Catfishing Facts Essential Things To Know About Catfishing

Catfishing expert George delivers some great catfishing facts in this article, like catfish fishing usa with live baits is illegal in some states! I hope you learn something from George's article.

Essential Things To Know About Catfishing

If you are a novice fisherman looking to spend your afternoon near a cool breezy lake, catfishing can present an interesting challenge. Catfish are large ray-finned fish found all over North America. People usually fish for blue, flathead, or channel catfish in the United States where these species are abundantly found in lakes, ponds, and rivers. Catfish flesh is known for its delicate and delicious taste. Catfish are also artificially farmed for food. Some flathead catfish can grow up to 1 meter in length and 200 pounds in weight. You should carry medium to heavy action rods when you go catfishing.

You can recognize the catfish for their lack of scales on their body. Catfish also have prominent "whiskers", a specialized sense organ called barbells. These barbells help the catfish to hunt for food even in muddy waters where visibility is low. These fish are negatively buoyant and are typically found feeding on the debris and fish at the bottom of the water body. If you want to spot a catfish, you ought to look in the holes, logs and other hideouts on the river bed. Chances are you will find a monster cat hiding in one of these hideouts. Catfish sting so if I were you, I'd be careful when I handle them. If you ever get stung, rub the tail of the catfish on the wound; you will feel better almost instantly. And don't worry; catfish sting is not fatal and it won't hurt for too long either.

If you have done fly fishing before, don't take your light rod with you. Catfish are big and heavy. You will need to buy a different rod for catfishing. You can usually check the label on the rod to see if it is a medium action rod: that's the kind of rod you will need for catfishing. You can also forget lures. Catfish are usually caught with prepared bait. Some species like flathead catfish even prefer live baits like blue gills and sun fish. The line you sink is to be lowered in carefully and kept steady. And you need to attach one or two ounce weights to the line so that your bait sinks below the surface of the water. As you can see, catfishing is quite different from flyfishing. (Please note that catfishing with live baits is illegal in some states, so please check with your local authorities before you go fishing with live baits.)

Most fishing enthusiasts prefer to go fishing for catfish in summers May through September, when the catfish are easier to find in the flooded brush on the river bends and banks of the ponds. But if you really love the challenge of it, you could go looking for catfish even in winters. This activity, also called icefishing, is very popular in some parts of United States. Just make sure you carry lots of warm clothes and hot chocolate for your fishing trip. Mmm... wouldn't that be exhilarating? Do ask your friends to join you for the trip.

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Catfish fishing usa article

Catfishing Tips For Beginners

Jeremy delivers some great catfishing tips here, if you are a beginner, then you really should be looking for catfishing tips for beginners, so I hope these help :)

Get The Basic Knowledge To Learn About Fishing Using Catfishing Tips

Enhance your skills and learn more about your favorite fish using these catfishing tips. You can catch a good-sized catfish for yourself and have a pleasant and delicious dinner. And when you go fishing, the catfishing tips here might even help you master the art of catfishing.

Catfish have been popular and well-liked for their flavorful addition to the dinner table in many countries. Beginning anglers can learn from these catfishing tips and have an enthusiastic fishing experience too.

Considerations
You need to think about how and when you can catch catfish, the type of water you normally fish in, potential fishing locations, the types of bait you want to use and the techniques you will need to catch plenty of fish.
In case you are lucky enough to hook a big catfish, you should have strong gear since you don't want to let go a cat. You should use strong line and a sturdy hook for catfishing, and the size of the hook is not as important as its sturdiness.

Catfishing tips include
- Use a good rig: Slide a sinker down to the hook and it will keep the catfish from feeling any kind of resistance when it is attracted to the bait, making it easier to catch.

- The best time to catch a catfish is at night time: This is this is when catfish feed.
- Catfish are more abundant in rainy or cloudy weather. As long as you can handle a light drizzle or overcast day, you'll find a pleasant fishing experience and more potential catfish on your line.
- You can easily find catfish in creeks and rivers depending on the depth of water and the current.
- Night crawlers and chicken livers are known to attract these fish.

- Depending on where you fish, some other bait like crawdads or live and dead minnows can prove more effective catfishing bait. Catfishing will be more productive if you fish behind rocks, like the ones along the banks of a stream, because catfish are more likely to be found where the current isn't as strong.

Catfish grow to a big size and are not always easy to get hold of once you have caught them. You'll need to perfect your technique to hold onto your catfish since you don't want to let go of your fish once it is hooked in your line. You need to keep your catfish off balance by applying pressure and immediately releasing when you feel it take the hook, letting the rod move horizontally.
By following these catfishing tips you can hopefully have better results catching catfish and help perfect your own catfishing technique.

Jeremy Jefferson is a catfishing expert. For more great tips on catfishing tips, visit [http://www.catfishinggenius.com].

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Catfish Information Fun Facts About Catfish

Chris gives us 8 fun facts about catfish in this interesting article. If you would like to become a catfishing expert, Click Here!

8 Catfish Facts You Should Know (Part 1)

Do you know what's the best challenge that someone could face when game fishing? Well if you've been practicing this sport for a while then you know it's when you face a giant fish that fights like hell. Because of this, many anglers prefer catfish as a game fish over other types. If you intend to follow me in my catfishing journey, you need to learn a little bit about this mysterious fish. So here are 8 catfish facts you should know about:

1- As most people think that this is only a freshwater fish, there are actually some species that live in saltwater as well. While saltwater catfish aren't considered very challenging to most experienced anglers because of their small size, I see that a beginner could really enjoy fishing those types of catfish.
2- Catfish can survive even in the worst water conditions. They have a good sense of adaptability to their environment.
3- As opposed to what many people think, the catfish is a really fast and smart fish. This is so obvious because it's considered one of the best game fishes even to most experienced anglers.

4- You can go catfishing all the time of the year and not only in a specific season (most people think it can be done only in summer). One thing to keep in mind is that catfish really hates when it's hot, so you better choose a cloudy day or even the evening instead of fishing when the sun is in the middle of the sky (when the temperature drops down, catfish go outside from their hiding to eat).
5- Catfish is the 5th most popular fish in America.
6- The catfish group is actually one of the largest and most diverse groups of fish. There are over 3000 catfish species known to men.
7- As most people think that catfish isn't a poisonous fish, scientific evidence from the University of Michigan show that almost half of the catfish species are venomous. The good think is that in North America, some catfish species use their venom to mainly defend themselves from predatory fish. There have been many proofs of highly poisonous catfish that can be deadly to human in other parts of the world.
8- The world's biggest catfish was caught in Northern Thailand in 2005. This giant Mekong catfish weighs 646 pounds and measured 9 feet long. In the US, Greg Bernal and his girlfriend Janet Momphard has made a record of catching a 130 pound, 57 inches blue catfish, which is considered a world record for this species.

Chris is a catfishing fan. He enjoys catching big catfish as well as teaching other people how to do the same. If you want to learn more about this fish, check out: catfish facts [http://www.catfishfacts.org/]. For more information regarding species that live in saltwater, check out: saltwater catfish [http://www.catfishfacts.org/saltwater-catfish/]

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Catfishing tips and techniques

The Common Sense Approach To Catching The Big Catfish

As obvious as it is, using Josh's common sense approach to catching the big catfish can help you land that monster catfish like the one at the bottom of this article:)

How to Find BIG Catfish

There are many cat fishermen that have been catching average size fish for years without learning exactly where or how to find big catfish. One of the problems most anglers encounter when they are looking to find big fish is knowing where to fish and what body of waters to fish. Here we will show you exactly where to find a monster cat. The main key to locating fish over 20 lbs whether it be blue, channel, or Flathead catfish is location. Some bodies of water just do not produce large fish and can be over run with smaller size fish. A lake or river system has to have many elements to produce catfish over a certain size. Good food sources,cover,prolonged water temps above 50 deg can all help. But the main thing is a, large catfish holds the proper genes to reproduce more large catfish. This is one of the reasons why it is very important to CPR "catch photo release" any catfish over 10 lbs.
Locating areas to catch bigger fish can be a very hard task. There are many cat fishermen that have been out on the rivers and lakes for many years trying to find big catfish and when they do find a good hole it is kept a secret. It is hard work locating areas and bodies of water that continually hold large fish.

