Catfishing?

Question

Can anyone give me tips that work for catching catfish. Preferably big blues. I just got into the hobby over last summer.

Answer 1

Hot dog weenies. Balled up pieces of light bread. Chicken liver. ALL of these work.

Answer 2

For trophy blue catfish the best time to catch them is in winter and spring. During winter you will want to drift fish for them (assuming you fish from a boat.for spring you will want to fish in shallow water.

RODS/REELS
When it comes to rods and reels for catfishing many anglers will go overboard using heavy saltwater tackle but this is not necessary I like to use an abu garcia 6500c3 spooled with 20lb test hi-vis monofilament. Catfish are not line shy so you are able to use hi-vis fishing lines. For rods I like to use long rods in medium heavy action. My personal favorite rods are the team catfish thundercat medium heavy rod, the shakespeare ugly stick catfish stick, and the shakespeare salmon/steelhead rod. You may be thinking that 20lb test is too light for a catfish that can grow up to 143lbs but as long as your reel has a good drag system and you know how it works you will be able to reel in monsters. BONUS FACT the world record blue catfish was caught on 30lb test it weighed 143lbs and the 123lb world record flathead catfish was caught on 12lb test.

BAIT
Many anglers use baits like chicken livers or hot dogs but these will not catch big blue catfish. The best bait for big blue catfish is fresh fish from lake or river you fish. Shad is abundant in most bodies of water and are very easy to catch if you have a cast net (8ft would be best) you can fish with them cut or whole. You can also use bluegill or carp but check your local regulations

RIGS
There are many types of rigs for catfish but the most common rigs are the slip sinker rig and the santee rig. These are your best bet for most blue and flathead catfish but if you are fishing with large pieces of whole or cut bait you should use a double hook rig. Leader line is also very important for catfish 40 to 50lb monofilament will work best.
Slip sinker rig http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b7npSAH7iGc
Santee cooper rig http://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLTe2JJHpFDV_dpG9ybKIP9hfTgj-_nfZW&v=amTJzS5RWj4
Double hook rig double hook righttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tAD9YJ9pjLo&list=PLTe2JJHpFDV_dpG9ybKIP9hfTgj-_nfZW

TIME
Some people will try to say that night fishing is more productive but it is not. Catfish can be caught all night or day but for a beginner fishing at night will be more challenging due to lack of visibility. Many anglers will try to use a large lights to attract catfish but this does not attract catfish, after a long amount of time it will start to attract baitfish like shad but will scare catfish (but will attract baitfish) red lights seem to be the only lights that do not scare catfish but they will not attract them either. The best time of year to catch big blue catfish is winter and spring, summer will be the best time to catch channel catfish, and spring and fall is the best time to catch flathead catfish.

Answer 3

Need a little more information. River or lake fishing? Shoreline or boat fishing?

I have done well with liver, worms, and chicken liver fishing limb lines from shore. The trick is to not have them too deep as the little fish clean your hook. Once it gets dark the cats will feed in the shallows. Full moon will hurt your performance.

From a boat you can drift fish until you find an area holding fish. This depends on the time of year though. Drift fishing the Mississippi is an excellent way to pick up big blues.

Answer 4

www.catfish1.com


This is a free site and has loads of information. It is a "family" site. As for general information here you go. Drift fishing in deeper water using cut are whole shad are herring in deeper water is your best bet for blues this time of year. If you do not have a boat try casting to deeper parts of the water like drop offs and creek channels leading out to the main body of water. A good site fishing technique for blues would be to look for stripers activly feeding and try to fish below them the catfish will be there eating up the dead and injuried baitfish. A good "dip" bait is DK's Punch bait it works for blues and channels and it works well but is much better during the spring, fall and summer months but, will work this time of year. Good luck

Answer 5

Providing you have appropriate tackle and fishing rods they are easy to catch. Large shiners work well. Another trick to try is use a small piece of panty hose to wrap the softer baits (ie. chicken livers or dough balls) around the hook. I usually use the kahle style hooks. It always puts the hook in the corner of the mouth. Believe it or not I have used ivory soap before. Just leave it outside for a few days. You can also bait the fish with a burlap sack and various chicken parts. Just let it sit for a while and cast in the general area. Good luck.

Answer 6

I've always fished, but never had the patience for cat fishing.....I too have recently been trying the sport and have had alot of luck. Check out this web site (www.catfishing.tv). A good ole boy named tiny has the site.... he's a catfish guide and will show you every thing from bait, equipment, weather, strategies and more. Very interesting......... Good Luck

Answer 7

i love it when people say they don't have the patience for catfishing... during a good summer day, i've caught over 100lbs of blues and head home at noon-time. the people who fish all day for a few small bass - that takes patience!

big blues are movers. don't stay in one place too long. if they aren't biting, then move. don't spend more than 20 minutes in one place if nobody is biting.

the best baits that we've used are... shad (catch them near where you fish), stinky cheese baits, or even spam. anythiny oily.

good luck!

Answer 8

Go to Texas, find a rancher who has a lake on his spread. Run a line across it. Catch lots of catfish. . Cut in 2-3 in chunks. Deep fat fry. I have never tasted anything as good in all my life. And i do not like fish as a whole.

Answer 9

Depends on where you are at. Use live bait. Whatever they are eating in the place where you are fishing. At a place like Santee Cooper they use shiners, mullet, blue back herring, and some cut bait you have to check the percentages in your area for cut bait though.

Answer 10

check your regs before doing this but works great on farm ponds. catch small perch.. cut up and put on treble...tight line.
big lakes find slow current in large coves. from May to July the shad run catch live shad and use on single snelled hooks. drift across the channel.. hold one