DELAWARE RIVER CHANNEL CATS
by Tim Hade for A.C.A.T.S. Catfish Now
When Catfishermen and women get together and start talking about "Dream Locations" there are many names thrown around, Santee Cooper, the "Ole Miss", the Red River in Manitoba, and the James, but one that is seldom heard is the Delaware River in New Jersey.
New Jersey?!?
This skepticism suits Brother of Catfishermen (BOC) star member Big George Ostrom just fine. George, a Train Operator from Brooklawn, New Jersey, has been enjoying great fishing for channel cats on the Delaware River for the last 15 year. On a good day fishing George will CPR (catch-photo-release) up to 40 channel cats in the four to seven pound weight class!
There is an old saying: 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water" and on a body of water like the Delaware River, this definitely holds true.
The Delaware River is a beautiful tidal estuary, at some points stretching over a mile wide. During the course of a 12 to 14 hour fishing day, the current will change directions 6 times. Tidal flow has a direct correlation on water levels, impacting the rivers rise and fall.
George's main key fishing locations are wing dams, sunken piers, sunken barges, and crane rigs which reside along the banks of the river for loading and unloading merchant ships.
Fishing is "run and gun."
Knowledge of the water conditions, tidal flow, and structure areas in the river are not only the key to successful fishing, but a matter of boating safety as well. Proper anchoring and boat positioning is a critical success factor. Having situational awareness of what is happening around you and your boat can literally be a matter of life and death when boating and fishing on the Delaware River basin.
When you talk to George about his fishing success, he will immediately tell you that it is based on the three P's: preparation, preparation, and PREPARATION.
George's fishing trips on the Delaware start the evening before he is going to wet a line. Like an Army General forecasting what the enemy will do, he sits at the kitchen table meticulously analyzing published tide charts. This is critical to his success; fishing on the Delaware means keying in on fishing structure locations in changing current. Accurate knowledge of the tidal flow, and when to be at key locations is a must.
