CC Newsletter 1

I n s i d e t h i s
I s s u e
• Kids Korner
• Seasonal Tactics
Catfish
Conference
Newsletter
V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 1
N e w s l e t t e r D a t e
• Conference
Vendors
• Conference Info
• King of the
James Q & A
• Product Review
Welcome to Catfish Conference
After the huge success of the third edition of the Catfish
Conference in February of 2018, we began preparing the future
edition of what will be the largest event in the nation dedicated to the
glory of catfish, catfishing and catfish anglers.
The Catfish Conference has listened to your requests, and this
year we are making all of your catfishing dreams come true by
making it bigger and better than ever before. Our event will be from
February 22-24 at our new location, the Kentucky Expo Center in
Louisville, Kentucky with 70,000 square feet making this the largest
Catfish Conference yet.
Catfishing is one of the fastest growing sport in the United
States of America. With over 3.5 million anglers nationwide, the
Catfish Conference is honored to be the place where everyone
meets and has a great time.
Contributing Writers:
Ann White
Eddie White
Amy Smith
Leslie VanDerau
Editor:
Ann White
This newsletter is provided by
Catfish Conferenece as part of
membership. Information
about joining can be found at
www.catfishconference.com
Located across from the Louisville International Airport, the Kentucky Expo
Center is conveniently located close to many hotels and restaurants. The Expo
Center is located at the intersection of Interstate 65 and 264, easily
accessible to drivers from any direction.
Service animals are allowed in the Convention Center, but must be kept on
a leash.
Handicapped parking is located in every lot and guests with disabilities can
find contact the Director of Public Safety. Please give notice at least 48 hours in
advance of any event. If you have a disability, either temporary or permanent, requiring
accommodation, contact Chris Brawner at 502-367-5132
or chris.brawner@kyvenues.com.
The lost and found is located in the Exposition Security Office next to the
Ticket Office.
Information about upcoming events can be found at :www.kyfairexpo.org.

Kids Korner
So you wanna tournament fish
with your kid? Here's a little realism
on what it entails. I have never
liked music while I am tournament
fishing. Well, I do now! Especially
the top 40. Why? Cause it
keeps my boy happy. Staring off
into space and day dreaming of
the next lego build that is so important,
is WAY more importanter
then watching the rod tip wiggle.
There are never enough
snacks or drinks on the boat. I
like to eat. Especially heavy filled
carbed junk. Give it to me. Yet
when I am on the boat, I seem to
be on an 8 hour diet. Not the kid.
There is no such thing as to many
snacks as by the end of the day,
they are gone. Ever seen a snail
move? Did it excite you? Me neither.
Until I pour salt on a snail,
they were rather boring. So, I
pour some salt on the kid every
now and then to get him to bubble.
Nap, I must nap now. Let um.
I will let him nap anytime with no
argument, because I know if I say
fish on, he already has the net.
Here are a few of the givins. I
have a 12 year old whom does not
complain that he is tired, hungry,
bored, or the likes of. He is content
and eager to win the day(s).
A little give makes it more memorable
for both of us. In our boat
when tournament fishing, there is
no my rod, your rod. There is, a
rod bends, you reel it in. Only one
way to win and that's for everybody
to be involved and have fun.
If this sounds like a complaint,
then you must not know what
memories are made of. Though I
would much rather have him as
focused as I. I would not change
anything about what he does.
From dangling his feet in the water
to slapping sticks. Make it memorable,
have fun, laugh, remember
that they will be living your legacy.
To my boy, Change nothing.
With the Polar Vortex
behind us now, it’s time to jump
back on the ice! What? Ice fishing?
In the cold? if you haven’t
done it yet, I strongly urge you to
give it a try!
Yes, open water catfishing
can be awesome in the winter,
but for those whose rivers and
lakes freeze, we have to learn to
adapt. Instead of traveling south
C a t fi s h C o n f e r e n c e
Seasonal Tactics
every weekend or taking
the winter off (which is just
plain ridiculous) we have
learned over the years how
to catch catfish through the
ice.
Ice Cat’n is really
very basic. Just a few pieces
of equipment, warm gear,
bait and you’re set! Since
rivers tend to fluctuate too
much to have safe ice, many
prefer to go on lakes and
ponds. Before going out,
make sure to do your
homework. Looking for
underwater points or mid
depth flats with deeper water
close by is key. Once
you have picked your destination,
you can begin packing
your gear. Depending
on the size of fish you will
be targeting, you will want
a 6-10” auger. A depth finder
is also a helpful tool to
take along with you. When
deciding on rods, a medium
to medium-heavy rod is
great! We personally use
the Whisker Seeker 38” ice
rod, which is designed for
hard water catfishing. Any
rod you choose can be lined
with 6-20lb line, again depending
on the size of your
fish. From there you need
to decide if you will be jigging
with a spoon tipped
with bait or setting your
rod in an automatic fisherman
or tip-up.
To rig up for the
auto fisherman, you can do
a scaled down version of a
carolina rig, using a 1/0-4/0
hook, a short leader line
with a ¼ ounce bullet sinker.
Top it off with some
bait: frozen shad guts, minnows,
and nightcrawlers
work great. Then drop it
down to the desired depth.
However, always keep in
mind the regulations of the
state you are fishing in and
the winter habits of the fish
you are targeting. While
blue cats are most active in
cooler water they are not
often found where the water
freezes. Channels can
be very active through the
ice, however Flatheads go
dormant and will not be
active. Another thing to be
mindful of is the temperature.
If it is below freezing,
your holes will freeze shut.
But don’t fret, you can easily
avoid this by fishing inside
a heated shelter.
When it comes to
outdoor clothing, always
make sure you are over prepared.
Better safe than sorry
is huge when ice fishing.
No matter the temps, I always
have my floating bibs
on! A tip for the ladies,
when I know it’s going to be
down right cold (single to
negative digits), I will wear
insulated snow pants under
my bibs, along with boot
warmers, hand warmers,
and my insulated boots that
are 2 sizes too big. To help
aid in safety, I wear my
cleats, picks around my
neck, and use a spud bar to
safely check the ice.
I hope everyone
enjoys the rest of their
hardwater season and finds
these tips useful for landing
their next Ice Cat!
Amy Smith

