Simply tie or anchor your boat, start putting the grain in the water and wait for the fish to home in on the pungent smell. Like other game fish, catfish feed aggressively as water temperatures start declining in the fall. They're trying to store fat for the coming winter. Depending on the severity of the weather, catfishing usually slows this time of year. The exception is power-plant lakes such as Monticello, where warm water from generators continuously feeds the lake, creating a sort of endless summer for catfish.
Fish move into shallow water to spawn.
You can dabble along brushy or weedy shorelines with minnows or jigs and fill a limit. Crappie move so shallow that bank fishermen and waders often catch them in the spring. Crappie move deeper to find cooler water. They are often associated with woody cover such as submerged trees, piers or boathouses with good water depth. Weed beds close to deep water will hold fish, particularly during bright, sunny days when the weeds are producing oxygen.