How to Catch Catfish Step By Step

 Embarking on the quest to catch catfish is an exhilarating adventure that promises both challenge and reward. These formidable fish are not only a delight to reel in but also make for a delectable meal. Whether you're a novice angler or looking to refine your skills, this guide will navigate you through the essentials of catfishing, ensuring you're well-prepared for a successful outing.

1. Gear Up for Success

Selecting the right equipment is crucial. Opt for a medium-heavy to heavy power rod paired with a reel equipped with a bait-runner feature. This setup is ideal for handling the strength and size of catfish. A bait-runner allows you to hear when a catfish takes the bait, giving you an advantage in setting the hook promptly.

2. Master the Art of Baiting

Catfish are known for their diverse palate. Effective baits include live options like nightcrawlers, minnows, and shad, as well as prepared baits such as chicken liver and stinkbait. The strong scent of these baits is particularly effective in attracting catfish, especially in murky waters.

3. Choose the Perfect Fishing Spot

Catfish are often found in deep holes, river bends, and areas with submerged structures like logs or rocks. They prefer slow-moving or still waters with muddy bottoms. Fishing during dawn or dusk can increase your chances, as catfish are more active during these times.

4. Rigging for Success

A simple yet effective rig for catfishing is the Carolina Rig. Slide a ½ oz weight onto your main line, tie on a swivel, attach a leader to the other end of the swivel, and finish with a 2/0 circle hook. This setup allows your bait to move naturally with the current, enticing catfish to strike.

5. Patience and Technique

Once your line is cast, patience is key. Catfishing often involves waiting, but the thrill of the catch makes it worthwhile. When you feel a bite, give the fish a moment to take the bait fully before setting the hook with a firm upward motion. Maintain steady pressure and reel in smoothly to land your catch.

6. Safety First

Be cautious when handling catfish, as they have sharp spines on their pectoral and dorsal fins that can cause injury. Using a net to land the fish and handling them with care will help prevent accidents.

With the right gear, bait, and techniques, you're well on your way to experiencing the excitement of catfishing. Each trip offers the opportunity to hone your skills and enjoy the great outdoors. So, gather your equipment, head to your chosen fishing spot, and embrace the adventure that awaits.

Here's a really good article on catfishing at night 

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!

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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Catching Big Catfish Top 3 Methods!

Ever wondered how to catch monster catfish ? Well, Dan gives you three methods in the article below from his vast knowledge and catfish fishing secrets.

 Tips on Catching the Big Ones - The Top 3 Catfishing Methods

There are as many different fishing styles as there are anglers. Just ask anybody, and they'll give you all kinds of advice on what's the best way to catch catfish. Here is a look at the top 3 methods - drift-fishing, juglining, and slipweight.

Drift-Fishing
Drift-fishing is a great method for catching catfish, especially in streams or rivers. This is where you just head out in your boat, cut the engine, and let the wind carry you down stream. When you get a bite, pull in that line, and there you go.
Usually vertical fishing techniques are best for catching cats because they like to hang out way down in the bottom, especially the big flatheads and blues. But, when the water is warm during the summer months, there isn't enough oxygen down there, and they'll come up looking for food. Plus, in a river or stream you're liable to have lots of rocks and things at the bottom, so it can be hard to catch them in the deeper water.

The best place to drop your sinker is anywhere that there is an obstruction in the water. If you have a log jam, some rocks or anything else that stops the current, that's where they'll be. The reason is that the catfish don't want to fight the current when they're looking for food; they'll be feeding where the water isn't moving much. This is where you want to cast your line, where the water is relatively still. Just below a dam is a great place for drift-fishing cats.

It's always a good idea to put out several lines, and bounce them at the bottom. Let the sinker go all the way down until you hit something, then pull it up and move it around. This will attract those cats feeding down there. You have to get a feel for how much you want to move around. On the one hand, if you sit still awhile, you'll have your bait where the cats are for longer. On the other hand, if you drift a bit, you'll have a better chance of cats seeing your bait.

Drift-fishing for cats is much better than sitting still and waiting for them to come along, especially in the late summer months when the cats are coming closer to the surface to feed.

Juglining
You'll see juglining called any variety of names - trotlining, jugfishing, jugging, or anything else with "jug" in the name. This is a method where you string a line across the water with hooks at different intervals hanging down. The reason for the name, is that you can attach a jug or something to either end in order to buoy your line.