So how do you find bodies of water that hold large amounts of Trophy Catfish???

Its simple, if you want to land MONSTER CATFISH your chances are greatly improved by fishing waters that are known to produce big fish. There are several interactive catfish hot spot maps that mark the locations of every state and world record Flathead,blue and channel. These fish normally come from big fish waters and fishing these bodies of water greatly increases your chance at landing a true trophy fish. Use of big bait like whole shad,cut skip jack, live bluegill or any type of bait fish that is legal in your area. Depending on the species of catfish you want to catch.Drift fishing these waters for blue catfish can be a deadly tactic at the right time of the year and we will be posting an article on this soon. For Monster Flathead in the hot summer months look for shallow water at night time. Flathead love hot water and shallow water is where there food source is. Fish creek beds, points, logjams, the head and core of any river hole and rocks. Get out there and catfish proven waters that hold record catfish. There IS a hot spot close to you, so get out there and fish proven waters.

Using these catfish hotspot maps to help locate trophy sized fish is simple and you can also check water conditions using the links. Hope you enjoy the info we have given.

It's that simple, if you want to land MONSTER CATFISH your chances are greatly improved by fishing waters that are known to produce big catfish.
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discover how to catch a monster catfish 

Best Catfish Cut Bait

We all want to know the best bait for catching Catfish, in the article below, Mark talks about catfish cut bait and cut bait fishing rigs.

Catfish Baits - What is the Right Cut Bait Presentation? 

Catfish have a very tuned sensory system that allows them to taste catfish bait from sometimes 15 ft away. They can smell and taste very small concentrations of your catfish bait when it dissolves in the water and can detect them from some distances away. This is definitely an advantage on any waters where there is a current because the smell and taste drift down stream. It is also a distinct advantage in murky waters where sight is impaired. There are many catfish anglers who prefer prepared baits, and there are many fishing situations where they do work very well but our article today will only concentrate on natural catfish baits.

Cut baits work great as catfish baits in rivers, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs because most catfish such as blue catfish and channel catfish feed on dead fish as part of their diets. Also cut baits work well because they immediately release small particles into the water and create a smell and taste trail for any blue catfish or channel catfish in the area. During the summer flat head catfish will normally only feed on live bait that is near their area such as shad, yellow perch, pan fish and other forage fish in the area, but during the pre-spawn time right after ice out they will feed aggressively on dead catfish bait such as cut bait chucks. An excellent cutbait for blue catfish and channel catfish are oily forage fish such as skipjack herring, and gizzard shad. Mussels also make an excellent catfish bait fresh or seasoned in sour milk for a few days.

There are some basic cut bait fishing rigs that work well for different fishing situations. The types of catfish rigs we will mention are quick hit rigs, three way swivel fishing rigs, a basic slip sinker rig, modified slip sinker rig, and a basic slip bobber fishing rig.

A quick hit fishing rig is used a lot to fish for flat head and blue catfish. To make a quick hit rig you will need two number 2 to 1/0 treble hooks, a three way swivel, and a bell sinker large enough to keep your live bait close to the bottom In shallow water areas a 1/2 ounce will usually work but if you are fishing for blue catfish in current or trying to anchor your catfish bait for flathead catfish you will need much larger bell sinkers typically from 3 ounces to 8 ounces. The size you select will be determined by how large your bait is and how strong the current is.

First tie on the three way swivel to your main fishing line, then tie on a 6 to 24 inch dropper that has your bell sinker attached. Then tie on the quick hit rig to the last open eye on the three way swivel.
To make your quick hit fishing rig tie the lead treble hook on to a 12 to 30 inch leader using an improved clinch knot. Next, tie the second treble hook about 4" away from the lead treble hook using a snell or uni-knot. You will want to use a gizzard shad for your catfish bait in the 8 inch to 10 inch size range. Insert just one of the hooks of the lead treble right behind the shad's head in the upper flesh area. Next insert just one of the hooks of the lead treble behind the dorsal fin in the top flesh area.

To make a standard three way swivel rig first tie your three way swivel to the main line. Next tie your dropper to one of the open leads of the three way swivel. The dropper rig should have a bell sinker 1/2 ounce for shallow water or 3 ounces to 8 ounces if you are using large size catfish baits foe blue catfish and channel catfish. The leader should be 6 to 24 inches long with a 5/0 to 7/0 hook.
To make a basic slip sinker rig slide an egg sinker on your line then tie on a 5/0 to 7/0 hook. Then clamp on a split shot sinker up the line 6 to 24 inches from the hook. This type of slip sinker fishing rig tend to hang up quite often and many fisherman use the modified slip sinker rig instead, because of this reason.

To make a modified slip sinker fishing rig slide a 1/2 to 4ounce bell sinker up the line. Next tie on a two way swivel. The tie on a 6 to 24 inch leader with a 5/0 to 7/0 hook.
Well that concludes my article on catfish baits and fishing rigs. Have a nice day and we wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip.

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How To Catch Catfish In Lakes

Another great article from Mark on how to catch catfish in lakes. Many people attempt to catch catfish in lakes, but a little research before you embark on this, can make all the difference!

Bait Fishing - Classifying Catfish Lakes Details Here!

When we talk about classifying catfish lakes we basically talking about locating different species of catfish such as channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish at different times of the year. The classifying process is not an exact science because there is not a lot of scientific data that has been collected about catfish like other game fish species. Fortunately there is some data that has be collected about the channel catfish, and we will use some of that history as reference for our article today. Our article today will focus on the different types of catfish lakes.

To classify catfish waters is a three part process. When you classify catfish waters for bait fishing you compare the type of lake, structure, the lakes location, and seasonal movements of a particular species of catfish such as channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. If this sounds like a bit of work it is. To be a very good catfish angler it does take a bit of practice and trial and error just like any other sport. For example your best pro athletes spend hours in the weight room and with conditioning to get ready for the next season. The ones that prepare the best perform the best, it's no different with fishing for catfish, or any other fish species for that mater.

Before we start on the different lake classifications lets talk briefly about the idea water temperatures for channel catfish, blue catfish and flat head catfish. This information is vital when you are preparing to identify ideal bait fishing for catfish waters. The ideal temperature range for all catfish is between 75degrees to 80 degrees. When the water temperature rises to 75degree all catfish will start their spawning. This will occurs at different times, depending where the catfish waters are located. Typical spawning periods for Florida are the months, of April, May and June. The catfish spawning times for Alabama and Georgia are May and June. In Texas and Oklahoma catfish spawn between May and June. In Kentucky and Tennessee the spawn will happen between June and July. In Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa The spawn of catfish will occur in June and July. In Ohio The cats will spawn over a three month period between July to early August. In Minnesota and Wisconsin you can expect the spawn to be between July to early August also. Manitoba Canada will have a spawn of catfish between July and August.

