When targeting flathead catfish, Garrett uses live bait exclusively, favoring bream or crawfish. Both are common in the river and far out-produce fresh-cut bait.

"On my last fishing trip below Columbia," Garrett noted, "we caught 40 flatheads in seven hours. When I cleaned them, I was surprised that every fish had crawfish in its stomach."

Garrett catches both bream and crawfish before going fishing. He uses minnow traps to catch crawfish from swampy roadside ditches. If you are going to keep them for a short time, clip their claws, since they are fished without them anyway. Otherwise, make sure they have plenty to eat or they will kill each other.

GEARING UP
Because of the strong current, Garrett and Green use set poles, limb lines and casting rods for the pinpoint placement of their baits. According to our veteran catmen, nothing can compare to using limb lines and set poles. Their gear is simple, yet it consistently produces catch rates of 10 pounds per hour on the lower Chattahoochee.

These rates are possible because limb lines and set poles allow them to place bait where catfish feed in the current breaks -- not just the spot, but also the correct depth. Furthermore, they can position the bait so hooked fish rarely become tangled. Skilled anglers can duplicate bait position with a casting rod but cannot fish as many hooks simultaneously in high-percentage areas.

Garrett and Greene usually fish 20 to 30 set poles. The number of limb lines is determined by the availability of suitable limbs growing over current breaks. Often, they fish more set poles than limb lines.

When these catmen need set poles, they harvest them from the nearest canebrake. Greene's poles run 12 to 14 feet, but Garrett uses different lengths.

"I have 60 to 70 poles ready to fish," Garrett said. "They range in length from 8 to 12 feet, so I can match the length of the pole and its line to where I plan to fish."

Both limb lines and set poles consist of strong No. 18 nylon line, threaded through a 5- to 8-ounce egg sinker and tied to a brass swivel, which is followed by a short leader and a strong hook.

"Remember that current will cause your bait to tumble," Greene cautioned, "so keep the length of your leaders to 4 or 5 inches. The further the hook is from your weight, the greater the tumbling motion, and the harder it is for the fish to take the bait. Short leaders produce more fish."

While Greene prefers the traditional Limerick hook in size 7/0 with its big eye for tying to nylon line and the long shank for deep penetration, Garrett has switched to circle hooks in size 3/0.

"Circle hooks catch more fish," Garrett argued. "When the fish takes the bait, it's nearly always hooked in the corner of the mouth. It holds the fish better, and the fish is also much easier to unhook."

For casting rods, these anglers use the same style rig, except the line is 20-pound-test monofilament and the weight of their sinkers is commensurate with the current. This requires having a variety of sinkers on hand weighing up to 8 ounces.

For jug-fishing, Garrett downsizes to a 1-ounce sinker and No. 2 hook that he fishes at a depth of 2 to 5 feet. He said the heavy sinker helps control drift caused by the wind.