Contrary to popular belief wels catfish will feed throughout the year, particularly in deeper water, and the Ebro delta offers particularly good prospects, especially now that live-baiting and night fishing has been permitted again. In addition the water in this area of the Ebro reaches depths in excess of 28m and catfish congregate there in winter, forming so-called winter groups. While many anglers continue to regard the wels as a summer predator, Stefan’s experience testifies that it is actually the colder season that usually guarantees the larger fish.
Digestion takes longer in cold water temperatures than in summer meaning the angler can face long waits between bites. However, patience is usually rewarded if you sit it out and the Team Black Cat winter tour saw over 25 catfish landed, of which only four fish were below the two-metre mark.
The old river bed of the reservoir at depths between 22 and 25 metres proved to be the winter hangout and this was precisely where Stefan Seuss presented his baits, mounted on a fixed rig, 50cm off bottom. The closer the group presented their baits to structure – such as ruins of old houses or olive trees growing out of the river bed, the higher the chance of a pick-up and with the fixed rig, the hooked catfish is held in the swim via a buoy to prevent losses in snags.
The highlight of the tour was the capture of two specimens measuring 244 and 245cm in length (in excess of 90kg)
Further information check out The Team Black Cat website