The following information about the types of catfish lakes is to be used as a guide only so you can classify your local cat fish hole and lakes around you. There are no two lakes that are exactly alike but fortunately lakes do fall into three basic categories which are oligotrophic (young lakes), mesotrophic (middle aged lakes), and eutrophic (old lakes). Some lakes such as oligotrophic lakes will not hold any catfish and can be eliminated them from you catfish lake classification list. Understanding the idea temperature range for catfish is a key factor when you start to learn the catfish water classification for bait fishing. All baseline data will be developed based on knowing this information first. Catfish will react differently when the water temperature moves below or above their ideal temperature and you will be predicting their movements and feeding patterns based on this information.

To classify a lake into one of the three lake classifications listed in the last paragraph there are some specific factors you need to consider such as how many game fish there are compared to the number of bait fish, the amount and type of aquatic vegetation, and other critical structure habitat factors. This information will be used in combination of seasonal movements to determine where catfish will be located and what type of catfish bait to use when you go bait fishing for your particular species of catfish.

Well that concludes my article today about classifying catfish waters. May you have the best of luck on your next fishing trip! Have a great day!

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Tips For Catching Channel Catfish in The Spring, Summer, and Fall

If you are looking for information on catching channel catfish, Mark gives some great tips for catching channel catfish.

Bait Fishing - Catching Channel Catfish in the Spring, Summer, and Fall - Details Here!

Channel cats are the most studied species of catfish, but compared to other game fish studies the amount of data available is minimal. Most of the data that is available about channel catfish's seasonal movement is based on just a few rivers, lakes and reservoirs that have been watched closely.
One factor that remains constant when you are talking about seasonal movements of catfish is the fact that the length of daylight effects all species of catfish. Some species such as the channel cat are effected more then other species such as the blue catfish and flat head catfish. Actually the length of day effects small organisms and all animals up the food chain to include game fish. The intensity and length of light effects drives the yearly migration and spawning and feeding patterns of channel catfish, blue catfish, and flat head catfish. If you can learn these patterns you will enjoy more productive channel catfish bait fishing trips on a regular basis.

The channel catfish's movements can be analyzed by using a very good the catfish calendar that the In - Fisherman developed. This calendar can be obtained by purchasing their book In - Fisherman Critical Concepts. Basically the calendar divides North America into the Southern range, The Mid range, and the Northern Range. The calendar has ten periods which include catfish pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn, pre-summer, summer peak, summer, post-summer, fall turnover, cold water, winter. Each of these periods is posted on the calendar through all months of the year in all ranges, so you can predict where catfish will be and what kind of catfish bait you can use in your local area. Or if you are planning a trip to catch a mess of catfish out of state you can use the calendar to pick the best time of year.

The winter period includes the cold water and winter periods. This period is classified as long periods of time that the water temperature is below the normal range for catfish. Channel cats will continue to feed during this period but they won't be as active when compared to other times of the year. If you plan on going bait fishing to catch some channel catfish at this time of your look for deep water holes that is where they will be holding for the winter. Temperature ranges in the winter average from 32 degrees to 39 degrees in Manitoba to 40 degrees to 50 degrees in Florida.

The spring coldwater period arrives right after ice-out in the north and when the water temperatures in the south start to rise. Channel catfish will still be located in deep holes. Unlike walleyes, pike, and sauger, who move quickly into their spawning period, channel catfish, blue catfish, and flat head catfish do not spawn for tow three more months away when water temperatures rise to 75 degrees. When water temperatures rise above 50 degrees channel catfish, blue catfish and flathead catfish will begin to move out of there deep holes looking for the years winter fish kill. This is an ideal time to use gizzard shad and skip jack herring as your catfish bait. All catfish species will be aggressively eating the deed fish kill, even the flat head catfish who normally feeds primarily on live bait fish, such as bluegill, perch, and other catfish and forage fish.

The pre-spawn period is when the channel catfish will start it's migration to smaller rivers, and tributaries to look for food and to find good spawning areas. In lakes or reservoirs this migration may be to the mouth of any incoming creeks or rivers into the lake or reservoir. This time of you're a good catfish bait would fresh mussels and large live creek chubs and large shiners. The main difference between the pre-spawn and early spring period is that the channel catfish's metabolism is increasing and they are becoming more active so they are aggressively looking for catfish bait.

As the water temperatures rise to 75 degrees catfish such as the channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish enter the spawning period. Channel catfish will spawn for over a month so bait fishing efforts will not be effected. Channel catfish are extremely active and aggressive during the spawning period. A good catfish bait would be cut baits such as gizzard shad, soured mussels, or creek chubs.

The settling period includes the post spawn and the pre-summer periods when water temperatures rise to about 80 degrees and above. The channel catfish has the same activity level and feeding patterns during the summer as they do during the spawn period and your bait fishing methods and catfish bait can remain the same. As the water levels start to drop the channel catfish will start their move to deep water areas down stream or deeper areas on a lake or reservoir. They will still feed aggressively during the night hours in shallows but move deeper during the daylight hours.
The summer period which includes summer peak, summer and post summer periods occurs when the water temperatures rise to 80 degrees and above. The summer period includes much of July, August, and September. Summer is the prime time to fish for channel catfish because they are predicable and actively feeding. You can continue to catch channel catfish while bait fishing using cut bait for your catfish bait selection. Some common bait fish to use for cut bait are gizzard shad, skipjack herring, shiners and creek chubs.
As the cooling period starts channel catfish and blue catfish will head for deeper holes in rivers and lakes. And will be less active as the whole cycle of life starts over again.

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Best Way To Catch Catfish Proven Methods

When looking at the best way to catch catfish, copying proven methods and systems is always the way to go. Dan delivers some great methods in this article. No need to try and reinvent the wheel, the secrets to catching catfish are already out there, you just need to find them!

Proven Methods For Catching Catfish

There are a variety of methods used for catching Catfish. It all depends on how you prefer to fish. We'll go into several tried and true methods.

We'll start with trotlining. First you need to make sure it is even legal in your state to run a trotline. You can either build your own trotline or buy a ready made one at your favorite fishing supply store. Most of the ready made ones are fairly inexpensive, running about $8.00, they already have the hooks tied on and it's pretty much ready to go. You may want to go with the pre made one until you decide if you are going to like trotlining.

If you're going for the lunker cat, it's better to either build your own with heavier line or buy a more expensive pre made one. If you do decide to build your own, you will be working with a 150 foot line and 25 hooks. Check your state laws regarding the length and the spacing of the hooks.
Once you've checked your state laws and have your trotline, you will need to buy or make a weight. A good cheap weight can be made by filling a coffee can with cement and a large steel eye bolt that you can buy at the local big box home improvement store for about $4.00. This works great. You will also need floats, for those you can use store bought floats or save some money and use empty gallon milk cartons with the lids screwed on tight.

Now you're ready to set your trotline. Pick a spot that has a channel running down the middle of it, tie one end of the trotline to a tree or a stump on one side of the channel, carefully unroll the trotline and when you reach the other side tie the end to another tree or stump. Make sure to leave enough loose line that the trotline will sink down close to the bottom. Double check your knots! You could end up with 25 fish on this line and they are not going to just meekly sit there and wait for your return, they will be thrashing and twisting and doing whatever they can to escape and you don't want your trotline to come untied.

Once you have your trotline secured, it's time to bait the hooks. Your best bet for bait will be live bait like shad, minnows, nightcrawlers and small crawdads. After you've got the hooks baited, attach your floats to the trotline at about 20 feet from each end then take some good heavy twine or nylon rope and thread it through the eye of the hook on your weight and attach it securely to the middle of the trotline and let it sink.

You should check your trotline, at the very minimum, every 12 hours. Don't leave it sitting for longer than that if you don't want to come back to a whole line of dead fish. Again, be careful pulling the trotline up, you do not want to hook yourself! I've seen inexperienced trotliners end up with hooks in some very bad places that we won't even mention here. You do not want that, so use caution.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best saltwater fishing information possible. Get more information on proven methods for catching catfish here: http://www.askcatfishfishing.com.

