Live baits fished on Arkansas' top rivers at night are likely to produce big flatheads like this one caught by the author's son, Josh. Photo by Keith Sutton.

Summer is here, and I'd like to make a suggestion.

Take some time off from work. Go to a river or lake. Invite a friend or some family members. Take some fishing poles, your tackle box and plenty of catfish bait. Ice down your favorite drinks. Pack some salt, pepper, cornmeal, peanut oil, a few potatoes and onions, a big cast-iron skillet and your Coleman stove.

Set up camp. Find a good fishing spot on the bank. Bait your hook and cast it out. Sit a while and enjoy nature's beauty. Breathe the fresh air. Enjoy some small talk with your companions.

When a catfish bites, hook it if you can. Play it slowly to shore. Savor the moment. Keep the eating-sized cats and let the big ones go to catch another day. Keep just enough for supper.

Head back to camp. Dress your catch. Slice the potatoes, dice an onion and slide both into some oil you've heated in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook till tender.

When the taters finish cooking, season the catfish pieces, then dredge in cornmeal. Slide the fillets or steaks, one at a time, into the hot oil. Listen to them sizzle. Smell the mouth-watering aroma. Don't drool in the skillet.

The fish is soon done. It's time to dig in. Fill your plate. Pop the top on a cold drink. Find a comfortable spot for your lawn chair. Kick back. Relax. Bow your head and say grace.

The dinner theater now begins. Birds serenade you. Fish splash in the shallows. Frogs sing. Enjoy the meal as you take in the show.

That, my friend, is catfishing at its finest. Good friends. Good fishing. Good food. Good scenery. What more could a person ask?

A place to go, you say? A place where you can do exactly what I've just described. Consider it done. Here are a few of my favorite spots for enjoying a summer catfishing foray. They're some of the best bets in the state this season.

ARKANSAS RIVER
This big ol' catfish-infested river runs past some of Arkansas' biggest cities -- Fort Smith, Russellville, Little Rock, Pine Bluff -- but there still are plenty of places where you can enjoy relaxing catfishing.

When most folks ask me where to go, I recommend setting up camp at one of the dozens of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds adjacent the river. A phone call to the Corps' Little Rock office (501-324-5551) will garner you all the info you need to find one near you.

Each area has amenities for a comfortable campout -- electric and water hookups for recreational vehicles, tent pads, restrooms, and so forth -- and most feature clean bank-fishing areas perfect for the catfish angler who wants to share some time with family and friends without having to rough it too much. Arrive on a weekday, and chances are you'll find a campsite right by the river where you can bank-fish from your "back yard" or tie up a boat to use for more in-depth exploration.

One of my favorite Corps areas is Murray Park just west of Little Rock off Highway 10. You can catch channel, blue and flathead catfish from the well-groomed riverside campsites, or launch at the ramp and fish some of the best stretches of water on the whole river for trophy-class fish. It's a great area to escape to for a weekend family getaway.

The Dam Site West and Dam Site East areas at David D. Terry Dam (off Highway 165 just southeast of Little Rock) also provide riverside campsites and good catfishing close to the city, but far enough away to make it seem like you're really "out there."