Preregistration deadline approaching for MDC catfishing clinic

The Missouri Department of Conservation in August will host a catfishing clinic in Cape Girardeau, where anglers will learn how to navigate the Mississippi River safely while also learning trotline safety and setting techniques.

Scheduled for Aug. 13 to 15, the free course is part of the department's angler recruitment initiative, which is designed to provide local anglers with educational information and safety skills.

"The Mississippi River is probably one of the best, yet overlooked, opportunities for catfishing in Missouri," Dave Knuth, a fisheries management biologist, said in a department news release.

The river has earned a reputation for being difficult to navigate and fish, Knuth said.

During the hands-on workshop, anglers will learn to traverse navigational hazards safely, including floating debris, wing dikes, fluctuating river stages and swift current, the release stated.

They also will learn about necessary gear, species-specific fishing information and trotline safety and setting techniques.

The course will begin Aug. 13 at the Conservation Department's Southeast Regional Office in Cape Girardeau.

The next two days will feature hands-on activities at Red Star fishing access ramp in Cape Girardeau.

On Aug. 13, there will be a catfish dinner, and participants will bait and set a 10-hook trotline Aug. 14. Lines will be retrieved the morning of Aug. 15.

All equipment will be provided, and participants must be at least 18 years old.

Space is limited, so preregistration deadline is set for July 2.

To sign up, call the Southeast Regional Office at 573-290-5730.

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.