It was not the typical fishing trip. I was not going to some remote wilderness area.  No, we were going to fish off of downtown Cincinnati. On top of that, my accommodations were at the Millennium Hotel in the heart of the city. I have to admit I wasn’t used to the hotel’s plush accommodations.  

The next morning when we went outside, cold, wind-driven snow slapped us in the face. Wow! What a wake-up call. We drove five miles to the ramp to meet Dale Broughton. We climbed into his 21-foot Custom Weld boat. The Honda 225-horse power outboard motor purred powerfully as we headed upstream. I admit, I was beginning to feel a bit wimpy. I stayed the night in a fancy hotel and the seating area in Dale’s boat was totally enclosed with a clear plastic surround. The two heaters inside made it down right toasty. 

We motored upstream to a cove, and Broughton put the motor in neutral. He took a cast net and tossed it out for bait.  Within 10 minutes, he had the bait-well filled with shad. He put the throttle down and headed upstream. I couldn’t wait to get started. I’ve never caught a blue catfish before, and Broughton said cold weather is a prime time for blues. Gary Richards accompanied me on this trip, and he too was looking for his first blue cat. 

Broughton stopped the boat over a hole 50 feet deep. Because of the gusting wind, he used three anchors, one off the bow, and an anchor on each corner of the stern. He put cut shad bait on size 8/0 Gamakatsu octopus hooks. A short 50 lb. test leader connected the hook to a swivel on the 30 lb. test main line. A four ounce slip sinker completed the rig. The rods were cast behind the boat in a fan pattern. 

Now, don’t think you will be able to spend the whole day watching for bites from inside the heated cabin. It allowed us to slip in and take turns warming up. The key was to be outside by the boat’s stern, so the hook could be set the moment a fish mouthed  the bait firmly. It was a tad brisk, so I was glad I was wearing my super warm Mustang Survival Suit. It took a few minutes before the action started.

“Wait until there is steady tapping or a pull before setting the hook,” said Broughton. “When you pull, jerk hard and crank the reel’s handle as fast as you can.” 

Richards got the first good bite and did exactly what he was told. However, he didn’t reel fast because whatever was on the other end of the line had a different idea of where to go - not towards the boat. The pole bowed and strained under the fish’s heavy pull. 

Finally, after a strenuous fight, the hulking fish came close to the boat. Then nothing happened.

“Are you snagged,” asked Broughton?

“I don’t know,” replied Richards.

“Try to lift him up with the fishing rod,” replied Broughton.

Well, Richards is a big guy and it took some effort to raise the rod tip a few inches. That must have angered the behemoth, because he started swimming again.

“This is a monster,” was all that Broughton said. 

The battle went on for another few minutes before the action stopped. This time Richards couldn’t lift the fish up. Our worst fears, snagged anchor rope, came true. The monster tangled up in the rope and freed itself from the hook. How big was the fish? Who knows.  Broughton’s clients have caught blue cats over 50 lbs., and flathead catfish up to 63 lbs. 

Well, it wasn’t long before I hooked and landed a big blue cat, but not anywhere as big as Richards’s lost fish. We spent the rest of the day fishing various deep holes along the river. The wind never let up but the action was fast enough to keep us warm.  We caught a number of two-to- 10-lb. cats, with a few big ones that were tough to hold up for photos. Best of all, we hit the catfish trifecta - channel catfish, flathead catfish and our target specie, blue catfish. We also caught sauger, saugeye, and a sheepshead. 

While we caught over two dozen catfish, Broughton was hoping for more.

“You need current to really catch fish on the river,” said Broughton. “If we had a little more flow, we would have caught more.”

Richards and I weren’t upset. We had a great time catching some nice-sized catfish, along with fighting the mythical big one that got away. Broughton fishes all winter, when the weather and current allows it. For those who prefer warmer conditions, he also guides all year.    

To contact Dale Broughton, call 513-248-9032. The phone number for the Millennium Hotel is 1-800-876-2100. Dale also will be doing seminars on his boat at the Hart Productions Cincinnati Hunting & Fishing Show, January 21-25, 2009, www.hartproductions.com.