David Shipman bumps a 3-ounce weight down the Missouri River from the bow casting platform of his boat. His bumping rig consists of a weight and a short snell with a circle hook. Baits include a whole fillet of skipjack, large shad side, or locally caught Asian carp strip.
February 11, 2022
By David Harrison
For years, the 7-foot 10-inch Driftmaster and Bait Walker Catfish bumping rod series produced by the Rod Shop in northern Kansas City was the only game in town. It was a specialty rod optimized for light weight with a power and action that allows an angler to lift and control 3-ounce weights and bait in current up to 700 feet from the boat.
Not all catfish hunters live near major rivers and, at the time of the rod’s release, even fewer practiced the art of bumping (aka, slipping and baitwalking). It was appropriate for a small shop just off the Missouri River to produce the sticks on custom order for nearly all of the catfish community. Starting with muskie blanks, Tom Knox...
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