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Catfish Fishing USA Catfishing In The California Delta

Timothy brings us 5 great catfish fishing tips on catfishing in the California Delta. Enjoy:)

Catfishing In The California Delta

I never understood the appeal of fishing. My father would rise before the roosters, pack his gear and go out to sit idly on a rock, drink beer and coffee, trade stories with my Uncle Roosevelt and if he were lucky--come home with enough to feed the family. There were eleven of us and most times, he did just that.

My father had been an avid fisherman all of his life, so it came as no surprise when my siblings took up this activity. Still, I did not understand the joy of this hobby. But then a funny thing happened. While on vacation and going through a divorce, I was looking for a new hobby to occupy my time. I decided on fishing and I wouldn't have to seek out a teacher because my brothers lived a few doors down from me.

That was 14 years ago and now I have become a more than capable angler. My favorite fishing spot is the California Delta, which offers a plethora of hard fighting whiskerfish. This 1100-mile region is a conjunction of three rivers--The Sacramento, San Joaquin and Mokelumne and numerous sloughs and lakes. There are a number of piers, levees, islands and crags that one can bank fish from and plenty of area for boat fishing. I know this area extensively and offer these five tips for bank fishing.

1. Get up early--preferably around three a.m. giving yourself room for last minute hold-ups--usually that sleepy headed buddy who isn't ready when you arrive. The catfish bite is usually strongest around dawn and dusk. I also like night fishing.

2. Prepare your bait the night before, particularly stinkbait mixtures. Catfish rely on smell so if you fish with shrimp or grubs you might be wise to let it sit in the sun for several hours, then placing the bait in a jar for safekeeping. You can also soak shrimp in vanilla. But even if you buy pre-packaged bait, it is best to do so in advance. My choices of bait are clams, chicken liver, mackerel, nightcrawlers, blood worms and sometimes meal worms dipped in vanilla. (I'll use the latter when I know that there are crappie and perch in the vicinity as well). Other fishermen suggest using whole kernel corn. Let it sit in the sun for a day or two, then add black pepper.

3. If you miss a catfish bite, be patient. These creatures are greedy. Theyw ill strike again, usually within seconds after the initial bite. They are also known to "hook themselves". Once you snag one, be prepared for a tough and fun fight. Even the smaller ones are tenacious!

4. I tend to cast into the middle of the water, but when the bite slows, try fishing along shaded areas and amongst the tulles. Fish among the pilings and other debris if possible. In either case, be wary of getting hung up.

5. My five favorite sites: Hogback Slough (near Isleton), Frank's Tract, Lindsey Slough (near Rio Vista), Eight mile slough (near Stockton) and Jersey Island.

Now all you have to do is prepare, be on the bank before the sun rises, cast out and relax.

Timothy N. Stelly is a writer for several e-zines and is the author of two novels, "The Malice of Cain" and "Tempest In The Stone". He is an avid camper and fisherman.

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here's another great article on catfish fishing usa, awesome catfish fishing tips!

Jugging For Catfish Basics

Looking for the best way to jug for catfish? With catfish jug fishing you really need to start with the basics and here in this article, catfishing expert Dan, gives some great jug fishing for catfish tips that you can start using right away!

The Basics of Jugging For Catfish - Techniques and Tips

Jugging for catfish is a great way to catch tons of fish, with a minimum of cost or effort. You'll see it sometimes called 'juglining,' but it's the same thing. It basically involves putting a bunch of jugs out there in the water that have a line running in between them, and on that line are your hooks.
The first thing you should do when you want to go jugging is make sure it's legal. This used to be a really common way to catch fish on the nation's major rivers, but in recent years it has become illegal in some places. Others have strict guidelines about jugging. The reason is that juglines obstruct the water, and get in the way of commercial fishermen and other traffic. For the most part, jugging is best in smaller tributaries of major rivers, or small lakes and ponds.

Here is the gear you will need for jugging:
- Jugs. The best things to use for jugs are empty plastic gallon milk jugs. You can use just about anything made of either glass or plastic, as long as it has handles. Make sure you keep the caps because you'll need those to keep your jugs afloat. Some folks use other things that are easy to see, and you can also buy ready-made jugs for jugging at tackle shops.

- Lines. You should have one line for each bottle, and they should be at least 5 feet long. In general, longer is better, but it depends on the body of water you are jugging. If you have a swift current, strong winds, or other traffic around, you may be restricted as to how long your lines can be. But, they should be at least 5 feet.

- Hook and sinker for each line. Just about anything will work for a weight. It should be heavy enough to keep the jugs in place, but not too heavy. A little trial and error will give you an idea of what's too much or too little. Circle hooks work really well for jugging, although you can use anything.

Here's what you do:
Tie the lines to the handles of your jugs. You should have each line tied to two jugs, and each jugs with two lines coming off. You can experiment a little with this, but the standard jugging set-up is to have a row of jugs all tied together in a line.
Put bait on each hook, then start putting the jugs in the water. It is best if you go out there on a boat to put the jugs in the water. You should do it gently, because if there are cats hovering around the bottom, they'll split when they see you come tromping through their feeding ground.
In a pond or lake where you can be close to the jugs, you can sit on shore and wait for a bite, but generally it is best to be out there on a boat waiting for a bite, especially if there is any current. You'll see those jugs bounce, flip, shake and go crazy, and that's the real excitement. When those quiet waters come alive with the jugs shooting every which way, that means you've got yourself a bite. Hurry on over there, pick up your jug and whatever you have chewing on your bait. Hopefully, it's a giant cat!

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best catfish fishing information possible. Get more information on catfish fishing here: http://www.askcatfishfishing.com

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Catfishing Bait Tips How To Catch Bait

Steven reveals some good catfish bait secrets in this article below. I always listen when someone says they have some catfish bait tips for me, so I hope you discover the best bait for catching catfish.

The Best Way to Catch Bait For Catfishing 

Fishing can be a very fun way to spend the weekend with your family. If you decide to buy your bait, it can actually get very expensive. I have found that catching your own bait can save you a lot of money and also bring you a lot of enjoyment!

As I have written about in many of my other articles, my favorite kind of fishing is catfishing. When I am going for the large catfish, I try to use small fish as bait. Perch and goldfish work great! As you have probably already realized, perch are easier to find in the wile than goldfish.

The first step is to have the right equipment to catch small perch. I try to find very small hooks so that the perch can easily fit it in their mouths. It is not required, but generally you want to use very small line to catch perch. If the line is too thick, sometimes the perch sense there is something funny going on. I also like to use a very long fishing pole. Once you go catch bait a few times, you will notice that sometimes you don't even cast the line; you just have to drop it in the water near the bank.

The next step is to find a pond or lake that is filled with perch. I try to find a spot that you will have a bite every 5 seconds or so. When you are setting trot lines especially, you will require quite a few perch, so it is a must to catch them quickly.

The last step is to decide on the right kind of bait. When you think about it, it is kind of funny that you have to decide on the right bait to catch other bait! I like to use worms personally. Once you get used to catching the perch, you will notice that you can catch a whole bucket of perch with one worm.

Catching perch to use as bait when catfishing can be very beneficial and save you a lot of money. I highly suggest using perch and I think you will know why if you follow my advice. Good luck during your next fishing trip!

Steven has been creating articles for 5 years. His most recent hobby has been fitness. To view Stevens most recent thoughts, please visit his site where he discusses Powerblocks Dumbbells [http://www.powerblocksdumbbellssite.com/] & also view Powerblock Review [http://www.powerblocksdumbbellssite.com/powerblock-review/]. I hope you enjoyed the article!

