“Catching Big Cats in Kansas with Danny Payne and Mister Twister”

Part 3: Fish Curly Tail Grubs When the Catfish Are Feeding

Editor’s Note: Danny Payne from Emporia, Kansas, has been fishing with Mister Twister products for about 20 years. He’s come up with a really-unique way to catch catfish with Mister Twister.

Question: What did the anglers who were fishing live bait have to say when you started catching big flatheads on jigs and Curly Tail Grubs?

Payne: They weren’t really happy with me at first. They thought I was snagging those catfish with the jigs. But I’m not a fan of snagging, and I really wasn’t snagging the catfish. Finally, some of the fellows came over and saw that the catfish were taking the grubs in their mouths, and that every fish I took was hooked in the mouth – not hooked in the side or in the tail. When some of those other fishermen saw I was catching the flatheads on jigs, they asked me what kind of jigs I was using.

I told them I was using 1/8-ounce jig heads on 3-inch Mister Twister Curly Tail Grubs. They went to the store and bought their own Curly Tail Grubs and jig heads. I really created a problem for myself, because these guys were going into the local bait and tackle stores and buying all my favorite colors. I started having to order my Curly Tail Grubs online, because all of the local bait stores were sold out.

Question: Are the other guys catching the flatheads on Mister Twister Curly Tail Grubs like you do?

Payne: Yes, some of the guys are. But I’ve got another little trick that helps me continue to catch more flatheads then they do. I wade out into the water to the areas where I know the flatheads are holding since I know the catfish are facing the current, I cast upstream and let my jigs run with the current. Then those Curly Tail Grubs will pass right in front of the big flatheads. So all the catfish has to do is open its mouth, and my grub swims right into its mouth.

Question: How often are you fishing?

Payne: I fish two or three times a week, and it’s a rare day that I don’t catch a big flathead.

Question: How many is the most flatheads you’ve ever caught in one afternoon?

Payne: I’ve caught three in one afternoon, one that weighed 20 pounds, one that weighed 25 and one that weighed 40. Most afternoons, I’m only fishing about an hour. The longest I’ve ever fished is about 3 hours. I catch all my catfish between about 5 and 8 pm in the afternoon. That seems to be the time the cats are feeding below this spillway. Now I can’t say that that’s the time that all catfish all over the county feed. But on the little river I fish, they’re as predictable as death and taxes.

Question: How did you discover that there were flatheads below the spillway?

Payne: I was fishing for white bass and walleyes, and I hadn’t seen anybody catch one. The first flathead we saw caught here at the spillway was the one I caught last Mother’s Day weekend in May. I was fishing after a big rain, and I caught a flathead that weighed between 5 and 10 pounds. I also caught a channel cat that weighed 2 or 3 pounds. So every time I came and used my two-jig rig, I was catching flatheads instead of walleyes and white bass.