Black Cat Angler - caught ice cold by winter!

It's cold outside, a rough wind is blowing and the early twilight is giving us a hard time. If you want to catch a catfish ice-cold in winter, you can have justified hope. Although the appetite of freshwater predators is rather subdued in the cold season, you should not be unsettled and put your plans on hold. On the contrary, even in winter the wait for catfish has been worthwhile many times. With the right bait, you can provoke the irritated giant until he bites.

My friend Torsten Schneider and I dared to take the risk, we wanted to be "early to the fish" and started an ice-cold raid right at the beginning of the new year on the otherwise much sought-after "summer target fish". Friends enrich our lives and so Torsten and I were looking forward to a winter trip together. In fact, we experienced a true nature adventure that neither of us will forget in a hurry.

Our rods were quickly laid out. Everything went like clockwork, we worked wordlessly hand in hand. We used the tree U-pose and the good old propeller U-pose. We tipped them with dew worms and two others with Dead Baits. The catfish is considered extremely sensitive and registers every little noise. He feels gentle vibrations immediately. The Tree underwater float from Black Cat scores with its wavy, cone-shaped structure and ensures lively water with its swirling movements. And turning the propeller U-pose also creates pressure waves that the catfish perceives immediately. Thanks to the small underwater turbine, I have been able to conjure up many a striking success on the mat.

We had quickly set up our camp and after a spicy barbecue smell tantalised our noses, we also moved relatively quickly into the relaxed part. We were already making plans for the coming spring. Darkness fell and we snuggled comfortably into our sleeping bags. What we did not expect: A frosty night of the finest kind hit us with all its harshness, with a cold snap of over 14 degrees below zero. The pictures speak for themselves!

The fact that no catfish showed up that night was the balance of the night, but in the morning we experienced an exceptionally beautiful natural spectacle. After we had packed everything away again, the question arose: "Does our motor have a realistic chance in the cold? And how, it actually started. But then, an ice shell had a full grip on the gearbox, it was shock-frozen. In the end, plan B took effect: we tied an inflatable boat to the side and were able to steer downstream with it without any problems.

Even though our catfish adventure was actually planned a little differently, the beautiful memories remain unforgettable. This time we sat cross-legged, but even that can be quite relaxing sometimes.

Live, laugh and look forward to fish - this wishes you...

Your

Sebastian Manteufel, Team Black Cat