Fishing is a great recreational activity. It offers you an enjoying day out with your family and friends. It is a heart pounding, adrenaline-charged activity where you battle one-on-one with a fish whose sheer power and strength would question your insanity, for sure. One of the most common fishing activities is catching a catfish, which is uncomplicated and very enjoying, thus making it a hit among fishing enthusiasts. There are certain tricks and methods to go about catching a catfish. Follow the steps below to learn how you can improve your cat fishing techniques.
Complexity Level: Moderate
Time Required: 1 to 2 hours
Resources Required:
- Fishing line
- Bait
- Fish hooks
- Knife
- Fishing pole
- Barrel swivel
- Sinker
Instructions:
1. Select position
- Scout around for good locations by studying the topographical maps of places.
- Catfish usually likes underwater structures or contours at the bottom of the lake. So, if you can find an area like that, it would be the best. Areas where the water steeps deep just after the shallow ends are a favorite among catfish. Move away from this area and cast your bait into shallow waters, about 2 to 4 feet away from the bank.
- If it is river you are interested in, then scout an area that is less traveled and maybe lined with trees and downed brushes. Position yourself somewhere upstream and cast downstream, again about 2 to 4 feet from the bank.
- Ponds are also a great source of catfish. They are smaller which makes it easier for anglers. Try and notice deep water areas and the outside deeper edges of lush aquatic vegetation and near rock piles, stumps, logs and tress.
2. Prepare bait
- Although, every type of bait attracts the catfish, using crayfish, nigh crawlers , chicken liver and even ivory soap is advisable.
- If you are aiming for big channels, then it is wiser to use cut bails, which are pieces of sliced bait fish, instead.
- Try and use oily fish as much as possible. For example shad, herring and gold eye are best, but if they are not available then any bait fish would do.
- Play around with the cut bait preparations till you figure out what catfish usually prefers. It could be the head, the tail or even the belly part.
- If you are able to match the bait’s size to that of the fish you are likely to catch, then it’s definitely an advantage. If your cats are over 5 or 6 pounds then cut your bait chunks to about 1 to 2 inches in size and if they are bigger then go for a 3 to 4 inch long baits.
3. Fishing
- Have your fishing line, hook and pole ready and attach your bait to the hook.
- Anchor your fishing rod in such a way that tip action is freely allowed to work but make sure the rod doesn’t get ripped in half from the shore and get lost in the river. This is important because the process will happen really fast before you can react.
- You can choose to do still fishing by playing the sit and wait game. Present your bait to the near bottom and then wait for the catfish to find it. This can be done either from the bank or from a stationary boat.
- Drift-fishing is another method of catching catfish. This is more effective as it lets you help the cats find the bait, giving you more control.
- Once the fish catches the bait, pull the line back in and release the fish.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the best time to catch a catfish?
Catfishes are highly nocturnal; so your best chances of getting hold of these fishes are either early in the morning i.e. dawn time or late evening. With regard to the time of the year when catfish is in plenty, it mostly depends on your exact location. But if your pond or lake or river doesn’t have ice on them, then you have a good chance of catching them even in winter.
Quick Tips:
1. It is advisable to use long rods when you are doing bank fishing as it helps in increasing casting distances and there is better bait control along with fighting power.
2. When doing night fishing make sure you carry all the necessary equipment with you, like torch lights, fluorescent lights on the rods to see the line movements, night bobbers and rod bells.
3. Keep your voices down as much as possible.
4. Check to see if it is legal to fish in your area and also if you can use live bait.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Sometimes, it is possible for the fish to keep dragging you into water which could cause drowning. In such cases, use the knife to cut the line and release the fish.
- Most catfishes have spines on their side fins. Be careful while grabbing the fish as it can sting you.