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Here's another good article on the best bait to use for catfish

Jug Fishing For Catfish Tips

Great article from Dan on the best way to jug for catfish, these jug fishing for catfish tips are really good and I hope they help with your catfish jug fishing

Jug Fishing for Cats

Of all of the numerous tried and true methods for hauling in a big catfish, jug fishing, or "juggin'" is one of the most popular among seasoned catfishermen. Jug fishing's simple approach and high return, combined with the low cost of the materials needed to make a jug fishing rig, make it popular among a great many anglers everywhere, both for sport, and for commercial fisheries, too. Jug fishing's main advantage is that it can be carried on, unattended, leaving the fisherman free to set more jug lines, or tend the ones that are taking fish. Also, free-floating jugs can cover a great deal of water area. As a result, jug fishing is usually highly productive, and a great way for families or groups to engage in catfishing, especially if kids or beginners are involved.

Jug fishing is best practiced in mild-current rivers, and pond or lake conditions, as too fast of a current will take the jugs away quickly, making their retrieval difficult.

The basic strategy of jug fishing is simple - set up a series of jug fishing rigs, float them out over a wide area of water, possibly with different baits, slung at different depths, and see what comes calling. Then, after you get a bite, if you're really keen, you can bring in the non-producing jug rigs, and re-set them with the successful bait and depth combination, which will then keep you very busy hauling in fish.
Building a jug fishing rig is simple. To make one, you will need some sort of powerful float (the jug), a length of heavy trot line, a couple of hooks, a weight, and your favourite bait.

First, a word on jugs. As the name implies, the original floats used in this technique were, and often still are, empty jugs of some description. Pop bottles, bleach bottles, or any empty, sealed container will do. Plastic containers are best, due to lower weight and greater durability than glass.

Commercially manufactured products are also available for jug fishing, many of which are smaller, lighter and easier to manage than the conventional standbys. Admittedly, 20 bleach bottles in your boat takes up a lot of space. It should be noted, too, that many jurisdictions have regulations on the types of fish than can be jugfished for, the design of the rig, and the color of the jug - usually, white is the rule. Check your local regs, though, before setting out on a jug fishing expedition, or any fishing trip, to make certain you are fishing legally.

To build the rig, you will need to make a couple of decisions regarding the length of the jug line. Ideally, you want the jug line to float freely, but the deepest end of the rig should be close to the bottom, maybe two to three feet above it. If you don't know how long to run your lines, try making a few of different lengths, and setting them out across your fishing area - some will get more attention than others. Having decided on the length of the lines to run, cut your jug lines accordingly. Fasten one end of a line to the neck of the jug, or to the fastening point, on a commercial product. On the other end, tie a reasonable weight, enough to keep the line down, but not so much that it overly tensions the line, or over-weights the jug.

Now, tie two hooks on each jug line, one, about a foot or two above the weight, and one, maybe six feet above the weight - Palomar knots work well for this. This system puts two hooks in the water, lays twice the bait out, and sets baits at differing depths, to cover as many bases as possible. Further, if the line floats into shallower water, while the sinker and one bait may end up out of commission, the higher hook will usually still be in a position to get a bite.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is commited to providing the best catfish fishing information possible. Get more information on jug fishing for cats here: http://www.askcatfishfishing.com

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Catfish Noodling Guides By Catfishing Expert Dan

With all the catfish fishing secrets out there, noodling is one of the most popular. Here catfishing expert Dan, gives some excellent advice on this age old fishing technique!

Noodling - Adventures In Bare-Handed Fishing! 

It's an age-old fishing technique that my uncle taught me down in the Ozarks of southern Missouri - Noodling. Noodling means catching catfish with nothing more than your bare hand and quick reflexes.

No matter what you call it, tickling, hogging, grabbing, dogging or noodling, catching catfish with your bare hands is a truly man-against-nature experience! You can only imagine that this is the way our caveman ancestors must have got their fish suppers! Imagine yourself with a hand full of catfish guts, twisting and turning to dislodge that whale of a cat you got down there!

Okay, let's take a step back and ask - Exactly what is noodling? Well, let me break it down...
Step 1 - Go to a spot that is known to be popular with our whiskered friends. It also has to be at a time of year when the water is more than 80 degrees so they'll be spawning.

Step 2 - Find yourself an empty log, some tree roots, debris, a river bank, just about anywhere, and wiggle your fingers. What you're looking for is a male cat guarding his young, and when he sees something coming into his cozy little hideaway, he'll attack.

Step 3 - When he bites, get a handful of fish guts and pull. It might take some twisting and pulling, but if all goes well, you'll have that cat flappin and floppin on the end of your wrist... and you'll have some good fried catfish for supper tonight!

I know what you're saying - this is something only crazy rednecks in the backwaters would be insane enough to undertake. Surely a decent rod and some fishing gear isn't so hard to come by. What kind of maniac would plunge his hand right into the water and try to pull out a fish?

I'd say 2 things to that - first off, noodling is an old tradition, passed down from generation to generation. Second, it's a heck of a thrill, and if you try it once, you may toss that nice fishing rod right in the trash. There's nothing like knowing you caught one with your bare hand! Noodling gives you quite an adrenaline rush.

It's a great kick, and an effective fishing technique as many guys especially in the southern US will tell you. But, it's not without its dangers.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best catfish fishing information possible. Get more information on catfish noodling here: http://www.askcatfishfishing.com

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Raising and Catching Catfish

The channel catfish,one of the best tasting and sport friendly fish made for the rod angler. I believe that this fish reigns supreme in it's habitat. A fish made for fishing by kids of all ages. you can have a good time catching and eating this fish. Watch out for it's fins and have a pair of pliers or skin pullers at the ready and you will be prepared for a great experience. Chicken liver reigns supreme as bait to catch him. There are also many baits ready made by manufacturers to get him on your hook . Since the channel grows to such large proportions,a large hook and tough terminal gear should be used. I have kids and grandchildren who love to fish. Bass need bigger areas of water in which to live and grow large. Sun fish and bream are okay but they do not grow to large sizes. Kids love to catch the smaller fish but are especially delighted to have a change of pace and have a chance to hook into Mr. whiskers.

I wanted an area where my children could have fun in a clean environment. I had a stock tank built on my property for a reasonable cost. I started to build a fishing pier by myself.The rains came and the pond began to fill up with water. Any ideas that I had in my head about putting post supports in the ground for the pier were dashed. I obtained 55 gallon non metal drums at a reasonable cost and began to work. I built the floating pier next to the waters' edge without the use of any electricity. I used drills that worked off of batteries and hammer and nails, I used treated wood and spiral nails that would not rust in the elements. I used my 6 year old as a pilot to test the stability of my project. After several dunks in the water I added structure onto the pier until it was very stable. I added a box structure on the end of the pier to hold one of my deer feeders. I cut a hole in the bottom and bolted the feeder down. Since I was one person and trying to find the most simple and most efficient means for building, I installed ropes on both sides in two locations. The ropes were secured to trees on the shoreline. The ropes could be secured so that they would not interfere with your fishing. This setup also aids levity in the natural rise and fall of water levels.

I went on a shopping trip to one of the local fish hatcheries, I came away with several hundred channel catfish in plastic bags, The fingerlings averaged from 4-6 inches long. I had already procured cat fish chow from one of the local feed stores. Dog food will do just as well. I put the pellets into the feeder and set the timer to discharge feed early in the morning and about 1 hour before sunset. Monitoring the quantity of pellets released can give you a good idea of how much the fish are actually eating and how much is waste. I changed the batteries in the feeder occasionally and watched as the fish came up to feed on the floating pellets. Catfish do not eat as much in winter months, so adjust the feed output accordingly. I waited until the fish reached a certain length before fishing was allowed.