You can catch catfish juglining any time of year, but it works best in the springtime, when the water is just starting to warm up. With juglining, you are catching the fish much closer to the surface, so it works best in the spring. However, depending on where you live, juglining can produce great results any time of year. Juglining works well just about anywhere, depending on local catfish and water conditions.

The best way to jugline for cats is to use an "anchored jugline." This means that you attach weights to the bottoms of your lines, and these weights hold your bait in place. You can use anything for a weight, as long as you can tie it on and it will stay. How much weight to use all depends on current conditions, but in general it's better to be too heavy than too light. If your weights have moved while you were gone, they're too light.

One good strategy for juglining is to set out lots of small lines, each with just 3 hooks or so. This way, you can cover different parts of the river, stream or lake where catfish might be feeding. It's just like having a bunch of rods in the water at once!

Juglining is great, but you have to know the rules and regulations before you lay out your lines. There are laws about how long your lines can be, where you can put them, how many hooks, and just about everything else imaginable, and they differ by state.

Slipweight
Most of the time, catfish like to hang around at the bottom of lakes or rivers, and this is why using a slipweight rig is a great way to catch them. A slipweight rig is where you set out a line with multiple hooks that go down to the lake or river floor. You attach a weight to the end, and this helps you control the level of the hooks. The advantage is that you can catch fish that are at different depths.
Slipweight rigging is the best method to use at night. This is when the catfish are coming up to the shallows looking for food. As every catfish angler knows, the big guys creep around the bottom of the lake, and they like to run around at night.
One of the reasons why slipweight rigging works so well is that the fish can't feel the weight of your line. With a good weight on the bottom so that line is tight, a smart cat (and yes, they can sometimes tell!) won't know that your bait's not just cruising the water like he is.
The key here is to keep the weight heavy and the line tight. No weight is too heavy as long as you can slip it on there and it will stay. If your bait moves around, it's too light.
These are the top 3 methods of catching catfish, but there are others out there. It all depends on who you ask. Check out these methods and see what suits you best.

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

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white catfish information

Here are some more catfish fishing tips, this time, Robert gives some white catfish information, including bait to use when trying to learn how to catch white catfish.

White Catfish - Learn Some Tips and Info to Help You Catch a Lot More of Them 

White Catfish are mostly tan or chalkish colored over most of their body, with their belly being bone-white or cream colored, but sometimes their upper body area can be more bluish-grey colored, depending upon water conditions such as algae. White catfish are a very pleasant, mellow tasting fish that is a prized catch for many anglers and even non fishermen. They are easy to clean and with a large bone structure they are an easy to eat fish.

White Catfish can survive just fine in rivers, reservoirs, lakes, ponds and even some streams. White Catfish spawn in late spring or early summer, depending upon the water temperature of the area they live in, generally for spawning they like a water temperature of around 68-72 degrees. Like most catfish they tend to feed off of or near the bottom of the water they reside in. These fish tend to become more active for food when it's night time or on very cloudy days, and they tend to stay down deep and become pretty inactive when the sun is out and shining bright.

White Catfish like hanging around underwater debris such as fallen trees, submerged logs and brush, often a favorite fishing spot for them in rivers, is near submerge bridge pilings out in the deeper current. White Catfish seem to love eating a variety of live food, including; smaller live fish such as shiners or large minnows, crayfish, insects such as grasshoppers and crickets that have fallen into the water, worms and nightcrawlers. If you are fishing for White Catfish and you do not have live bait, you may have good luck using a scent bait, such as: cheese, dough balls and blood baits.

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 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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Best Bait To Catch Catfish Tips

Some great tips on finding the best bait for catfish. There are lots of people giving advice on the best bait to catch catfish. I suggest you research as much as you can and then the only way you will really find the best bait, is through trying different peoples advice. Here in this article below, Craig gives some great catfish fishing tips regarding bait.

