The Right Catfish Hooks To Increase Your Success
Knowing how to select the right catfish hooks for the type of catfish you want to catch is very important. Fishing for a 2lb channel is vastly different than fishing for a 50lb blue or flathead catfish. The sizes I use range from 2 to 2/0 in most waters but there are times when you can use larger hooks up to 6/0 effectively.
I usually fish with a 2/0 baitholder hook as I can get both table fare and some good sized cats without having to worry about the hook failing. When I am at a location, such as below a dam, that has proven to produce monster cats consistently I will use a 4/0 hook.
The way I select the right catfish hook is easy. In waters where I am unsure of what to use I always start with a 1/0 baitholder hook. If your drag is set properly this hook is sturdy enough to bring in the big catfish and small enough to provide good table fare.
When I am trying to make sure I have a decent catch to take home for dinner I often switch to a smaller hook. Not many catfish anglers recommend this but I have had great success doing so. For instance, if I am having a problem with the catfish taking my bait, running with it for a short distance and then just simply dropping the bait I will switch to a #2 baitholder. Of course it is not as effective for big fish but it does put food on the table.
When it comes to winter fishing for catfish, you really can get better results using smaller hooks too. Even when you are trying to catch big fish. Especially in the winter, when the water is cold and calm, the catfish tend to be finicky, and you have to try to get them out of the water without spooking them.
In the springtime, when the fish are not so finicky, you can move up to some bigger hooks like a 4/0 baitholder hook. These are particularly good when there are flood water kinds of conditions present. During flood conditions, the fish tend to get very aggressive, and they really grab on to basically whatever is out there. You will miss some fish you could catch if you use the smaller hooks in flood conditions.
No matter what size or type hook you prefer to use you should always have an assortment on hand so that you can adapt to the waters or conditions you are fishing in. Go often enough and you will work out your own system and preferences for choosing the right catfish hooks.
Great Time For Catfish Anglers
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Links: There’s quite a variety of good fishing going on out there now, but some of the best that will be occurring on the big lakes will be in the rocky shallows, as channel catfish move in for the peak of their spring spawning action.
Spawning usually takes place in late May or early June when the water temperature reaches 75 degrees.
Hollow logs, overhanging underwater ledges or holes under mud banks are typical nesting places. Females lay about 10,000 eggs each. Males guard the nest against intruders, including females. Eggs hatch in 6 to 10 days determined by temperature. After hatching, the catfish fry are attended for a short time by the male as they feed in a dense school.
And it’s certainly not difficult to find a prime spot for this traditional early-summer catfish action on the big lakes.
Every major lake has literally mile after mile of rocky riprap fill where a highway crosses the lake. Those are always hot spots for this fishing, and of course they can be accessed most effectively by a boat, as anglers move along the riprap, working them with a slip-cork rig and some type of good catfish bait.
But if you don’t have a boat, you can still pick a spot somewhere along the rocky banks and put out several rods/reels with corks to cover a good amount of water.