02-21-2013, 04:26 PM
Be careful with that walmart special gear when you are catfishing. Though, using stink bait, you probably don't have to worry much. Stink bait, small cut bait, hot dogs, ivory soap..... All favorites for channel cat and bullhead catfish anglers. Those species don't typcially get to terribly large sizes, though the world record Channel is over 60 pounds, caught in the Santee Coopers lakes here in SC. The average Channel is 5 pounds or less. (usually less)
Catfish like structure. Now, I use small channel cats and bullheads for bait, for larger Flathead and Blue catfish, keep that in mind. But channels and bullheads i've found like structure in the shallower areas during the day, when the bigger predatory cats are resting in the deeper holes. At night, the larger flatheads and blues tend to move out into the shallows to feed. Keep in mind, every body of water is different. Some things will be similar, but spawing effects the fish movement and feeding habbits, water tempurature, bottom composition, etc....
As you probably already gathered, I use live bait for catfish primarily. Live small channel cats, bream, crappy, shad, and one of my personal favorites, live american eel. I use 60 pound superbraid, 50 pound fluorocarbon leaders on a carolina rig, terminated with between a 8/0-10/0 gamakatsu J hook. (sometimes I use circle hooks) I can tell you now, if you're not getting snagged every other throw, you're not fishing where the big boys are.
I like river fishing for cats, because it's not terribly hard to find the fish. During the day, deep holes on the outside bends of the river, that contain structure and/or log jams. They LOVE log jams. Just having structure is not good enough. Needs to be deep, dark, and covered. Lakes are hit and miss, and you really have to put the time in the find the fish.
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Catfish like structure. Now, I use small channel cats and bullheads for bait, for larger Flathead and Blue catfish, keep that in mind. But channels and bullheads i've found like structure in the shallower areas during the day, when the bigger predatory cats are resting in the deeper holes. At night, the larger flatheads and blues tend to move out into the shallows to feed. Keep in mind, every body of water is different. Some things will be similar, but spawing effects the fish movement and feeding habbits, water tempurature, bottom composition, etc....
As you probably already gathered, I use live bait for catfish primarily. Live small channel cats, bream, crappy, shad, and one of my personal favorites, live american eel. I use 60 pound superbraid, 50 pound fluorocarbon leaders on a carolina rig, terminated with between a 8/0-10/0 gamakatsu J hook. (sometimes I use circle hooks) I can tell you now, if you're not getting snagged every other throw, you're not fishing where the big boys are.
I like river fishing for cats, because it's not terribly hard to find the fish. During the day, deep holes on the outside bends of the river, that contain structure and/or log jams. They LOVE log jams. Just having structure is not good enough. Needs to be deep, dark, and covered. Lakes are hit and miss, and you really have to put the time in the find the fish.
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