem to be working at this time. Again, this week they seem to be rotating between frogs and suckers so you will want to have both on hand. I have been finding that the addition of a small inline float about six inches above a frog rig helps better connect with bites. This seems to keep the frog out of the mud more and makes it easier for the catfish to find. 

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