Looking for something specific? Just want to browse? Catfish
Conference will have a little something for everyone. Whether
it’s a new boat or a pack of hooks, if it has to do with catfishing,
it will be available for sale.
Vendor List by Category:
Baits:
Catfish Pro Baits
Hamilton Wholesale Baits
Big Kat Bait Company
Big Vic’s Bait Netting
Boats:
Canoe/Kayak Kentucky
Unlimited Marine—Crestline
Erie Marine—Hewescraft
Jeff Jones Marine—SeaArk Boats
Excel Boats
Knot Marine—PolarKraft
Miracle Marine—Monster Cat Boats
WavePro Shocks
Clothing:
Katfish Clothing
MudBum
Electronics:
Navionics
Garmin
Lowrance
Humminbird
Fishing Line:
Gamma Line
Slime Line
Misc:
Lynnhurst Family Resorts
KDFW
HOT
Catfish Conservation
Ducks Unlimited Family Activities
Catfish Now
Catfish Weekly
Tackle:
Mustad Hooks
Big River Kats
Dale’s Tackle
Chubby Fish Outdoors
Whisker Seeker Tackle
Tackle Bandit—Demon Dragons
Team Catfish
Hookers Terminal Tackle
Hooksetter USA
Muddy River Catfishing
Whisker Stix
Bluff City Outdoors
Schrock Catfish Rigs
Warrior Cat Tackle
Off Shore Tackle
Rod Holders:
Monster Rod Holders
River Rodder
Rods:
Tangling with Catfish
Shattered Cat Rods
Catch the Fever Rods
Kast King
Rippin Lips
Team Catfish
Muddy River Catfishing
Warrior Cat Rods
MudBum
Whisker Seeker Rods
Tournaments:
Chick Fight
King of the James
Possum Kingdom CatMasters
Twisted Cat Outdoors
All American Catfish Trail
King Kat USA
Tennessee River Catfish Club
Bait Tanks:
Catfish Addiction Chiller Tanks
Xtreme Bait Tanks
Planer Boards:
The Original Clear Board
Parks Planers
Off Shore Tackle
Conference Hours:
Friday, February 22, 2019 3-8 pm
Saturday, February 23, 2019 10am—5 pm
Sunday, February 4, 2019 10 am—2 pm
Conference Cost:
$7 for a 3 day pass
Parking is $10 per day
Want to avoid parking?
Most local hotels offer free shuttle
service to the Expo Center.

Product Spotlight
Have you ever stopped to
think about your bait
knife? You know the small,
underappreciated, but very important
tool in your boat! Just
take a moment and ask yourself,
“what all can my knife do?
What can it not do?” Then ask
yourself, how many you toss
out every year cause they’re
ruined or are ineffective.
There are so many options
out there for bait knives. Some
are just old fillet knives, a
pocket knife, a homemade
blade, or even the Wal-Mart
special! They are all good
choices and all have their own
pros and cons. But if you are
finding yourself shopping for a
new bait knife this year, check
out the latest one on the market,
the Whisker Seeker 5”
Bait Knife.
The WST Bait Knife has a 5”
razor sharp 4116 stainless steel
Teflon coated blade. It is designed
with two multi purpose
edges. A smooth side for cutting
& filleting and a serrated
back edge for easy scaling &
cutting bone. It also features a
built-in line cutter wedge as
well. The beautifully designed
black and orange handle is
wrapped with an Ergonomic
slime proof golf grip to help
keep it from slipping out of
your hands. Along with it’s durable
quick dry sheath, the
WST Bait Knife also comes
with a two-year Trophy Tuff
Warranty!
If you are interested in getting
your hands on one of
these, check out the Whisker
Seeker booth (#53-64) at the
Catfish Conference!
Amy Smith
Whisker Keeker 5” Bait Knife, Available
at Catfish Conference Booth #53-64.