Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Some days you might feel a bit odd when a glittering bass boat doing somewhere in the neighborhood of Mach 2 whizzes past while you're elbow-deep in a cooler full of the smelliest bait concoctions made by man.

But such is the life of a hardcore catfisherman, and being different isn't such a bad thing -- especially when you consider just how much fun it is to catch heavy stringers of tasty channel cats. Never mind battling big blues and flatheads that truly are underwater leviathans with possible weights 10 times that of a trophy bass. Can being a catfisherman sound any better? You bet -- particularly when you consider just how many options are available to the Missourians.

The simple truth about catfishing is it's a sport for all people and often one of the most overlooked among serious anglers looking for a challenge or a fun-filled fishing fix. The traditional images of sitting on the bank, blankly staring at propped rods while waiting for action, aren't an accurate depiction. More often, with the right information and equipment, it's a thrilling adventure on the water.

If this gets you fired up and ready to take to the water, you're in for a treat. Without any doubt, you'll be set for a sport where one good trip can make you a lifetime lover of catfishing. And what better place to become addicted than Missouri? Our state hosts a fertile list of fisheries for catfish.

In fact, the state has so many good places to fish that it might take you a lifetime to master each. To help speed up the progress and take a little legwork out of the equation, we've decided to combine the experience of one remarkable catman and a few surefire lakes to guarantee you a better chance of becoming your own catting authority.

Those surefire lakes -- Harry S. Truman Reservoir, Stockton Lake and Lake of the Ozarks -- all offer great catfish opportunities, be it the chance to catch large flatheads, channels or blue cats. But something else the lakes have in common is the attention of catfish angler Steve Brown.

It's nearly impossible to count just how many hours Brown has put into catching fish from these waters, but it's not hard to put a lot of faith in just how much he knows about each lake. He spends thousands of hours on the water guiding and has the uncanny knack of breaking a lake down and using common science to understand what relates a catfish to the waters it dwells in. His wealth of knowledge goes back many years, and he's become an expert at catching all the species of cats, big blues and flatheads being his specialty. Being a trophy cat angler and sharing a friendly demeanor go a long way to helping us catch a few fish of our own. By taking a close look at Brown's tactics and experience, it's easy to learn what it takes to make our own successful trips a snap.

According to Brown, a little preliminary research can make finding fish a whole lot easier. It would be simple if he could just pinpoint all the spots on the lake to find your catch, but it doesn't work like that. Fluctuations in temperature, wind, and water levels all cause the fish to react differently and move.