Kingston
Trips from
US $200
Captain
Mark Filley
Kingston, United States
Veteran owned
Angler's choice
50+ reviews
I am a US Navy combat Veteran and recently retired automotive engineer. I have been Catfishing for nearly 30 years, winning all 3 catfish tournaments I have entered. Over the past 10 years, I have taken numerous people, mostly friends, family, and neighborhood kids on guided Catfishing excursions, with many a smile and pictures taken with our local River Monsters. Over the past few years, with added electronics, higher-quality gear, and refined modern techniques, I have become a true Catfishing nerd. I will share as much (or as little) you want to know about my take on Catfishing during our excursion.
Charter
Rating
5.0
85 reviews
5.0
Boat & Equipment
5.0
Captain & Crew
5.0
Fishing Experience
Anglers' gallery (251)
What anglers say
98%
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
100%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
All reviews (85)
Showing 1 – 5 of 85 reviews
Shana StapelmannRepeat angler5.0VerifiedGreat Fishing Trip!
5 Hour Trip – Spring City • 3 adultsWe had a great time catching some catfish! Started off a bit slow but was to be expected since we booked during end of spawing. We still managed to bring in 6 with one larger post spawn female in the 20lbs. I would definitely recommend booking this trip. The captain was very knowledgeableand showed us the best techniques and locations for catching them. He was also very personable and we had great conversations throughout the trip.
Reported catch:
Response from CaptainThanks Shana! Enjoyed having each of you on the boat.
Christine Lock5.0Verifiedbest trip!
5 Hour Trip – Kingston Catfish • 2 adultsWe were in town visiting from California and this looked a really fun excursion. Myself and 14 year old son (who has never caught anything) went out for a 5 hour morning trip. We caught 13 large catfish in total, 3 of which were over 20 pounds! We learned a lot about fishing for catfish and a lot about the different types of wildlife in the area. Captain was very knowledgable which helped us be so successful. Such a great time!
Response from CaptainThanks Christine! Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip here in East Tennessee.
Jacob KoonceRepeat angler5.0VerifiedNEWBest Catfish Charter!
5 Hour Trip – Kingston Catfish • 5 adultsWe had a great trip with Captain Mark! We all caught fish and we got one giant! Even with less than ideal weather and water conditions, Mark still made it happen! Thank you for a great trip sir!
Response from CaptainThanks Jacob!
- Jacob KoonceRepeat angler5.0VerifiedNEW
Big Catfish!
5 Hour Trip – Kingston Catfish • 5 adultsWent on another charter with captain Mark and some family in town and he can always find the fish! We caught about ten and three were huge! I highly recommend this charter, always a great time! Thanks captain Mark!
Response from CaptainThanks Jacob! Great crew for such a hot morning.
Rose Allred5.0VerifiedMaking memories
5 Hour Trip – Spring City • 4 adults • 2 childrenExcellent day, Markybob is very experienced, good equipment, nice boat. Very detailed and client oriented. It was very hot later in the morning and he supplied ice cold towels to cool down or have your feet in the water. Beautiful day awesome time on the water. First time fishing for blue catfish in Tennessee. Certainly going again with Captain Markybob!
Response from CaptainThanks Rose!
Real catches shared by our community
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
- Markybob CatfishingKingston, TN
Fishing reports
The Spawn is On, and the river is FINALL
May 24, 2026 • Kingston
5/25/2026: The Catfish Spawn is on in full force. It started early this year (end of April), which is rare. The spawn is usually a 6 week period, so I am expecting the spawn to wind down by early June. Only small catfish are caught during spawn. The large females and nearly all males do not eat during spawn. The females only spawn for about 2 weeks, so post spawn females are possible. Smaller, no spawn females are definitely out there and being caught. The big males spawn and guard the nest. We are still getting numbers and action, but zero big monsters.
After Extreme drought, recent heavy rains have finally started raising the water levels to near full summer pool. The bites are really turned on for numbers, but still no big ones. However, the spawn should be winding under over the next 2 weeks.
Show more
Fall bite 2025 nearing the end.
Nov 6, 2025 • Kingston
November 6th: The past few weeks have been on fire for both quantity and quality. This is typical of the mid fall bite when water temps hit low 70's/upper 60s. Bait scatters throughout the depths, making the catfish very active. However, this has been a very short fall, at least on the water. Surface water temps have started to drop dramatically, 10 degrees in the past 8 days, now in the upper 50s. Within 2 weeks, the deeper water temps will also get into the 50s, which then becomes a "winter pattern" of anchored up fish. As with every year, on November 1, TVA started dropping Watts Bar to winter pool levels (targeted for December 1st), which will further slow down the bite. Tough weather has recently caused 3 clients to cancel 3 charter trips and missed opportunities to take advantage of what has been a great fall bite.
Show more
Winter Fishing Report 2024-2025
Dec 18, 2024 • Kingston
Water Temperatures have dropped to winter levels (mid to high 40's), and the water flow-current is erratic, which means the catfishing is slow. However, they can still be caught. Setting up on structure for an hour, move, repeat, is the most successful winter technique. Mid - Morning to Mid afternoon trips are the best time to be on the water to catch big cats at their most active.
