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Kansas City, Mo. – A big river produces big catfish, and plenty of smaller ones, too. Learn how to catch them at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) free Big Muddy Alternative Methods Catfish Clinic on Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25, in the Kansas City area. This is a two-day clinic and participants must commit to both days. Space is limited.
The clinic will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 24, at MDC’s Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. An orientation will include instruction on how to build set lines, trot lines, and jug lines. Those methods can be used to catch blue, flathead, and channel catfish in rivers and lakes. After a lunch break, the clinic will move to the Missouri River. Participants will go out in MDC boats to bait hooks and set lines. That portion of the clinic is expected to last until 7 p.m.
Participants will meet at the river at 8 a.m. on Sunday, June 25. They will go with instructors to check the lines and collect the fish caught overnight. The morning session will include a fish cleaning demonstration. The clinic concludes at noon.
This clinic is open to participants ages 11 and older. Due to limited space, this clinic can only be attended once. Please do not register if you have already attended a prior Big Muddy Alternative Methods Catfish Clinic. All participants must wear Coast Guard approved personal floatation devices (life jackets) while in the boats. MDC will provide them, or participants can bring their own. Attendees are asked to dress for the weather and bring their own drinking water and snacks.
To register for the clinic, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4PN. For more information, contact John Rittel, MDC community education assistant, at John.Rittel@mdc.mo.gov.
Also, John Rittel and MDC staff will offer an online virtual catfish clinic in conjunction with the in-person clinic. Dates, hours, and topics are the same. To register for the virtual Big Muddy Alternative Catfish Clinic, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/4Px.
