KING CAT TOURNAMENT

The Catfishing Couple

EDITOR'S NOTE: Rick and Cindy Matlock from Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, have been married for three years and enjoy fishing together in tournaments. The couple came in fifth place in the 2002 King Cat/Boatel Tournament in May on the Tennessee River's Pickwick Lake.

QUESTION: Did you guys fish together before you got married?
RICK: Yeah, we fished a lot together for catfish.

QUESTION: How many tournaments have you fished together as partners?
RICK: Probably about four.

QUESTION: How many pounds did you catch today?
RICK: We caught 52.8 pounds.

QUESTION: Where did you fish today?
RICK: We fished up above the dam in the lake.

QUESTION: Why did you decide to go up into the lake?
RICK: We came down and put in below the dam but having these gates open made the water really rough. So we came back down to the ground to load the boat, and we went to the lake for calmer conditions.

QUESTION: What kind of spots were you looking for at the lake?
RICK: We looked for ledges and drop-offs.

QUESTION: How deep were the ledges that you fished?
RICK: We fished from 35- to 45-feet deep.

QUESTION: Why were you fishing so deep?
RICK: According to the graph, most of the fish were holding deep.

QUESTION: What kind of fish where you seeing on the graph -- catfish?
RICK: We think so. We may have seen buffalo. I figured there probably were catfish here.

QUESTION: With what were you baiting?
RICK: We used cut and whole shad.

QUESTION: Which did the catfish seem to prefer?
RICK: The cut shad.

QUESTION: How were you rigged? What kind of line did you use?
RICK: We used 25-pound-test Berkley Big-Game line. We used a 1-ounce weight with two hooks -- the double system -- to fish for cats.

QUESTION: What size hooks did you use?
RICK: We used 2/0 hooks.

QUESTION: Were you searching for structure on these main-river drop-offs?
RICK: We just looked for drop-offs. A lot of times we would fish a bait right there on the ledge where the cats attacked the baitfish.

QUESTION: How many catfish do you think you caught today?
RICK: Probably 25 or 30.

QUESTION: Why do you think you experienced more success than everyone else?
RICK: Well, living here at Pickwick Dam, we could configure the water more I guess. We have quite a few places we generally fish and usually catch fish.

QUESTION: So, in high water, you go to the lake rather than fish below the dam?
RICK: Usually we fish above the dam for a big tournament. We go to the lake and fish it probably two weeks ahead and try to locate the fish. We catch a lot of big catfish in the lake. Of course, we catch a lot of big fish in the river, but there aren't near as many boats on the lake, and it is a lot quieter. If we get on fish, we don't have to worry about drawing a crowd because most people are fishing the tailrace and fishing below the dam.

QUESTION: How long have you fished for catfish?
CINDY: I've catfished for the past five or six years.

QUESTION: Why did you get into catfishing?
CINDY: I used to fish with my dad when I was little. So I had a little fishing in my blood. My husband loves to catfish, so we fish together a lot.

QUESTION: What do you like about cat fishing?
CINDY: I just like being outside and spending time with Rick. I enjoy feeling that tug on my hook and anticipating what I'll pull into the boat.

QUESTION: Rick, most fishermen don't take their wives with them in a tournament. Why do you take your wife?
RICK: She's a really good fisherman. Last year she won the women's category. In fact, she had a heavier stringer than me. She pays attention. She has gotten pretty good at it. I would rather have her as a partner than anybody else.

QUESTION: Are there any other tricks or secrets for fishing for high-water cats when a region has a flood-type situation?
RICK: When the gates are open, the river starts rising and brings all these fish out of the deep holes. They get in a feeding frenzy. If it is zeroed out, and the river is real low, then you have to go to the deeper holes to fish because they don't bit near as fast. As soon as that river comes up, they go wild. I don't know what happens.

QUESTION: Do you usually go to the lake when that river comes up?
RICK: No. We fish the river down there if it isn't running hard. But when the current is running hard, we go to the lake.

QUESTION: Which do you think you could catch more fish out of, the lake or the tailrace?
RICK: Probably the river. You go about any day to the river, and you can catch catfish.

QUESTION: But in high-water conditions, is above the dam the safest place to fish?
RICK: Don't fish too close to the dam. But above the dam does offer a safer place to catch more fish.

To learn more about fishing below the dam at Pickwick, contact the Hardin County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at info@tourhardincounty.org, call 731-925-8181 or 800-552-3866, or visit www.tourhardincounty.org. Pickwick Landing State Park offers fishing, boating, hiking, camping, swimming and golf. Lodging includes the lakeside inn with over 100 rooms, cabins that sleep eight and a campground that contains 48 sites with grill and electric/water hookup at each site. A restaurant at the park offers delicious southern cuisine. Call 731-689-3135 or 800-250-8615 to learn more.

TOMORROW: PHIL KING'S CAT-CATCHING TACTICS