"Catfishing is not instantaneous catching," she said. "Patience is the key to catching big fish, and I have the patience of Job. So many people, if they get a bite, they're ready to go. Not me. I'm one of these people who can sit all day and never get a bite, and still enjoy it."

LOWER WHITE RIVER
The White River below Newport offers exceptional trophy-cat-hooking opportunities as well, and one of the best cat men I ever fished with there is Bill Peace of Jonesboro.

"You can come down here and expect to catch a 20- to 30-pound catfish almost any time during the summer, and now and then you latch into one even bigger," he said. "I have no doubt you could probably catch a world record if you wanted to work at it hard enough."

Peace usually fishes with trotlines when he's targeting trophy cats, and these usually are set near the mouths of small tributaries running into the White. He stretches each line from an anchor point on shore into deeper water and then secures the line's other end to a burlap bag weighted with rocks. The lines are baited with small carp or big goldfish purchased from baitfish dealers.

"The mouths of these streams are ideal places for catching big cats," Bill told me. "Cats move from the main river into smaller streams when feeding, and if a line is placed along their travel route, I'm likely to catch some dandy fish."

ARKANSAS RIVER
You can't talk about trophy catfishing in Arkansas without mentioning the Arkansas River. This huge waterway provides superb angling for big channel, blue and flathead cats from Ft. Smith on the west to the river's junction with the Mississippi far to the southeast.

It's hard to say, however, where exactly the best fishing opportunities can be found along the river's 300-plus miles in the Natural State. Time of day, time of year, current volume and rate of flow are all variables that influence where the catfish are and where fishing is likely to be best. Personal preference is another consideration. Some anglers prefer fishing the quiet eddies. Others prefer the swiftest of waters.

There really isn't a best spot, just as there is no best technique or best bait. But in general terms, the closer you get to the Mississippi River, a mother lode of catfish, the more cats you're likely to encounter. Dams No. 2 through 5 tend to produce more and bigger cats than do those further upstream.

If I were wagering on 12 anglers fishing for trophy cats -- one below each of the 12 dams on the river in Arkansas -- I'd put my money on the guy fishing below Wilbur Mills Dam (Dam No. 2) at the river's lower end near Tichnor. This is big cat water that's hard to beat.

LAKE CONWAY
The catfishing at this 6,700-acre AGFC lake just keeps getting better. The AGFC has been working for several years to improve sediment problems, stabilize shorelines and keep the water at optimum levels. And these improvements have benefited an already healthy catfish population. Every year Conway gives up numerous blues and flatheads in the 50-pound-plus class. And 2- to 10-pound channel cats are as common as bluegills by a boat dock. I've heard numerous reports in recent years of Conway regulars taking 300 to 400 pounds of catfish a week.

This stump-filled lake two miles east of Conway can baffle the first-time visitor. Everything looks pretty much alike, so it's hard to decide where to fish. A sonar fishfinder will help you pinpoint the best areas, particularly inundated lakes and creek channels like Adams Lake, Greens Lake and Palarm Creek. These are excellent locations for baitfishing with rod and reel, and none are that difficult to find if you inquire at local bait shops about their whereabouts. When you're in the general vicinity, you can run sonar to pinpoint each structure's exact location, and watch for signals indicating big fish holding near edges and on drops.

Chances are good that some state-record class fish inhabit Lake Conway, but slouchy anglers won't catch them. Be prepared with heavy tackle suited for landing behemoths.

(Editor's Note: An autographed copy of Keith Sutton's latest book, Catfishing: Beyond the Basics, can be ordered by sending a check or money order for $24.05 -- includes s&h and Ark. sales tax -- to C&C Outdoors, 15601 Mountain Dr., Alexander, AR 72002. For online credit card orders, log on to www.stoegerpublications.com/books.)