How to Get Your Cat Out of a Tree

Brush and catfish go together like hooks and sinkers. All structures will hold catfish. Rocks, logs, concrete slabs, shopping carts, old cars, and bridge pylons. Pretty much anything that blocks a little current or they can tuck under, catfish will relate to at some point. For now though, let's concentrate on what might be the most intriguing of them all, and that’s brush piles.

Brushpiles are what you would think they are. They’re piles of brush in the water. Now that we have the obvious out of the way let's dive a little deeper. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be fished as simply as tossing your bait on the upstream side and hoping the scent will draw out a feisty cat. Here’s a few tips that might put a few more of those feisty cats in hand.

1 - All About That Brush, No Treble

Using treble hooks goes way back in catfish culture. However, if you’re tossing your bait next to timber, they tend to snag quite a bit more. Obviously, it makes sense that a hook with three points will hang up more, but with busy lives, like we all have, sometimes those kinds of details get overlooked. Swap your treble hook for a slightly larger J hook or circle hook, and you’ll be fighting more cats and fewer limbs.

2 - Fish What Sticks Out

Using treble hooks goes way back in catfish culture. However, if you’re tossing your bait next to timber, they tend to snag quite a bit more. Obviously, it makes sense that a hook with three points will hang up more, but with busy lives, like we all have, sometimes those kinds of details get overlooked. Swap your treble hook for a slightly larger J hook or circle hook, and you’ll be fighting more cats and fewer limbs.

3 - Fish the Seams

Current hits the brush and is deflected in all directions. This generally scours out a hole underneath and to the sides, creating a seam where fast and slow water meet. Placing baits on the outside can often be a hotspot. Sometimes there is a seam formed above the brush pile from where the current deflects off the bank and runs into the brush pile. This is another great place, especially for big fish.

4 - Made in the Shade

Cats like lowlight conditions, which is one of the big reasons they like to hide in the brush. Places where a little shade extends away from the cover can give cats just enough comfort to come out of their home and nab a bait. This tactic seems to help the most when targeting flatheads during the day.

5 - Check Out What’s Below the Water

If you have a fish finder, take a moment and scan above the brush pile to make sure the bottom is clean. Sure, it’s not always a terrible idea to fish submerged structure, but it sure is annoying to throw a bait in an area you thought was clear, only to be snagged immediately. If you don’t have a fish finder or are bank fishing, simply toss a rod out with only a sinker and drag it through the area. Generally, the sinker doesn't snag and can tell you a lot about what’s underneath.

If you find a brush pile, it’s probably going to hold a few fish. However, I’m a believer that there’s always a way to do it better. I hope these tips help you out and let you put a few more cats on the bank, boat, or kayak.