Catfishing Tips

Trouble Catching Catfish?

Catching catfish is supposed to be easy. You can use about anything and they will eat it. You have followed the advice of all the experts. Maybe even me. You have a good rod and reel. You maybe even have three or four of them in the water. So why aren’t you catching any catfish.

There are a few things you might be doing wrong. Maybe you or someone your with is tossing rocks into the water or maybe you are wading in the water. Catfish scare easily and will leave quickly if they sense danger. Even you shadow on the water can spook them.

You may not have the right bait. Catfish like stinky bait. Cut bait, chicken livers, shrimp, cheese and night crawlers are some of the most common baits used. My preference is cut baits but that doesn’t always work either. It’s always a good idea to have a few choices available and switch them up if you aren’t getting any bites.

Are you getting bites but no takers? Your hook might be too big. Experiment with a couple of different hook sizes and see what works. A few two to five pound catfish are better than zero unless all you want to do is to catch is the big one. I have caught many catfish over ten pounds with a number two hook, which many catfish anglers will tell you is too small, while filling my stringer with the smaller ones.

Maybe your hook stinks. “But wait” you say “isn’t my bait supposed to stink?” Yes, your bait is supposed to stink but your hook is not. If you smoke, have suntan lotion or insect repellent on your hands the scent can be transferred to your hook and line. Catfish have an extra sensitive sense of smell and they may not like what they are smelling.

Still not catching catfish? Try another location.

What Fishing Line To Use For Catfish

Catfish aren’t line-shy, so matching your line to the size fish you’re going after is easy. For this book the channel catfish is our target.  Most are in the 2 to 10lb. range but the world record is 58lbs. High-strength, small-diameter monofilament rated 10- to 20-pound test is a good inexpensive choice for all-round use and is my recommendation for the beginner.

Braided lines have a much smaller diameter for the same test weight and do not stretch like the monofilament line when the fish takes the bait. Because they are thinner they also allow longer casts which makes them ideal for fishing from the bank. Braids can be purchased in 8 to 250 pound test. Most anglers that want the big fish will use braided line but I do not recommend it for the beginner. The braided line works best with a bait casting reel and is much more expensive.

Sharp Hooks Needed For Catfish

A catfish has a very tough mouth and your hook will need to be very sharp. If it is not you will miss a lot of fish and lose a lot of bait. Those hooks you bought may feel sharp but they are probably not sharp enough. To find out if they are sharp enough simply let them slide down your fingernail and if it grabs without you putting pressure on it, it is sharp enough.

If it needs sharpening the only tool you need is a small file. Just a couple of strokes along the point before checking again. You don’t want it so thin it will break off.  Check it again and repeat if needed.