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In this week’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta Fishing Report, host Nick Williams checks in with Josh Gunter of Mt. Vernon Outdoors and Steele Creek Bait and Tackle for a detailed look at the catfish bite on the Mobile and Tombigbee side of the Delta. The conversation centers on falling water, creek mouths, limb lines, bank poles, trotline safety, bait choices, and why this short window before the catfish spawn can be one of the best times of the year to fill a freezer.
The big theme this week is simple: when high water starts falling out of the woods, catfish set up where food is being pulled back into the river system. Josh explains how draining ditches, small creek mouths, current seams, and protected edges can concentrate fish that have been feeding in the timber. Nick and Josh also spend a lot of time on safety, because fishing lines at night around current, timber, barge traffic, and other boaters can be productive, but it is not something to take lightly.
Conditions Recap
This week’s conditions are shaped by falling water. Josh said the Tombigbee side is on a hard fall, and that is exactly the kind of situation that can make the catfish bite turn on. As floodwater drains out of the woods, it carries bugs, insects, bait, and other food back through ditches, low spots, and creek mouths. That moving water gives catfish a natural place to stack up and feed.
Nick noted that the Tensaw side has been more protected and has felt fairly normal over the past week, while the Tombigbee and Mobile side deal with more current and barge traffic. Josh said the water had come up around Hubbard’s Landing and was starting to fall back out hard. His rule of thumb for this kind of bite is to watch for water that is getting back inside the banks. When that happens, fish that were scattered in the flooded timber often slide to the first break, ditch mouth, creek mouth, or bank line.
The timing is important because Josh believes anglers have a good short window before the catfish spawn becomes a factor. He expects the bite to be strong for about a week in the Three Rivers area south toward the mouth of the Mobile River, but he warned that catfish can get much more difficult once the spawn begins.
Falling Water Catfish with Josh Gunter
Josh’s main point this week is that falling water consolidates both the fish and the food. When floodwater has been in the woods for several days, catfish can spread out and feed across a lot of flooded habitat. Once that water starts bleeding back toward the river, the food comes with it. That is when anglers should look for any place where water is running out of the woods and back into the main system.
Those places do not have to be obvious creek mouths. Josh said a productive setup could be a true creek mouth, a small ditch, a low gap in the bank, or any little drain where flow is pushing toward the river. If there is current coming out of the woods, he wants to fish it. He likes to set lines on both sides of that flow, because the bait and scent may spread as the current hits slower water.
Gear mentioned in this section includes limb lines, bank poles, jug lines, vertical trotline-style jug setups, two- to three-ounce egg sinkers, barrel swivels, circle hooks, 60- to 100-pound monofilament leaders, and tarred main line. Josh emphasized that a swivel is one of the most important parts of a limb line setup because it helps keep a hooked fish from twisting the line into a mess.
Limb Lines, Bank Poles, and Safer Alternatives to Trotlines
Nick and Josh both agreed that trotlines are effective, but they also talked honestly about why they can be dangerous, especially in current. Josh described a past experience where he and his wife got pinned against a tree while running a trotline in heavy current, and that was enough to make him move away from trotlines. Nick shared similar thoughts, saying trotlines can be nerve-wracking in smaller boats, especially when running big lines in open river current.
For Josh, limb lines and bank poles are easier, safer, and more efficient for the kind of fishing he likes to do. Limb lines are a strong option around draining ditches and creek mouths, while bank poles are especially useful around bluffs on the Mobile and Tombigbee side. Josh said bluff banks can be deadly for flatheads and big blue cats when there is some current, but not so much that fishing becomes difficult or unsafe.
For anglers building their own setups, Josh likes a main line tied to a swivel, then a heavy monofilament snood or leader with a circle hook. He generally keeps the weight 18 to 24 inches above the hook. Nick noted that black line is harder to see in the trees than white or green line, which can help with keeping setups less obvious, but both anglers also stressed that lines need to be retrieved and not left in the river.
Bank pole options mentioned in this section include homemade PVC and rebar-style poles, fiberglass stakes, arborist-style stakes, and commercial bank poles. Josh said the poles his shop carries are built with stainless steel components and a coated finish to reduce fiberglass splinters and make them hold up better over time.
Best Catfish Baits Right Now
Josh said catfishing may have one of the most diverse bait lists of any kind of fishing. Catfish will eat a lot of things, but his top choices remain fresh shad, bluegill, and goldfish. Fresh shad from a cast net can be hard to beat when available. Bluegill, whether live or cut, remain a dependable choice, and goldfish are another bait he keeps stocked for anglers.
