Close to Woods Reservoir is another great catfish destination. Anglers won't find tremendous numbers of blue and flathead catfish at Tims Ford Lake, but they will find great numbers of channel cats. In fact, channel catfish make up some 90 percent of the entire catfishery. However, if an angler hooks either a blue or flathead, the possibility of it being a big fish is great.

Channel catfish also dominate the fishery at Old Hickory Lake, but anglers can also target good numbers of the other species as well. Most of the channel catfish that turn up in creel surveys tend to be in the fiddler size, but big fish are present. Old Hickory does get a lot of pressure from catfish anglers, though, and there is even a lot of access for bank-fishing.

Catfish anglers can expect to catch plenty of channel catfish, and some will be big. Channel cats are frequently caught up to 15 pounds. Although blue and flatheads are not caught as frequently, it's not uncommon to catch fish up to 30 pounds.

WEST REGION
This area offers up some of the very best catfishing in the state. Everything from Family Fishing Lakes to huge reservoirs and massive river systems awaits area cat-anglers. No matter whether looking for fiddlers for supper or a huge trophy, this region has it all.

Although there are numerous great destinations in the west, one of the best is down on the state line at Pickwick Lake. After all, the lake is proclaimed as "The Catfish Capital of the World." While that moniker may be a bit of a stretch, there is definitely a world-class catfishery there with all three species present.

Phil King (www.h2ow.com/catfish) has been fishing the lake for 30 years and guiding for catfish for 11 years. He has won the Pickwick World Championship four times and believes the lake is one of the best catfish holes around. He said the best times for cats are in April and May and then again in October and November, although some of the biggest fish of the year can be caught in late July and early August.

North of Pickwick but still on the Tennessee River, anglers will find another great catfish destination at Kentucky Lake. Next door, Barkley Lake takes up residence along the Cumberland River. Both of these massive lakes have tremendous catfisheries that never seem to have a down year.

Two locations in the west are noticeably underutilized. Reelfoot Lake up in the northwestern corner of the state has a great population of channel cats with a few flatheads in the mix as well. Anglers can find a catfishery there that is pressured very little and catch some very decent fish. Another overlooked fishery is the Mississippi River. While that may seem a bit surprising, the river offers much more angling opportunity than what is being utilized. There are some huge fish swimming this massive river, which is the home of the world record blue catfish.

Ten of the Family Fishing Lakes are located in the west region as well. All are stocked with catfish. Two of the best include Brown's Creek Lake and Gibson County Lake. Both lakes have blue and channel catfish present, but the Gibson County fishery is predominantly channel cats. Brown's Creek Lake is located in Henderson County. It offers both shoreline and boat access. Most of the fishing at Gibson County Lake is done by boat because much of the surrounding shoreline is privately owned. For catfish, both lakes have a five-fish daily creel limit, but no length requirement.