The Best in Fishing Bait For Catfish best bait to catch catfish

Fishing is a hobby men and a lot of women enjoy, but having the right fishing bait for catfish is a very important ingredient to bringing home all those delicious mouth-watering catfish for an outdoor fish fry with your friends and family. Knowing which bait works the best for catfish will give you a fishing adventure you'll remember for years to come.
Dead minnows are a wonderful bait to use when fishing for catfish. Live minnows tend to attract a lot of bass and that can interfere with the catfish you're after today. Catfish really don't care, live or dead, they'll go after either so save the live ones for a day of bass fishing. Use the dead minnows with a bobber system to suspend them a foot or so under water especially in the summer and spring months and in shallow water.

Sardines, anchovies and shad are other favorite catfish baits. These work well in water that is deep and used more when you are drift fishing. Another favorite fishing bait for catfish is crawfish, this is a delicacy for them. The meat from the tail works best but crawfish can be used as live bait as well but the pinchers need to be removed if you're fishing on the bottom or use a bobber rig to keep the crawfish off the bottom.

Shrimp is another catfish delight. These should be shelled before being hooked as the catfish prefer the shelled shrimp. The larger shrimp can be cut into small chunks while the smaller ones can be placed on your hook whole. Some people soak the shrimp in garlic oil, vanilla, anise oil, or any number of other things to add another scent to bait shrimp.

Night crawlers work very well too, catfish love worms. Worms are easily found at any bait and tackle shops, especially from the spring months into the winter. When you bait your hook with a worm make sure you don't leave a long end hanging lose because a catfish will suck the worm off the hook before you know what happened. Place only enough weight on your line to allow your worm and line to drift naturally along the bottom with the current for the best results.
Chicken livers or gizzards are also great bait for catfish. Make sure they are fresh and not frozen. Place these on your hook and just wait for the catfish to come calling. The only draw back to using chicken gizzards or livers is they come off your hook easy after they get wet. It's best to use a treble hook so you'll get a little more time out of this bait.
There are also some lures and prepared fishing bait for catfish on the market today. Your best bet with these is to find someone who has had a lot of experience with lures and prepared baits and try those that have been proven to work. The bait shop owner can give you some tips on what's been working lately and recommend some brands to try.

You can find more information about fly fishing [http://www.fishingholereport.com/] at our site.

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Catfish Fishing Advice

 Here's some nice catfish fishing tips from Abhishek

Advice for Catfish Fishers - 5 Simple Tips To A Successful Trip

Catfish are one of the most diverse species of fish on the planet! They range in size at maturity from 1/2 inch to giants of 8 feet. They thrive all over the world, in both fresh and salt water. Most catfish live near the bottom of rivers and lakes, but some live in the open ocean. They are bony fish that tend to sink rather than float. Named for the thin, whisker-like tactile organ (barbel) near their mouths, the catfish's "whiskers" contain its taste buds.

Catfish are a source of food for cultures all over the world, though people differ as to their taste and appeal. Because adult catfish do not have scales, they are not considered Kosher in Jewish culture. In the United States, the channel and blue catfish are a favorite food.
Catching catfish is different from catching many other species of fish. Effective methods differ depending on the type of waters fished, and different baits are used to catch different targets. Here are some simple, but proven, methods used to catch the humble catfish.

Rigging Your Line for Catfish
Depending on the bait, you should loop the bait holder or hook from your line at the preferred distance, from 18-24". Because you don't want your bait to move, you should use a weight to keep the bait still.

You can also use a slipweight to keep the bait still. For slipweight, the weight itself is not as important as long as it slides in the line. The catfish won't be able to feel the weight until they've been hooked.

The multi-bait technique will let you catch several catfish at the same time. To do this, attach a three-way swivel on your line. It will draw more strikes as you hook your catfish.

Best Bait for Catfish
Experience catfishers use chicken livers or medium dead shrimp. Remember that catfish are more attracted to bait that doesn't move. If you use shrimp, you should remove the tail and shell. The chicken liver is a bit more difficult because you have to use something to tie it to the like (one example is a piece of pantyhose). When using chicken liver, wrap a piece about the size of a quarter and wrap it in the piece of pantyhose. Leave a bit of the material at the end and attach it to the treble hook. Other good bait include dough bait, catfish paste, minnows or bloodworms, snails, and small fish. The best bait to use to catch catfish is natural. You won't have much luck with lures.
Chum for Shark - and Catfish!

Experienced catfishers have good results using chum. You'll find many different recipes for catfish chum on the internet. Basically, you prepare balls or bars of chum and then throw them into the area where you think you'll find the catfish. Use a hook to catch the fish, attaching the same chum mixture for bait. Remember to clean the water of the chum after you've finished.

