By Brad Durick

The huge annual cool off happened on Monday, signaling not only a change in the seasons but a shift to the off-season for me when it comes to guiding for catfish on the Red River around Grand Forks. The day we had in the 50s with rain is an annual September event that changes the river over to fall. Water temperatures from Sunday to Wednesday dropped from 71 to 63 degrees which is a fairly big shock to catfish even in the best of years.

Even with that shift, shallow flats with wood and a deep drop next to them remain the best spots, though all spots remain hit and miss. The cold front has everything slowed down, so continue to give spots 40 minutes and if you catch a few be willing to sit longer.

I have only used suckers the past week. I have not heard of any stunning success with anything else. Once this cool down settles in it looks like we have some nice weather behind it, so even if I’m not reporting, get out there and give it a shot!

Brad Durick is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a licensed ND fishing guide specializing in trophy catfish on the Red River in and around the Grand Forks area.

Featured Photo: Cats All, Folks!  The summer catfishing season has come to a close on the Red River with recent cooler weather and a drop in water temperatures.  The author will return next year with more adventures from the trophy catfish destination. DEO Photo by Brad Durick.