After 2 1/2 years wait the kids and family were catching catfish that weighed 8 pounds. We had many fish fries where many families were fed. My kids and family looked forward to going fishing at the stock tank and many good times were enjoyed by us all. Outdoor activities like fishing are good ways for kids and adults to spend their leisure time. In this instance we were bringing a lot of food home to the larder. MY son developed an affinity for the outdoors and now my grandchildren are beginning to reap the rewards of my efforts so many years ago.

Stephen Graham-Avid outdoors man has spent his life in Texas fishing and hunting.
http://www.phmnetwork.com
http://huntn-n-fishn.blogs pot.com
http://goodstuffintexas.blogspot.com

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Catching Channel Catfish Tips For Catching Channel Catfish

A great channel cats article from Dan. These catfishing tips are coming from someone who has been there done that and got the tshirt many times over! Enjoy :)

Catching Channel Catfish

Of the over fifty species of catfish living in North American waters, the Channel Catfish is one of the most sought-after by cat anglers, for its incredible fighting power, even in a smaller fish, and also for its delectable eating qualities.

And, there's the fact that a decent-sized Channel cat can easily be in the mid-20 lb. range, with specimens having been taken at nearly 60 lbs. - no small catch, indeed. However, to take a fish like these, requires proper tackle, bait and technique, and above all, the right spot to find the fish you want.

Channel cats, as with virtually all catfish, prefer deeper water, but Channel cats also like it clean, clear, and with a decent current running through. The ideal spots for Channel cats are in places such as the deep holes carved out under a dam outfall, before the shallow "white water" which usually ensues, or in a deep, fast channel in between two lakes, hence the fish's name. Bottom conditions that are mostly rock or rocky, and without too many weeds, are other features to look for, in selecting the ideal Channel cat spot. Above all, find deep water, preferably a hole, where the constant darkness gives the cats the edge on everything else that swims or floats there, due to their exceptional, almost shark-like sense of smell, and their set of eight barbels, or "whiskers" around their mouths, which are not only tactile sensors, but highly developed taste organs as well, enabling the fish to navigate, plus detect, locate, quantify and qualify food items easily, in near total darkness.

As with all catfish, Channel cats have weak eyesight, anyway, but their aforementioned superpowers of smell and sightless sensation more than make up for this. Because of this particular development, Channel cats, and cats in general, are most easily attracted to baits which exhibit an exceptional level of odour, whether or not it's a bad odour.

Once you've found a spot that you think, or know, can produce a good-sized Channel cat, you'll want to prepare the fish, the spot, and your tackle, for your coming fishing expedition. Preparing the fish, and the spot, means chumming the water with a suitably prepared concoction, preferably a few times in advance of the first time you put a line in the water, and at least once, and possibly several times, during your fishing time.

Chumming is one way to gradually condition the fish to accept a particular bait, by presenting them with its smell, again and again, until they are willing to take a large piece of that food, when they find it as bait on the end of your line.

There are dozens of recipes for chum, but most all of them are based on a moist base of stale bread crust, with a bran, oatmeal or flour stiffening agent mixed into it, plus some small pieces of the same bait that you will be using when you fish the spot, and then, some kind of extra-scented additive, such as fish fertilizer or fish paste, cod liver oil, anise seed oil, or anything else you can find that will stink out the neighborhood.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best saltwater fishing information possible. Get more information on catfish fishing here: http://www.askcatfishfishing.com

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It can be great fun catching channel catfish and there are hundreds of catfishing tips for catching cats, it's just knowing which tips are good and which are not!

The Hungry Flathead Catfish!

People who go flathead catfish fishing, should understand the trail left by these ravenous cats. Here is some great information from catfish fishing expert Jim.

Flathead Catfishing And What You Should Know

Flathead catfish have a ravenous appetite making them the most unfavorable kind of catfish in the waters of United States. It can be a heavy fish and is furious, making them a frightening predator. This is one of the focuses of anglers because their average weight starts at 45 kg. Most of the time, they are used for fishing games, entertainment, and as food.

The rivers of Georgia suffer from the effects left by flatheads. They eat almost everything they see especially shad, crayfish, crabs, American eels and native catfish. Their presence can reduce the number of dwelling fish in the area where they live.

This type of catfish has a place in game fishing and is true entertainment. Their meat is highly enjoyed by many because of the way they eat. Flatheads have a very rich concentration that you would surely enjoy. You can also experience this kind of meat in fish with an omnivorous appetite. You should know that local fishery offices have data concerning safety levels of Flathead consumption. In Pennsylvania, only one meal a month is recommended. In some areas, studies are still in process.

To preserve the existence of native fish, some states recommend anglers to fish Flatheads. Electrofishing is also encouraged to lessen their existence underwater. In Delaware, once an angler catches a Flathead, they are advised not to bring it back in the water even they are too small.
Flatheads have distinct features. You can easily identify them once they are mixed with other species.

These are the physical features of flathead:
• Has a longer jaw, it passed through their upper jaw
• Heads are broad and flatten
• Tails are square and appears serrated
• Small eyes
• Immature flatheads' back has a darker brown color
• When it comes to their color shades, they usually come in light yellows

You can see them in various bodies of water including rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and large streams. They love to stay in vegetation especially at daytime. They also dwell under fallen logs and large rocks. You typically cannot see them in shallow areas of water; they love to wander around the deep parts. Since this type of fish prefers to do their activities at night, you should identity their dwelling place when there is light. Usually, immature ones stay in grimy areas.

When it comes to their eggs, male Flatheads take the responsibility in protecting them. They secure their nests against predators; they become extremely forceful when they suspect danger is lurking.

Jim Lower is a fishing expert. For more great information on fishing for flathead catfish [http://www.catfishingsecrets.org/flathead-catfishing], visit [http://www.catfishingsecrets.org]

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click here for catfishing tips from many experts

Catfish Fishing Rigs The Carolina Rig

 In this article Justin gives some amazing catfishing tips on the Carolina rig!

The Carolina Rig for Catfish

The Carolina Rig might be of the most versatile rigs that has ever hit the fishing scene. For anyone that is new to fishing, take a look around at what most guys fish with. Not just for catfish, but for all types of fishing. You will see some form of the carolina rig being used to catch almost every type of fish alive. The rig is simply that good. This article is going to point you in the right direction on how to use the carolina rig and be successful while doing so.

The carolina rig is simply a weight that is separated from the hook by certain distance. The distance isn't important, just that the two are separated. Most people use a swivel and a leader line to create this distance while others use split shot. There are so many ways to setup a carolina rig that I could spend a whole article on it. That won't help you as much as this information.

The carolina rig excels in current and sparse cover. When it comes to catfishing, the carolina rig is perfect for suspended presentations. When I am trying to decide how much distance I want my hook to be from my weight, I focus on two things. How heavy is the cover and how fast is the current?
If the cover is really thick, you run the risk of your live bait swimming into the cover and getting tangled. If you get a big catfish to bite like this, you will struggle to pull him out of there. A short leader line will reduce the chances of this happen and will give you more control over the location of your bait.

The current will affect how well a catfish can grab the bait. In current, a carolina rig will have the bait swaying wildly in the water. A 2 foot leader will sway more wildly than a 6 inch leader. In heavy current a catfish will have trouble trying to catch that bait on longer leaders. To reduce this problem, we will down size the leader.

In my opinion, when you have super heavy cover or a strong current, a leader of 6 inches is your best option. When you have sparse and medium current, I prefer 1 foot to 1 and a half feet. And for little to no current or cover, I will use a long 2-3 foot leader.
If you follow these suggestions, you will find yourself catching more catfish and getting hung less. That means a lot less frustration and a lot more fun. Next time, I will be talking about using a carolina rig to break one of my own rules for flathead catfish. I hope that you come back for that one cause it'll be an eye opening technique.

