The Right Catfish Fishing Hook
Catfish fishing can be one of the most fun and exciting fishing you can do. Choosing the right catfish fishing hook will depend on what type and size catfish you are trying to catch. Choose a hook too small and you will never catch the really big ones. Choose a hook to large and if you don’t catch the big one you may not catch anything at all.
When catfish fishing you should always have a variety of sizes in your tackle box so that you can adapt to the catfish that you catching. I generally keep sizes 1/0 to 6/0 bait holder hooks. I almost always begin with a 1/0 bait holder hook. I have caught catfish over 20 lbs with this hook. They are great for channel catfish of all sizes and will certainly allow you to provide plenty of good tasting fish for your dinner table.
When fishing for the big catfish, flatheads and blues, I usually start with a 4/0 bait holder hook. You may miss a few little ones with this hook but by using it we are saying we don’t want the little ones anyway. Remember that generally speaking bigger bait catches bigger catfish.
When it comes to winter catfish fishing, you really can get better results using smaller hooks. 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 to take the bait without spooking them.
In the springtime, when the catfish are more aggressive, you can move up to some bigger hooks like a 6/0 bait holder hook. These are particularly good when there are flood water 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.
When Channel Cats Get Tough: By Rob Neumann
Experiences of top catmen along with results of scientific studies have tightened our grip on the seasonal response of catfish, from small rivers to the largest of watercourses. Myths about notoriously tight-lipped catfish late in the year have been dispelled — in fact, autumn catfishing can be fruitful when conditions are right. At other times, channel catfish can be anything but aggressive, especially after a bout of a miserably cold October or November rain (or worse). But when the cold steel of the hammer drops and the going gets tough at traditional summer spots, the tough get going — right down to the places channel cats ride out old man winter.
Best Baits to Catch Channel Catfish
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Are you going fishing for channel cats? Then you are going to want to know what the best baits to catch channel catfish are. Channel cats will eat just about anything you put in front of them. This gives you lots of choices. Heck, they have been know to bite on everything from hot dogs to ivory soap. Your choice of bait will depend on a lot of factors. Water temperature, time of day, and weather conditions are just some of the variables when choosing the best bait for catching channel catfish. Here is my list. Every one of these has worked for me and every one has left me high and dry without a fish. You will have to experiment some to find out what works best for you in your local waters.
PREPARED BAITS: Prepared baits can be purchased at any tackle shop or your local Wal-mart. These manufactured baits can be very effective. You can also make your own. You can easily find hundreds of catfish bait recipes online and they all have one thing in common. They stink! Make sure you take something with you to clean your hands after baiting the hook.
WORMS: Night crawlers, garden worms and Catawba worms are all included here. These are the old standby and will catch catfish but are best used where they are likely to find them. Places where creeks and drainage ditches feed into the lake or river seem to be best. The downside to worms is that all fish eat worms and you may find you are losing a lot of bait to bream.
SHRIMP: You can purchase shrimp at your local grocery either with or without shell. I leave the shell on but most remove it. Depending on the size of the shrimp and the size of the bait you want you can use them whole or cut them in half. Many also soak them in vanilla extract to enhance their appeal. I am particularly found of the cut baits and shrimp because they stay on your hook and can be fished in fast currents when necessary.
CHICKEN LIVERS: These can also be purchased at your local grocery store and are a very good bait. I do suggest you take an old nylon stocking and cut it into small squares. You can use these squares to wrap around the chicken liver and attach it to the hook. They will stay on the hook much better. Fish on the bottom and check your bait every 20-30 minutes. If all the blood is gone replace the bait.
CUT BAITS: Cut baits cover a wide variety of fish baits. The most common ones are: shad, bluegill, anchovy, sardines, mackerel and minnows. Make sure it is legal to use them in your area. I know that bluegill is not legal in some states but is ok in others. I cut them into chunks depending on the size of the bait. I personally believe cut bait is the best bait to channel catfish. Especially if want the big ones.
Good luck on your next outing. Visit Catfish Bait Recipes to get more great homemade catfish baits.