Colorado river!

[CATFISH-PREDATOR]

its gonna be my first time going and i need some advice, my goal is to catch big cats from shore and to not drive to far from the 10fwy.
need info on: licenses that i may need plus fees( i have a ca. fishing license) where can i fish, what is the best time to fish the river, and any other advice will help! thank you very much

[jaggerbub]

You need a colorado river use stamp to go along with your cali license. You can buy that wherever you get your license from. I typically fish shrimp during the day and mackrel chunks in the morning or late afternoon. The best part about the colorado river is that cats are plentiful and bite all day long. Easy limits and huge cats can be had if you fish the right spots. I have a honey hole that always produces... You just have to go find yours! :)

Go catch some fresh macs at the pier before you head out... Its free and better than the frozen stuff.

[plumbertom]

You only need that river stamp if you fish from a boat or the Az. bank of the river.
South of I-10 (Blythe) is usually better fishing and easier access to the river.
The advice on bait for Channels is right on.
Flatheads are a different story.
Bluegills, Green sunfish, Tilapia and common carp are the best baits for Flats.
You need a way to keep then alive and cool but it's illegal to transport them from one water (like a drainage ditch) to another (like the river).
Gold fish can usually be had at B&B bait just north of town a couple of miles on 95 and turn East on 8th Ave They are where the RR tracks cross 8th.
If you intend to fish for flat heads Use heavy gear and big hooks (I use 10/0). You'll need enough weight to keep your bait in position and down close to the bottom.
I recommend barrel sliders with at least 5 oz. no roll sinker, a heavy duty Snap sinker below a bead stop and 18'' leader.
You can hook the bait through the nose or the back just at the base of the dorsal fin. Do not go to deep with the hook or you'll pierce the spine and kill your bait.
Try to find a place with a bit of cover (tulies down trees and the like) where you can get to the water just above it and fish right above the cover in the channel.
Good luck.

[oldbassturd]

well if a free place try goose flat area....get boff on intake n head south...i found it on google maps n went to sat pic ...works wellthe place i like to fish is down by macntyre camp ground take intake blvd south ..few mi tillyou see high power lines that go over river...take a left on the dirt road just past that follow it ...youll see a ranch house..it will jog a lil left ...keep goin you will hit the river go south bout 2 mi it dead ends ...several nice places there....bb bait blythe 760 921 2248 my fav daytime catfish bait is fried chickin skin or 1/2 cooked hot dogs @ the river ....stop at the market n get sum 6 buks n ya get to eay the chickin lol jus save the skin...dont 4 get yer bell

[CATFISH-PREDATOR]

dammm.. i ended up going south on intake and made a left on 20th trying to get to goose flats, ended up stuck and had to get towed out,(my friend was driving a honda)...-$185 later and a few hours we ended up at macntyre camp ground and got skunked.. i learned a lot i wont let that get me down but **** today was a total loss.. i felt like buying live catfish and taking them home, then saying i cought them, hahaha, better luck next time!

[CCfisherman]

You went out and gave it your best shots, that's what it all about. You get them cats next time for sure. Thanks for the update. Keep at it.