OK, I'm craving some Ohio River catfish action and I'm a river novice if you will. I've fished lakes and smaller ponds all of my life for panfish. Something about catching thirty or forty pound blues and flatheads intrigues the hell out of me.

I've got a decent little 16foot deep vhull boat and it handles the river fairly well with my little twenty horsepower motor. I live in Utica, right on the river pretty much so I've got options. Should I go to Charlestown and launch, fishing around either twelve or eighteen mile island or just go below the dam and look for bruisers?? Can big catfish be caught around twelve and eighteen? I need a cast net for baitfish too, I need some general tips..anybody got some pointers for me?? Thanks in advance, Troy.

Oh, how much anchor line do I need if fishing in deeper holes? I'm thinking one hundred feet of good nylon line should do it.