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!