Catfishing A family tradition

By By Mike Giles / outdoors writer
Nov. 14, 2003
Almost anywhere you find water in Mississippi, you're sure to find the old faithful catfish. Recently Olin Doerner joined grandson Justin Gentry and son-in-law Roy Gentry on a successful fishing trip. The trio of fishermen not only went fishing, they caught plenty of fish for the dinner table as well.
On the late afternoon fishing trip the three fishermen took turns teaming up on the catfish. While Olin tight-lined for cats with a spinning outfit, Justin and Roy watched an assortment of jugs that were baited up with chicken livers. Now it's one thing to pitch out jugs during the night and then pick them up in the morning. However, when you're sitting back relaxing and watching the jugs, it can get real hectic and exciting. Have you ever tried to grab a jug with a fresh cat on the line? It's not easy, I can tell you.
Olin was getting plenty of action with his spinning gear when a large catfish struck the first milk jug. "When that cat hit that jug and took it under it sounded like a rifle firing," stated Gentry. The jug had been jerked under with a fury and disappeared for a while. When it finally came up the fish was in a race against time. Eventually it got off before they could land him.
Fun begins
After that first one got off, Justin and Roy went on full alert and started catching catfish with their lines tied to oil and milk jugs. Now you talk about some fun, they were having it. "Now this is my kind of fishing," commented Justin Gentry. Just sit back, relax and collect some catfish for the frying pan.
Almost as soon as the catfish take the bait and feel the resistance of the jug, they begin their dance of twist and shake. They will usually twist the line until they tear free. If they don't tear free, then it's suppertime for happy fishermen. On this day, a few got away, but more were hooked and were destined for the "supper well" and ultimately the supper table.
Once they got to the jug with a fish on it, they had to grab the jug and heave the fish in. If the cats were large, then they had to net them or risk losing some of them. Of course some of the larger ones did twist to their freedom.
Bassing break
While Roy Gentry is an accomplished bass fisherman, he still likes to catch a catfish every now and then. In fact, once the bass fishing slows down in the summer, he will switch gears and go after the river cats. During those times he has taken many trips to Gainesville with Doerner, and caught large strings of catfish. On those trips they used shad and minnows, while tight lining on bottom.
Most of the time they will fish the river bends and sandbars in 25 to 30 feet of water. Along with a large egg sinker, they employed a number 3 Eagle Claw hook. In addition to fishing at Gainesville, they also like to fish Kemper Lake every once in awhile.
While many folks fish for fun, the Gentrys like to catch catfish for the supper table. Roy Gentry really knows how to cook them up too. He takes a little Southern Star or Cajun seasoning and mixes it with cornmeal and fries them up. Sometimes he'll even take a few of the cooked fillets and put them in a Styrofoam ice chest with a top and layer them with bell peppers, onions and maybe even a lemon or lime slice. Whew, talk about some fine eating. Take it from me, catch a few and try them yourself. You'll be glad you did. I guarantee.