Part 2: Gila River , Arizona /The Hunt For Flathead Catfish

Went to the Gila River near Winkleman, AZ in search of baitfish and only found Endangered Red Shiners in the area I fished ,all fish were released back into the Gila River . That was the only sign of fish in that area that I could find,did not see any carp or bluegill , going to search down river for carp next time I go out there.
Fished for Channel Catfish and only got a few bites from small cats ..Thanks For Watching !! and stay tuned for the next video .
The backround music was leased through www.SFRbeats.com
Leased a contract if ya'll need some beats for your next video go check them out high quality royalty free beats with a purchase of a lease ..

[@joelewing4498]

In July of 1973 when I was 18, 7 of my just-graduated high school buddies from Tucson smoked weed and drank beer all the way up from Tucson to Winkelman, with inner tubes ready to float the Gila. We stopped in Winkelman to get cigs and more beer and get our tubes inflated. Long story made short, I began going down that river....which btw had signs posted NO TUBING/DANGEROUS WATER because of either big rains up north of there or maybe a water release upstream from there. Half-drunk/stoned fools that we were.....and feeling macho....in we went....one at a time. That river was just ROARING, and we stood there silently....staring at it and pondering not going in. Well, once I got in, the water just SHOT me down river so fast...and I made it about 200 yards and then big trouble. I got sucked under and wrapped around a big tree branch underwater. I WAS UNDER A GOOD TWO MINUTES. Guys would try to get at me to pull me out, but the current was wayyy too strong, and they got pushed downstream. My brain split into 3 brains/consciousnesses.....of which I could easily keep track of each one. One was normal life....with me struggling like a madman to get loose of that branch. Another part of my mind was literally a voice keeping very accurate track of how many seconds of life I had left. I could hear a voice going:: "you now have 53 seconds of life left. .....you now have 35 seconds of life left....and I KNEW that this count was dead-on accurate. The third split was showing me my funeral....and I could feel the immense sadness of everybody there at the service. I prayed to the Good Lord for help.....and it came into my mind the image of the old SuperMan flying thru the air. It gave me the idea of kicking my legs straight back of me and flying thru the air like the image I just said. I did it....and instead of being literally wrapped in a helpless total horseshoe shape around that branch....my legs were now free and I slid off of the branch. I fought hard to get to the shore....then just went like a crazed person grabbing weebs, cactus, grasses, creosote....anything to grab ahold of to pull me out and straight up about an 8 foot cliff-like thing. It got me to my car....and my buddies made sure I was allright. I wouldn't get back in the water....they were totally freaked out but opted to go down the river. I drove down and waited the 2 hours until they floated past. It changed my life. I've never forgotten it....and know how easy it is to drown in the Gila....like so many others have over the years. Good luck if you tube that thing.....especially in high water days....as that current is so much stronger than it looks.

[@southwestcatfishingarizona8264]

Thanks for sharing that story !! Under tow and branches are not a good mix ..Glad you survived to tell the story 💪🏜👍 my next spot I am going to fish for big flats is above San Carlos Lake up river and wait for the females to get off the spawn bed... Be safe out there And keep those lines tight.

[@trojan4ever298]

I’m from San Carlos. The lake is currently up but not full. I had a friend mentioned about a month ago they were catching channel catfish in the lake. This is a cool video

[@southwestcatfishingarizona8264]

Thanks , San Carlos Lake is awesome and those channel cats in there are big, last big one I caught out of there was 25lbs . Fun place to fish

[@jroutdoorsaz8221]

Right on man.. I'll be watching next one

[@SouthernFisherman]

Me to Ruben

[@davidwest2917]

If its legal....make up a fist size dough ball with some molasses mixed in....throw it next to the bank....15 minute soak and then cast net....works great for bait ! If the current is a little fast wrap a rock with your dough bait !also boneless chicken thighs cut into one inch chunks soaked in molasses is killer on catfish and other species, especially channel cats....I'm 69 years old...fell in love with fishing when I was 6 year old...still have the passion...I have been fortunate to fish many lakes and rivers all over the country ....all oceans and gulf of Mexico and gulf of Alaska....I still travel around and all I do is fish and hunt...I'm not rich...I live in my wagon year round and adventure to lakes and rivers large and small...I hang my hat where the sun goes down...what a life...I have many tricks of the trade...I fish for all species large and small ! Carp love molasses chicken thighs...if you are seeing no activity just fish it next to shore...give it a few minutes and the carp will swim up stream and find it ...the molasses chicken will draw them like a magnet...watch your rod closely...they will hit like a big blue cat and take your rod and reel for a ride !😅these are tried and true methods and work in any body of water with fish.....I shouldn't give away these techniques...but I'm a generous soul and like to help people catch fish...I'm old school and modern technique savvy...😜 Good luck !😏✊👌👍✌😜🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@billromero3154]