Cat fishing is a great way to enjoy your free time and catch large fish. If you are interested in learning more about Big Catfish, you can visit http://www.HowToCatfishToday.com.
Thank You,
Justin Mott

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Research and practice are essential in any endevour especially catfishing, check out our three catfish fishing techniques articles

How To Catch Big Channel Catfish With Moving Lures,

 Really interesting article from Dan explaining his channel catfish fishing exploits and how he dicovered how to catch big channel catfish.

Channel Catfish Stories - The 20 Pounders Love To Attack Moving Lures

The catfish is a fish of legends and stories. What follows are three stories of some monster channel cats and what lures they attacked. Lures, that is- nothing dead. In my time fishing for other fish, I have caught channel catfish on the oddest lures(for cat fishing that is). I will only write of the largest here. Once I was fishing for musky, with an 8 inch long floating creek chub with a steel lip. I let the bait float on the surface a bit, before retrieving on each cast. I threw out the lure on one cast, let it sit, and bam woosh swoosh, a "musky" had my lure in its mouth. This fish went absolutely nuts; it started tearing off line like nothing I'd ever seen before, I was thrilled. This fish was really using the river to its advantage, and headed straight down river at an amazing clip.

Luckily, I had my reel filled with 125 yards of high quality line, because this fish needed to be stopped. I put the breaks on him, and started pulling his head out of the current. Well, he didn't like this, and moved into the slower water, but just sat there for a good minute, I could not do much pulling against the current. I had to walk to shore to pull him straight towards me. And he was resisting as much as he could, but the line was too strong for him. I slowly pulled the beast towards me, and was met with a gray face of whiskers. Turns out, the "musky", was a giant 26lb channel cat. I was a bit mad at first, but then I figured it's a fish, it had the nerve to attack this huge lure, so he's a pretty worthy adversary. And he's pretty darn huge, may have even broken some state records, who knows, I released him or her, to fight again. And getting those trebles out of his mouth was quite a surgery to remember.

Another time, I was using a big risto rap crank bait to fish for musky again. Cast out the risto rap, reel it about ten cranks, and the rod nearly rips out of my hand. I have a "musky", this great, I was thinking-yet again. This was in a river with a bank composed of huge boulders, not a good place for an epic battle. The fish goes ballistic, and starts heading down river and stripping line like a maniac. I start jumping from rock to rock, like a possessed fisherman, almost killing myself about 20 times, and after a 15 minute battle I get to see the head of a huge 21lb channel cat. Again, a little mad at first, but then I think, we'll this fish is a great fish, it's easier to catch than a musky, it's just as strong, if not stronger, and its big.

Then a few years later the mother of all channel cats attacked the tiniest of lures. I was fishing for walleye one night, with a ¼ oz jig head and a white scentless 3" curly tail plastic grub. Yes 3" inches. It was pitch black outside, and the walleye were on a feeding frenzy. I got a few nice 20 inchers, and was pretty pleased. I throw out into the middle of the river, where no walleye were, but just as an experimental cast. Reel in the grub, and it stops, line starts peeling of the reel. I was using some stout 15 lb test line that night, and was pretty panicked as soon as I hooked this mystery fish. I think I have just hooked the world record walleye, this thing is huge, and it is moving across the river at the speed of light. I think for a second, and quickly realize that this is no walleye. It's gotta be a musky or pike, and it's a giant, not a 20lber, or a 30lber, this thing is 40lbs, maybe more.

After 30 minutes of letting this monster have line, reeling, back reeling, reeling, he was finally tiring, and I was able to pull on him. I have never had so much adrenaline in my body as on this night, it was insane. It was a Moby Dick moment. He was still flying back out into the river when he was touching or seeing bottom. This thing was invincible. I got anxious, and really started horsing him, I had seen the line in action, and was confident it was extremely strong. I just wanted to see what is was, I didn't think I was ever going to land this thing. So I start to really lay into him, not giving him an inch of back reel or drag, and he starts to submit. I pull this pike/musky/mystery world record walleye, into the shore, and to my amazement there is a channel cat that is easily over 40 inches and the fattest thing I have seen in my life. I released the beast and had no scale or tape measurer that night, which may have been for the better. After these experiences, I no longer think, oh great, it's a catfish. I think, yes, this has got to be a channel cat, and hold on for a great fight.

Getting ready to tie into some hogs this spring. Check out these amazing catfish baits [http://www.squi doo.com/thecatfishfishing] and watch some crazy catfish videos [http://www.squi doo.com/thecatfishfishing] of guys noodling for catfish.

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Check out my three part catfish fishing techniques articles here

Catfish Ice Fishing Tips

Ever asked the question, can you ice fish for catfish? Well the answer is YES and lets let Dan reveal some great catfish ice fishing tips, so you can go catching catfish through the ice!

 Fishing for Catfish Under The Ice

Whenever we think about fishing for catfish, most of us get these mental images of warm, sunny weather, bare feet, cane poles, and a generally summery outlook on things. So, when we start talking about icefishing, no one ever mentions catfish as a possible quarry.

However, factually, lots of catfish are taken through the ice each year, and some species, especially Blue Catfish and Channel Catfish, are actually fairly eager biters in the cold water. So, the issue, really is one of first deciding to get yourself outside, and do some icefishing, and then, of setting up your rig to do the job.

There appear to be two "schools" of icefishing thought (pardon the pun), where cats are concerned. The original, old-school, lazy one, is that of finding a nice, comfy-looking spot that at least appears to be a likely hookup point for a decent fish, drilling a hole in the ice, and sitting next to your fire tub, or in your "fish house" (tent on the ice), and enjoying the outing, as much as the catching of any fish that might happen by. The second way of seeing things, is that each outing is a competition for a record volume catch, and as such, the fish must be militarily tracked down, cornered and exposed, and then taken by the bucketload.

For sure, a scientific and tactically-planned approach to your outing will probably yield the most fish. However, this viewpoint also requires the most equipment, as its proponents work among perhaps two dozen holes in the ice, and track the fish from spot to spot with sonar fish finders, while racing to the next hole on snowmobiles, and attempting to "head off" the fish at each hole as they move.
While the top producers in this "sport" can bag over forty fish an hour, there is still something to be said for skill and patience, in selecting your spot, baiting up, and playing on a level field, without a pile of electronics and machines to remove all hope for the catfish. After all, the sport of fishing includes both finding the fish, and the actual fight, once you set your hook. It just takes more nerve and determination, on the ice.

Regardless of your approach, you'll need the usual sturdy gear for cats - a strong rod with a decent spinning or star-drag reel, good braided or monofilament line, proper terminal rigging, and some nice, stinky bait. If you want to use a more conventional icefishing rig, a flag float or tip-rig will work OK, but remember the size of the fish you are after - these kitties are going to be a tough fight, and handling them without a rod is even tougher.

As far as bait goes, smell is even more important in cold water, than in the warm months, as the scent doesn't spread as fast, or present as strongly in the water, so the more potent the bait, the better. Small dead fish are still an excellent choice, especially for Blue cats. Puncturing the bait, or dipping it in some stinky adjunct, may be another possible improvement, to really get the scent going. Some anglers feel that the color of the bait is of importance in icefishing for cats, due to the reduced spread of scent in the cold, but in deep water, it's quite dark, and catfish are known to have weak eyesight, so the importance of this factor is open for discussion.

