The author holds up a hefty channel catfish, which was taken while drift-fishing on Morse Reservoir. Photo by Ed Brochin

The six rod tips bounced independently of each other -- one quivering like a foxtail in the wind, the next wagging up and down like the tail of my Labrador retriever. No rod was still. Each tip thumped and bumped as the sinkers bounced along the varied contour of the bottom. The rods stood in holders mounted around the stern of the boat.

Not far away, the shoreline slowly moved past -- an ever-changing scene of houses, boat slips, and points made of riprap. As the boat drifted by a cluster of boat docks, one rod's tip sank sharply toward the water and stayed down. The rod holder creaked as the rod surged, the tip jerking even lower.

I grabbed the rod -- it took some work to get it out of the holder, now that it was so heavy -- but the circle hook had already found its mark. And it felt like another nice one. We'd already boated several cats near 10 pounds, and this one fought like it might be even heavier.

I had never fished Morse Reservoir before. I'd never even seen it. Late summer had settled in, and the catfishing had slowed somewhat now that the spawn had run its course. The catfish were still hitting, though, but they were harder to locate. So when guide Ed Brochin (Geist Lake Charters at 317-826-8231 or visit www.geistlakecharters.com) called to say he wanted to show me an unusual way to catch catfish, it didn't take me long to throw the fishing rods in the truck. We'd only been fishing for three hours, but I'd already seen a good portion of the lake, and had boated some fine catfish.

For a long time, fishermen believed the best way to catch catfish involved throwing out some little piece of stink bait (maybe some rotten cheese concoction or road-killed skunk innards) and opening up a lawn chair. And I've certainly caught a few catfish while sitting, watching rods propped against forked sticks. It might be downright un-American to suggest this is not a proper way to catch catfish.

I've also thrown out my fair share of boat anchors, and hoisted them back up again when it came time to move to the next spot. Anchoring near likely areas is a proven way to tangle with catfish, and it remains the best way to fish in rivers and waters that are filled with snags.

But as summer drags on, it helps to leave the anchor in the boat. Now is the time to start experimenting with drift-fishing for catfish. Stop waiting for the catfish to come to you. Take your baits to the cats' resting spots and dens, and put more fish in your boat this summer.

The concept is simple: Using either the wind or controlled bursts from a trolling motor, a boat is started on a path along a particular bank or channel. Baits from several rods are lowered into the water, different lengths of line are released from the spools. After the reels are engaged, the baits are bounced along the bottom of the reservoir.

The slower your boat drifts, the longer the baits are near waiting cats. The longer the drift, the more cats the baits encounter. The angler waits above, controlling the boat's position and watching the rod tips, until a fish hits. After the fish is caught, the hook is baited, and the process repeated. Gone is the sedentary angler. In his place is a mobile angler who sees a good deal of the lake and, more importantly, more active fish.

Not every boat is drift-fish ready. Boat size isn't important, and neither is the number of horsepower your outboard produces. But you'll need a spread of rod holders, and they need to be strong.