Fishing for Catfish
 

     Fishing for Catfish: Tips from the Pros Serious about catching catfish is done with the right bait.  Fishing for catfish is good at night and early morning using chicken liver, cut bait or sardines.  Catfish fishing is not just luck but some skill and knowledge of this species and there habitat will help you to better understand catfish feeding and swimming patterns. Let’s discuss some of the more popular catfish we have in the USA, particularly California.

Blue Catfish

     Adult fish have stout bodies with prominently humped backs in front of the dorsal fin. They have a long, straight-edged fin. The back and upper sides are blue to gray, and the lower sides and belly are white. Blue catfish are found in large rivers with fast moving warm water. Blue catfish grow faster and live longer than any other catfish. They are the largest member of the catfish family. This fish may grow to lengths of over 50 inches and may weigh more than 100 pounds. Maximum life span for blues is unknown but is about 20-25 years. Blue catfish in my opinion are the strongest freshwater fish. Blue catfish are caught on bush hooks or trotlines as well as rod and reel. The most effective baits are cut bait, live fish and night-crawlers. They also will take prepared and stink-bait. Most blue catfish are caught while bottom fishing with cut bait, rigged on large hooks weighted down by heavy lead sinkers.

Channel Catfish

     Channel catfish are easy to spot because they have scattered black spots along their back and sides. They have a small, narrow head. The back is blue-gray with light blue to silvery-gray sides and a white belly. They are mostly found in big rivers and streams. Channel catfish also inhabit lakes, reservoirs and ponds. Most channel catfish are caught by bottom fishing with baits such as cut bait, chicken livers and night-crawlers. They prefer dead or prepared stink-baits to live bait, but at times will take live minnows and lures such as jigs and spinners.

Flathead Catfish

     A flattened head, tiny eyes, short tail and protruding lower jaw. They are yellow-brown and usually mottled above, with a creamy white or yellow belly. Small flatheads may be confused with yellow or brown bullheads. Flatheads are predatory fish and will feed on bass, bream, shad, and crayfish and often eat other catfish.  Large flatheads sometime hang out where food is plentiful such as near big rocks and dams. They often feed at the surface or in shallow water at night, returning to their home in a hole or brush piles to rest during the day. Flatheads are found mainly in large rivers. They like long and slow moving water. Adult flatheads spend most of their time in deep water near cover such as logs or fallen trees. To catch flatheads, anglers such fish on the bottom using heavy tackle with live bait or fresh cut bait.

White Catfish

     The sides are blue-gray to blue-black and may be mottled. The tail is moderately forked, and the tail fin is shorter and rounder than that of channel catfish. The chics are white / yellow. They have a blunt, more-rounded head, and they have no black spots on their body. You can find white catfish in some slow moving streams, river backwaters, reservoirs and ponds with warm temperature. To catch the white catfish use shrimp, mussel, frogs or hog wild.

     Fishing for catfish takes on a whole new approach, and often, a whole new set of tackle. Always use heavy tackle for catfish because you are going to get a fight. The real value of this article is to familiarize you folks with the different species of catfish that are most commonly found in the USA, particularly California. Every angler has his or her own ways of fishing for catfish but it’s always good to check out different ways of catfish fishing. When I go catfish fishing I usually talk to the anglers to see what their catch of the day weigh in at, what bait they used and where did they bag it at. You know! the meat and potatoes so to speak. So if you are fishing for catfish using bar soap, by the way, this is a great way to catch most river catfish, or using chicken liver, worms, cut bait, plastic lures, stink bait or dough bait find out where to fish are by using a fish finder or your gut instinct.  (Tip), if you really want to catch catfish fast, start a good stink chum line going, you won’t have to find the catfish; they will find your baited hook. but especially here in

The (Secret) is all about the smell of the bait.

The only thing left is to clean your catch and enjoy a great catfish dinner. Check out our Catfish Recipes.

Try one of our Catfish Recipes.