This can be an extensive movement, with the fish returning to the main channel of the river again in the months following the spawn. In fact, some channel cats have been documented as moving more than 100 miles over a period of several years.

Many fishermen hear the term spawn and think of heydays in the boat or on the bank with stringers full of crappie, bluegills or bass. This can be the case with channel catfish, but not for a short period during the spawn.

Fishing can become depressing when you are zeroing in a hole that usually provides more than enough catfish fillets for dinner. But don't get down, because there's a bright side to this situation.

While fish activity may be in a lull in one spot, it may be booming in another. Here's why.

The male channels will guard the nest, usually in a dark area like an undercut bank or a hollow log, after the females lay the eggs (up to 20,000 or so in just one nest). In fact, the males will chase off the females, choosing to stay and guard the nest alone for a period of several days before the fry disperse.

During the time these fellows are guarding their little ones, they are not interested in feeding, only in taking care of the next generation. But because of the differences in current, water temperature and habitat, channels may be spawning in one location on one day and in another spot along the river a week or two before or after then.

So, that means all that an angler needs to do is make a move if the fish aren't biting in any given location. Fish in other areas may be in the pre-spawn or post-spawn phase, which lends itself better to getting those catfish from the river's waters and into the skillet's oil.

WHEN, WHERE AND HOW
With a nickname like "Catfish," you'd figure a guy must have a rough-looking mug or at least know a little bit about fishing for them. Thankfully, for Keith Sutton (www.catfishsutton.com), it's the latter of the two that landed that handle for him.

This outdoorsman has written four books on catfishing and countless articles on the subject, many of which have appeared in the pages of this and its sister publications. That said, he was an obvious choice when it came to finding someone to dispense some sage advice on Mississippi River channel cats.

"Channel cats can be caught just about anywhere you drop a line in the Mississippi in June," he began. "That being said, it's easier for the angler to fish quieter areas of water where the Mississippi's heavy current doesn't make fishing difficult. I prefer to drop a line in slack areas behind wing dikes and in river backwaters."

Those places are just as popular with the channel cats in June and are plentiful, providing an almost endless list of possibilities for fish-catching locations.

"There's no one place better than any other when it comes to channel cats," Sutton continued. "This species is abundant everywhere in the river along the entire Arkansas border. It doesn't matter where you put a bait, you'll probably catch some if you do it right."

Sutton noted that channels are feeding both day and night and may be caught on a variety of bait as they look for the worms, mussels, shad and skipjack herring that the Mississippi's current offers.