That river completely dried out last summer. There is any descent fish in there. You have to go above San Carlos Lake. Good Luck

[@southwestcatfishingarizona8264]

The Gila River has alot of History . San Carlos has some Giant Flatheads . Above the lake will be a great spot 👍There is an area I already have mapped out above San Carlos it is similar to the layout of the Salt River above Roosevelt Lake ..Thanks for the info Billl Romero 💪🏜👍💯

[@live2reelaz493]

There’s still fish in this river, the bites been good for flatheads it’s just all about location.

[@adrianscott8287]

Once my friend caught a rainbow trout just upstream from Winkelman. All I ever caught was bottom feeding sucker fish small, mud catfish, channel cat, and huge carp. No bluegill. All you need is chicken liver to catch channel cat.

[@NOVAOUTDOORS]

Great stuff, keep it up

[@southwestcatfishingarizona8264]

Thanks for watchingMore videos coming soon ... Going for winter cut bait cats at Apache soon...

[@juliegoodson4029]

I'm from peoria i love fishing for channel catfish

[@jessejamesmcguire]

I'm from Kearny and fish the river from San Carlos all the way to Cochran... Above the flats has always produced more for me.. Just hit the Riverside area and the water was ripping ... The river is best when it's ran for a year or two.. Flathead bait that works best is a big ball of worms or bloody cut bait... Use small weights and let your bait roll up under the trees and banks... Good luck .. last flat caught by Tino B was 15 lb on a hot dog up under the bank... btw the river is full of shad if you can find them.. last time it dried up I found a few pools with hundreds

[@southwestcatfishingarizona8264]

Thanks for the heads up 💪🏜👍

[@Daylight7vs6]

Keep it up bro i like

[@southwestcatfishingarizona8264]

Thank You 💪🏜👍

[@quik_the_messiah5179]

I caught a massive soft shell in that exact spot. Hit my line like a truck. Thought I had a cat until I started reeling it in. Felt like a concrete block lol

[@user-ld2nw3gs7w]

Hi, nice video, can you give me some directions how I can to that place, cross streets or any info will helpful, thanks

[@gregmcglory]

Hey are you still chasing flats I’m from Louisiana and curious on how yall are catching here in az

[@quentinblair9716]

Find some drain ditches they hold some good size blue gill or tilapia 🤙🏻

[@rufrat2]

Do you know if the Gila is fishable near Florence/box canyon area?

[@AutoWorldzz]

Nice and Creative Videos， This is really my favorite channle.:). I really glad to see your post and your world was so brilliant. 🌴🌴🌴 excellent and Much appreciated!!🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴 from: Winkelman Town Gila

[@rickcasey620]

You live in Tucson?

[@erikramos3188]

Winkelman? Where's that at lol

[@SouthernFisherman]

Hey how are you doing bro

[@canyonfishing]

You still making videos?

[@michaelhindmarch9107]

I got a few good channels here I grew up on this river I know some really good holes hit me up next time you fish here

[@southwestcatfishingarizona8264]

Thanks for watching!! See you at the river sometime ...

[@hensleyshobbies-doug7761]

You’d probably be better off to find a farm pond or city lake or something like that to catch bluegill from, get you a portable bait bucket with aerator, to keep your bait alive, either that or find you a bait shop that sells goldfish for bait or bigger sucker minnows, anything like those, that’s if it’s legal to use anything like that for bait out there, I don’t know the laws out in Arizona. I’m sure if there’s flatheads and carp out there, then there’s gotta be bluegills and other fish you could use as live bait but it’s very important to keep them alive especially hot as it gets out there. I don’t know man , I’m just saying what I used to do around Ky and Ohio, fishing different rivers and that for flatheads and blues too, mainly flatheads. Oh they’ll eat cut bait but live bait is almost the best for flatheads, my opinion, nobody take any offense to that.

[@lurkingarachnid7475]

Completely dried out this year

[@azfishkid]

Just saying cast nets are illeagle in az

[@southwestcatfishingarizona8264]

R12-4-314 - AZGFD Cast net not to exceed a radius of 4ft measured from the horn to the leadline .

[@townesgahn1787]

Shshs no one needs to know🤔🤔

[@undeadaeon9992]

Can only be used for bait fish