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.

George is a catfishing expert. Wants to learn more great tips about Catfishing habitat, species, and more [http://www.catfishingpoint.com/catfishing-info-habitat-species-and-more..]? Visit my site [http://www.catfishingpoint.com].

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Catfish fishing usa article

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 USA

If you are planning any USA catfish fishing trips, here's a little catfish guide on what catfish can be found where, what surprised me more than anything, was the amount of different catfish in the world!!

Fishing for Catfish in the USA - Popular Species of Catfish to Catch, The Best Techniques and Bait 
 

Fishing for Catfish in the USA:
There are almost 3000 types of catfish in the world, the most popular and widely found to fish for in the US are the Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, and Flathead Catfish. Channel's are smaller catfish that are plentiful in many areas of the US. Blue's are known for their large size and thrilling catch! Flathead's are known as the tastiest catfish! Anglers enjoy catching them for their delicious flavor!

Channel:
Channel catfish have a top-end size of about 40-50 pounds. The world record Channel weighed 58 pounds. It was caught in the Santee-Cooper Reservoir in South Carolina. The average size an angler could expect to catch would be between 2-4 pounds. They will often live in the same waterways as the blue catfish, which tend to grow much larger. Channel catfish eat both plants and animals. Anglers can catch them using a wide variety of baits. Channel's can be caught using crickets, nightcrawlers, minnows, sunfish, shad, frogs, cheese, dogfood, and more. Some say you can even catch these fish using ivory soap. Fishing techniques for catching Channel's include juglines and trotlines. Bank fishing is also a popular method of fishing for channel catfish using a rod and reel.When removing the hook from a catfish, anglers should be mindful of the sharp spines on the pectoral and dorsal fins.

Blue:
The Blue Catfish is one of the largest types of catfish found in the US. With the ability to reach a length of 65 inches and weight up to 150 lbs. The average length for a Blue Catfish is 25-46 inches. Blue's are naturally distributed in the Mississippi River drainage that includes the Missouri, Ohio,Tennessee and Arkansas Rivers. They have also been introduced into many other reservoirs and rivers. South Carolina has a large number of Blue's living in the Santee-Cooper Reservoir. This species of fish are opportunistic predators and will eat any species of fish they can catch as well as frogs, and crayfish. For the Blue Catfish, an easy meal is a good meal. They will often times take advantage of wounded or dead fish. They can also occasionally be found feeding below schools of striped bass.When fishing for Blue Catfish, baits that resemble dead fish will attract the fish! Blues love stink bait and cut bait. They will also respond well to live baits such as minnows, sunfish, herring, and shad. Blue catfish tend to favor deeper water in larger rivers and reservoirs but will feed and spawn into relatively shallow water. They can be caught in warmer climates in water as shallow as 12 in.

Flathead:
Flathead Catfish can grow to be up to 61 in. and weigh up to 123lbs. The average length of a Flathead is about 25-46 inches. Inhabiting deep pools, lakes, and large slow-moving rivers, flathead catfish are popular among anglers. Flathead's prefer live bait such as herring, sunfish, and shad. Flathead catfish can be found near submerged wood cover such as logs and rootwads which often collect at bends in rivers. A good flathead spot usually also includes relatively deep water compared to the rest of a particular section of river, a moderate amount of current. Flathead Catfish are native to the large rivers of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio. They are found as far north as Canada, as far west as Arizona, and as far south as the Gulf of Mexico. Flatheads can be found in both fresh and brackish waters.

Learn more fishing techniques for fishing in the US at http://www.fishing-wiz.com

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