Other baits mentioned include chicken livers, beef heart, shrimp, crawfish, hot dogs, and bait shrimp. Nick talked about a past trip where old freezer shrimp worked extremely well on a trotline, and Josh pointed out that almost everything in the river will eat shrimp. He also noted that oily baits can help, but anglers need bait that will stay on the hook long enough to fish effectively.
Crawfish came up as a particularly interesting bait for flatheads. Nick described an older Tensaw-side angler who used plain live crawfish on limb lines and consistently caught flatheads. Josh said crawfish are a good bait when anglers can get them, and he expects some local fishermen to start dragging ditches for crawfish as conditions line up.
Night Fishing, Boat Traffic, and Safety
A major part of this week’s report focused on safety. Limb lines, bank poles, and trotlines are often checked at night or early in the morning, and that means anglers need to think about more than just catching fish. Josh and Nick both emphasized wearing a life jacket, keeping a knife accessible, slowing down, using proper running lights, and making sure the boat is ready before heading out.
Josh said trotline safety starts with actually wearing a PFD instead of just having one in the boat. He also recommended keeping a pocket knife or two where they can be reached quickly, because a hook, heavy line, and current can create a dangerous situation fast. Nick added that he has become more serious about wearing a kill switch after recent boating accidents, especially when running alone.
Night vision was another important topic. Josh warned that bright graphs and screens can hurt visibility if they are not dimmed or put into night mode. He prefers to slow down, turn off unnecessary screen glare, and take his time. Both anglers agreed that a barge is usually easier to see at night than an unlit small boat, and that running without lights is one of the scariest things on the river.
Other safety gear and considerations mentioned include working bow and stern lights, a spare light, a working bilge pump, a buddy in the boat when possible, and extra caution around floating logs, deadheads, stumps, wasp nests, snakes, and alligators. Josh said wildlife is usually not the problem unless it is being bothered, but wasps are almost inevitable for anglers who spend enough time tying and checking limb lines.
Family Fishing and Why Limb Lines Are Still a Delta Tradition
Nick said limb lining is one of the ways he helped get his wife into fishing, because the action can be exciting and immediate. Instead of casting, getting hung up, or waiting a long time between bites, a family can run down a bank and check lines together. There is always suspense when a limb is bouncing, and there is even more suspense when a limb is bent down and not moving.
Josh agreed that limb lines are a great entry point for kids and new anglers. A small channel cat can make a limb dance, but a big blue cat or flathead can load the limb up and create the kind of moment that sticks with a young angler. Nick said that is one reason he wants to get back into it with his daughter while she is still small enough for a 30- or 40-pound catfish to look enormous.
The tradition also comes with responsibility. Josh and Nick both talked about how old lines left in trees can create problems for other anglers, boaters, birds, and wildlife. They encouraged anglers to learn a good slip knot, check their lines, pull their lines when they are finished, and avoid leaving dangerous tackle behind.
Local Bait and Tackle for This Week’s Catfish Bite
Anglers looking to put together catfish lines this week can check with Josh at Mt. Vernon Outdoors in Bucks or Steele Creek Bait and Tackle in Satsuma. Josh said both locations are stocked with twine, weights, hooks, swivels, frozen gizzard shad, goldfish, large minnows, and other supplies needed to build and bait limb lines, bank poles, or jug setups.
Nick pointed out that one of the biggest reasons to visit a local tackle shop is knowledge. A big box store may sell hooks and line, but a local shop can show anglers how to tie the knots, rig the lines, choose bait, and understand what the river is doing right now.
What to Expect This Week
Catfish anglers should make the most of the falling-water window. Focus on drains, ditches, creek mouths, low places in the bank, and any flow pulling food out of flooded timber. Limb lines set near the edges of that flow should be a strong option, especially when fish can sit just outside the current and pick off food as it washes by.
On the Tombigbee and Mobile side, bank poles can be a strong choice around bluff banks when current is manageable. Flatheads may be more active during the day than some anglers expect, while blues and channels should continue to feed heavily at night, especially around shallow shelves and current-adjacent structure.
Anglers should also keep the upcoming catfish spawn in mind. Josh expects this bite to be good in the short term, but he warned that the spawn can make catfish much harder to catch. Get lines ready now, fish safely, retrieve your gear, and take advantage of the falling water while the window is open.