Show more
Best / Worst Time of Year to Catfish, Be
Jul 14, 2024 • Kingston
There are certain times of the year to consider if planning ahead to go catfishing. I have ranked them from Best to Worst based upon experience of LOCAL waters and focused on large blue catfish.
The Best
#1: Mid June to Late August: Blue Cats spawn locally from May to June. They do not all spawn at the same time, but a percentage will be in spawn mode from May to mid June. When they come out of spawn (almost all by Mid June), they are hungry and active. Catfish do not eat (much) during spawn, and are instead driven to spawn and fight in shallow water and soft banks. Males are the last to come off of the nest. We usually see/catch large, scared up and extra slimy males in the middle of June. Early on, they tend to be scattered but are actively eating and on the move. Later, in Mid July throughout August, the cats tend to anchor up in deeper water wait for bait rather than going after them. This presents a good opportunity to catch cats in concentrated areas.
#2: Late March into April. Blue Catfish come up from the colder deep waters into shallow waters and secondary channels staging for spawn where bait is plentiful as they bulk up for the upcoming spawn. Although the number of Cats caught is not as high, the cats that you do catch can be true trophies. Knowing the contours, flats, banks, and structure is key to scoring a pre-spawn Cat. It is this time of year that many bass anglers catch Catfish on artificial lures as these anglers target shallower water, active presentation, near structure.
#3: September to Mid November. As the surface temps start to cool, baitfish tend to come up to shallower water in schools to feed and bulk up, with the cats close behind. Shallower flats and creek channels, especially in the hours around sunrise and sunset, can be very effective areas.
The Worst:
#1. May-First week of June. May is a great time to be on the water for comfortable weather, but not good for catfishing for larger catfish. Catfish can be caught in numbers, but expect them to be less than 10 lbs. Those smaller cats are either too young or cannot compete for spawning areas. If fishing this time of year, your best bet is the anchor up, target flatheads (which spawn later) and be very patient, or be okay with catching smaller blue cats.
#2: Mid November Through February: Catfish do eat in winter, but are much less active as they conserve energy. You can expect the overall fishing numbers caught of both larger and smaller cats to decrease. Anchoring up in and around deep structure is your best bet, as is targeting 2 hours after/before Sunrise/Sunset. Big Cats can be caught, but patience / time is required.
#3: 2 days before and after a full moon (unless fishing at night). A full moon tends to make the bait very active in the middle of the night. A full or near full moon is a great time to night fish during the summer months for Catfish and other species, but it hurts daytime fishing.
There are other conditions besides time of year that can improve or worsen your chances at catching big cats.
>Times of drought, which causes a lack of water flow, causes all fishing to slow down. Conversely, times of good rain presents good opportunity.
>Unusually warm weather during the winter can turn on the bait fish and consequently the catfish bite.
>Increases in flow / current can turn on a bite. Decreases in flow / current tend to slow it down.
There are tactics to both take advantage of the good times, and to mitigate the less than good times. Catfish CAN BE CAUGHT YEAR ROUND.
Being both a Charter boat Captain locally, as well as a Charter boat client for offshore fishing, there is nothing more frustrating than scheduling a trip well in advance, only to have weather or conditions worsen just before or during the trip. I will work with you on rapid rescheduling as needed / if possible.
Show more
Summertime Post Spawn Catfishing
Jun 28, 2024 • Kingston
During Spawn, large catfish will not eat and are instead busy spawning and fighting in 2-10 ft of water. Although catfish do not all spawn at the same time, the 6 week window associated with spawn is a difficult time to catch large fish.
On Watts Bar Lake, large females started being caught during the second week of June, with larger males 2 weeks thereafter. From now until mid August is a great time to target post spawn big catfish in the deeper sections of the river/lake as they are skinny and hungry!
That being said, June has been one of the driest on record, which has caused no flow of water from the various creeks that feed Watts Bar. In addition, TVA is not releasing much water through the Tennessee River systems dams. Low/No Flow means the catfish are not on the move actively feeding and are instead "anchored" to the bottom of the deeper sections of the lake/river. As such, you have to put the bait on their nose rather than letting them run into you. Fortunately, I have found some good water to do just that. See attached pictures here and in customer reviews of large yet skinny catfish from some of the June fishing charter trips.
Show more
Water temps rising, Catfishing heating u
Mar 12, 2024 • Kingston
Water Temps starting to rise on the bar right on time. 53 around Caney yesterday (warmer in the shallows). Saw a lot of bait in 25 ft of water up out of the main channel and several successful bass anglers taking advantage. This Catfish angler was also successful, 4 caught in a short period of time, including this 30 pounder. Got the skunk off of the new MadKatz Bulldog rod. Skipjack and a rare (caught yesterday) Red Horse Sucker for bait. Cmon spring.
Show more