In nature, cats eat fairly dull-colored, smelly food, so, give 'em what they want. With smelly, natural bait, the only other issue is where to fish it, assuming the fish will take it, if they find it.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best catfish fishing information possible. Get more information on icefishing for catfish here: http://www.askcatfishfishing.com

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Catfish Fishing Tips And Techniques

Here Dan gives some basic but strong catfish fishing tips, that everybody should know about catfishing. Dan covers catfish river fishing and much more in this article that is stuffed full of catfish tips and techniques!

Catfish Tips and Techniques - Must Know Tips For Every Angler

Catfishing is great fun, and you can do it almost anywhere. Once you get used to it, you'll be amazed how many you can take home, and how many big suckers you get. Here are some basic tips everybody should know about catfishing to get more bites.

- Timing is everything. Go out and fish in the early mornings and evenings. That's when catfish are looking for food, like you're bait. At those times, they come into the shallows where they're easier to catch. You can always catch cats at any time of the day, but it takes lots more skill.
- Go where the cats are. If you are fishing in a stream, look for a deep spot. Catfish tend to hang out along the bottom and look for food there. If you are fishing near a river, try casting your line right around where the river spills into the creek. This is where you'll find lots of those river cats looking for food.

- Catching cats in a river. The best place to catch catfish in a river is just upstream from some kind of obstruction, like rocks or log jams. This is an area where they'll be creeping around on the bottom looking for food, moving more slowly, and it's more likely that they'll find your lure. If you're going to fish on the open river, you can catch cats this way too, but it's better if there's been a recent rain.
- Use live baits. Catfish prefer live baits, and especially stuff that is stinky. They have serious noses on them, and they love smelly stuff like shrimp, guts, other fish, bits of tuna, hot dogs, etc.
- Switch up your bait. Just like human beings, catfish get sick of eating the same old thing all the time. If you rotate your bait every now and then and experiment with new things, you'll get lots more bites. They aren't picky eaters, they'll eat just about anything.

- The right hook. In general, if you want to catch bigger fish, you should use bigger hooks. For catfish, the best hooks to use are 3/0 or 4/0. A little experimenting will give you a better idea for yourself. Compared with other kinds of fish, it's pretty easy to catch catfish with smaller hooks, so I would go small to begin with. You'll catch some big fish with small hooks, but if the hooks are too big, you won't get any of the little ones.

- Chumming. This is a technique that will definitely get you more bites. Chum is little balls of prepared fish food that you can either buy at a shop or make yourself. All you do is throw the chum into the water and then fish like you regularly do. The chum will attract the cats and you can sit back and reel them in. It takes a bit of trial and error, because some spots are better for chumming than others.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best saltwater fishing information possible. Get more information on catfish tips and techniques here: http://www.askcatfishfishing.com

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Blue Catfish Fishing Tips

Robert dishes out some great blue catfish fishing tips in this article, several blue catfish fishing techniques, where they lay and the best way to catch blue catfish!

Blue Catfish -Learn Some Tips and Info to Help You Catch More 

Blue Catfish are as their name implies are chalky blue-grey colored over the main area of their body, and their bellies or underside areas are usually cream to white colored. They are one of the most tastiest of the catfish species, and are a prized fish to catch for many fishermen.

Blue Catfish can grow to be quite huge, in fact they have been caught weighing over 100 pounds, and they can live over a quarter of a century. Depending upon where you live, and water temperature, blue catfish spawn in either late spring to almost the middle months of summer.

The best baits for Blue Catfish are cut fish bait, with one of the best cut fish baits being bluegills and sunfish. Some people say they have good luck using nightcrawlers, grasshoppers and crayfish, but cut fish bait seems to be the best bait by far. If you don't have bluegills or sunfish, suckers and most other fish will work, but maybe not as good as the bluegills or sunfish.

Cut your fish bait into strips or chunks, the bloodier and fresher they are, the better they seem to work. Like other catfish species, Blues seem to bite and feed better at night, or during very cloudy daytime conditions.

Blue Catfish live in lakes and rivers, but mostly rivers. In lake they tend to stay in the middle or deepest areas, and in rivers they prefer to deep channels that have strong, but non turbulent current. They like hanging below bridge piers and dams, or around large debris like fallen trees and huge boulders in the deep areas.

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been an avid fishermen for years, in fact in 2010 he went on almost 50 different fishing trips, to local ponds, lakes and rivers. Robert enjoys catching everything from panfish such as crappies and bluegill, to bullheads, catfish, eels, pickerel, walleye and numerous other fish. If you want to increase your chances of catching more of your favorite fish, visit the website below:
Fishing Stringer
http://www.fishingstringer.com

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Flathead Catfishing

Researching catfish fishing includes discovering all the catfish, here Ronald explains about the flathead catfish.

What Is So Special About Flathead Catfishing?

Out of 2500 catfish species around 30 different breeds are found in the waters of United States alone, Flathead catfish being one of them. Mostly bottom dwellers of slow moving waters, Flatheads have gained the title of the most popular game and food fish. They are found abundantly in the Mississippi river and its smaller tributaries. Over the years the Flatheads have been introduced across the nation in smaller lakes and bigger impoundments. Submerged rocks and logs offer a safe haven to these shy creatures in shallow and deep waters, making the perfect spots for flathead catfishing.

The most distinguishing feature of a Flathead catfish is its long and flat head, therefore the name Flathead. The eyes of a Flathead are oval and the lower jaw is much bigger than the upper jaw. The coloring of the Flatheads is mottled brown and yellow which lends it invisibility in murky waters. An average Flathead catfish is around forty to fifty pounds but is strong enough to give any angler a tough fight. A fully grown Flathead can weigh up to 100 pounds.

Flatheads on hatching, experience a growth spurt. At only fifteen to nineteen inches they gain sexual maturity albeit, their body weight and size keeps increasing throughout their life time. Flatheads enjoy a life span of twenty five years. These 'Cats' possess a voracious appetite and would devour anything that they can bite into, fish being widely preferable over all else. Bream, Perch and Sunfish are delicacies that would drag a Flat out of its hiding even in the brighter hours.
When Flatheads were propagated in Georgian Rivers, these vicious predators wiped out most of the redbreast population. Introducing Flats in smaller bodies of water in which they are non native always proves disastrous for the smaller fish breeds. Catfish are generally nocturnal predators but the Flatheads exhibit no such tendencies. They hunt during the day as well the night and tend to do it by sight. Anglers who practice fishing in the dark hours use light to attract the Flatheads, which wade in closer to the angler's boats in pursuit of bait.

Locating catfish isn't difficult if you know where to look. River bends which are partially covered and have shadowy depths are a good place to start. Flatheads like to take cover from the exposed surroundings by hiding in rocks, logjams and tree stumps found under water.
When cat fishing on a river, the outside bends are rejected in favor of the inside bends by the anglers because of the difference in the flow. Finding the right spots the fishers cast under the edges, wait for the weight to settle, and for the big one to come along.

When fishing in lakes and reservoirs, a seasoned angler goes straight for darker and secluded areas where under water brush piles form the perfect abodes for Flatheads. In lakes and reservoirs, creek channels also hold possibilities. The Flatheads cross these channels to get to the shallows and hunt for food. Anglers who are aware of these habits set up their rigs around these areas for catching the crafty Flathead.

Seasoned anglers advise going after the Flatheads in the earliest part of the day. Early evenings or after dark hours during the summer months are also recommended. Although, Flatheads hunt during the day and night, they are just a bit weary when the sun is up. Bait has to be offered to them from the least possible distance because a Flathead wouldn't step up to take it. Remember to use a good steady weight which will keep the bait on the river bottom, right where the Flathead is.

Ron Sharp is a catfishing expert. For great information on Flathead catfishing, visit flathead catfishing [http://www.catfishingcatch.com/flathead-catfishing/]

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