Tackling with a Rod and Reel
This is the easiest way to catch catfish, but it still requires the same types of bait we've discussed. Use 6-foot long tackle with a spinning reel equipped with heavier line that will bear the weight and fight of the lively catfish. You don't have to spend a lot of money on your line. Just make sure it's heavy enough for catfish.

What Do You do With It when You Catch a Catfish
Once you've landed your catfish, make sure you grip it securely and remove the hook with pliers. Some catfish have poisonous fins that can cause a bit of damage. Grip it by sliding your hand from its tail to the belly, placing your fingers on one side and your thumb on the other. Be careful not to hurt yourself! The catfish will enjoy knowing it has caused some damage by its sacrifice!

Abhishek is an avid Fishing enthusiast and he has got some great Fishing Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 116 Page Ebook, "Fishing Mastery!" from his website http://www.Fishing-Masters.com/772/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

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Catfish Pole Article

Which catfish pole? There are many types of catfish fishing poles available. In this article by Chris, he talks all about the catfish fishing pole.

Do You Know Which Pole to Get? Read The Info About Different Catfishing Poles Before Buying One!

Another way of catching catfish effectively is done by using fishing poles. Make sure that your pole can easily adapt to your needs. This way, you can avoid waste of time and money. There are several things you should consider before you buy a pole for cat-fishing

How often you will use it?
Will it fit into your personal needs
Does it suit your skills?
Where you usually do your fishing
Is it affordable?
Always keep these 5 things in mind before buying your own catfish fishing poles.
Materials That Made These Poles Worth Buying
Poles are made out of different materials. Visit nearby fishing stores in your area. Check out for the available poles they have. Look for what poles they are offering. Make sure that the cat-fishing poles they sell are always in good condition. Listed below are the top 3 materials that are mostly used for creating a reliable pole.

Fiberglass Poles - this pole is best used for amateur angler. At the same time, it doesn't need high maintenance and very durable as well. This is the advantage of this pole among other poles for catfish fishing.

Bamboo - it is an excellent pole for cat-fishing packed with good qualities. This is also referred to use as fly fishing that are made by hand.

Graphite - this is perfect for catfishes which are known to put up a great fight when catching them. If you are up for catching trophy cats, then this pole is what you need. It is very durable and rarely to break. This is the reason why it is appropriate for every angler to use.
Whether these poles are so durable, reliable and comes in reasonable prices, it is still important that it will match your personal needs. In addition, think about what other anglers view on this method of cat-fishing. As a result, you'll be one step away in choosing what polesto take.

Types Of Poles Available
Check out where your pole is made of. By doing this, it will allow you to know if you have a reliable fishing pole or not. Yet, poles for cat-fishing are not limited. There are lots of available poles you can choose:
Shakespeare ugly sticks
Quantum big cat
Ugly stick
Berkly glow stick
Rhino night vision rods
Michelle catfish spinner rod
All of the said poles for cat fishing are great depending on how you will use them.
To make it simple, choosing on what poles to use is not a so-so activity. You need to think about where these poles are made of and their types. This way, satisfaction is guaranteed on the pole you will choose.

Aside from catfishing poles, there are so many things to consider in catching monster catfish: Which baits to use, and much more. Go now for more information to http://www.catfishanswers.com/

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catfish fishing tips here

Tips For Catching Catfish Easily

Here are a few good tips for catching catfish. Best time to fish, best hook and even some advice on filleting them correctly!

Catfish Fishing Tips

I first started fishing catfish in my early childhood with my dad and though I have caught some Blue, and Flathead Catfish, Channel Catfish have always been my main target. I primarily fish them in the Snake and St.Croix Rivers and sometimes the Mississippi too. Wherever I can find a little nook and cranny where the current isn't so fast there always seem to be catfish hiding looking for some fresh bait. Catfish can also be found wherever you can find a rocky bottom to.

The best time to catch catfish is usually after dark until early morning right before the sun comes up, and they always seem to be the most active around a full moon. Catfish also like to hang out in holes where the water is a little deeper. Again, anywhere the current is a little slower and a place where food might gather is great place to find catfish.

Some other Catfish Fishing tips that I have used over the years are how I rig my pole. Now this is fairly basic. I like to use a medium sized pole about 7 to 8 feet long with about 17 to 20 pound test line. Some prefer 50 or 60 pound test but the lighter line has always worked best for me because I have found it is just easier to deal with when tying hooks or getting your line out of snags. The main reason I use a lighter line is that your catfish is much less likely to notice any friction with lighter line compared to a heavier line. I like to fight the fish a little too, with a heavier line its to easy just to drag the fish in which I believe takes the sport and excitement out of it.

As far as hooks go I have always just used a smooth, medium sized hook, with no barbells on it. Catfish have very tough skin and I rarely loose a catfish after I have hooked them so you won't need a trebble hook or any special kind of hook for Catfishing. Before I put my hook on I always just slide one slip sinker on with the size of it going by how fast the river current is, and then one clip on sinker or a swivel to keep your sinker away from your bait. I like to put the sinker about 2 feet away from the bait so your bait can float and move around in the river current.

One last Catfishing tip I will give you here is in filleting them correctly. This is very important if you want to get the best flavor out of your Catfish. I will put the Catfish on its stomach and then start with the tip of the knife right behind its head next to its spine and then slowly start slicing downwards until the fillet comes off. Then just cut your fillet off the skin. Now this part most of you probably already know as it is the same as most other fish. This is the important part. After you have your fillet in front of you there will be a yellowish strip running down the middle of the meat with a little bit of red on top of the fillet. This needs to be cut out or your Catfish will taste mushy and lose a lot of its flavor so don't forget. I also like to cut the head meat out of the larger ones usually at least 15 pounds, this is the whitest and best part of the Catfish. And prepare some homemade tartar sauce for a great meal with the whole family.

Shane Brown has spent the past 25 years fishing all kinds of freshwater and saltwater fish but Catfishing has reigned supreme in his Fishing adventures.
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Catfish Fishing Tips

Some great tips from Kim in the article below. best time and best place to catch catfish, how far to cast out, where to fish from on a lake and much more!

I have done much catfish fishing and it's a way of life for a lot of fishermen. For me fishing is very relaxing and an exciting day away from it all.

First of all, I have found that during midday catfish fishing is terrible because it's to hot for me. So I don't go fishing during midday anymore. The best time for catching small to medium size catfish during the summer months in most Southern California lakes is about 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, using shrimp and cut mackerel are excellent choices, but if you don't get a bite here and there, you should change your bait about every five minutes are so.

For morning catfish fishing, I like to start at 6:00 am to 10:00 am; this seems to be a very active time for catfish. I start off with this rig I use a size 6 hook with night crawlers. Catfish fishing from the shore line is always good to fish in spots close to rocks and reeds. So before you get started check out the area for those spots.

Once you've found your fishing spot, and have your rig in place, its time to get started. Cast from the shore line about 20 to 40 feet this is about the average anyway, and slowly reel in your line. Movement is the key here, night crawlers will move on their on to help you get the catfishes attention. I call this dragging, make sure you have a bobber on your line to keep your rig off the lake bottom; this will help prevent your rig from getting caught on rocks or some other form of debris.
If you don't get any bites after your first half hour of fishing, it's time to try a different area. Sometime people get to comfortable and just stay in one spot, that's not very good if you're planning on catching some catfish. You have to be active and move around just like the fish you are trying to catch.

Catfish fishing in the spring time is the best time for catching the big catfish. You will need heavy tackle, because these fish can grow very large 50 pound or more and they will put up a very good fight. So 30 pound line, 7ft. rod heavy and a spinner reel is what you should be using. Use large hooks and large pieces of cut bait.

Start fishing off the points of the lake. A point is a strip of land that sticks out into the lake. A point will usually have a steep drop off that is wear the lake bottom gets deep. Big catfish will always be in deeper water than small or medium size catfish. Try using heavy chum like dough balls seasoned with garlic for scent. Dough will sink to the bottom very fast which will attract the big catfish to the area you are fishing. Now sit back and wait, but be ready because when the big catfish strike the baited hook, make sure you have a firm grip on your rod, are you will loose it. Your fishing success will depend on your ability to find concentrations of fish. So good luck, and enjoy your self!

Kim Carson has fished in Southern California lakes for 20 years.

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