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.
Catfish Hot spots [http://www.catfishingpro.com/portal.php]

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discover how to catch a monster catfish 

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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More catfish fishing tips here

How To Catch Monster Catfish In The Winter!

Catfish fishing techniques from George are always worth checking out! Where most people think the summer is the only time to catch catfish, George is out there in the winter landing monsters! Here he explains how to catch big catfish in the winter!You are ging to love this, if you are one of those who are always looking for best way to catch catfish.

Catfishing Techniques - How To Catch Your First Monster

Most fishermen give up on the idea of fishing once the temperature drops to announce the arrival of fall. "What's the point?" they ask, "the fish are so sluggish they won't bite." They are all wrong. Catfish fishing in cold weather is just as good as fishing in the summer months. You just need to know where to find the catfish and what to hook them with.

You needn't buy a different tackle for the winter months; the summer tackle will do just fine. A good graphite and fiber-glass rod labeled medium to heavy action, a good transparent line that can hold weights over 20 pounds, and big hooks like 4/0 Kahle hooks are all you'll ever need to set up your rig. You do need to consider that this is late fall and it can get really cold, so you will need to take some warm clothes with you when you go fishing. It's also a good idea to take your fishing buddy with you. Also bring a thermos filled with chocolate milk with you. And don't forget the munchies!
If you've been refrigerating your prepared bait to make it stick to the hook, you needn't do that anymore; the cold weather will help keep it hard. Cut bait works the best during fall and winter. Most fishermen I know use cut up eels. For some reason the catfish just love eels in late fall and winter. One person tried hotdog chunks and got two decent sized cats in 30 minutes! You can get good catches even with smaller chunks of bait. The water is cold and the fish are hungry and this makes them go after smaller baits too. It is also easier to get a bite during winters because there are fewer fishermen out fishing that time of the year.

It is good to fish for catfish when the sun is warm. Park your boats near the bank and load your lines with roll-weights. The fish will be likely hiding beneath the surface, soaking up all the sun they can before it gets dark. You might get more bites in winter when the food is scarce. Be patient, sooner or later the monster cats will get a whiff of your bait and come up to investigate. Always set the drag to loose; in the winter time, the cats love to take the bait and move to deeper waters before they ingest it.
Both drift fishing and trolling work during winter time, but you can get some decent catch even when you are standing on the bank or wading into the waters. The fish are slow due to the cold and often hide near the banks in the cold winter months. However, you might not like wading into the water because you might catch a cold. If it is tolerably cold that day, you could try noodling for catfish too. A word of caution: it is an extreme sport; always have two or three guys around to help you with the catfish when you go noodling. I've heard urban legends of men being dragged and drowned by the monster cats.

People ask me what if the recipe does not work for them. They also like to know what else can be used as bait to catch catfish. You can find more information here [http://www.catfishingpoint.com]. Click on the link to find a step-by-step guide to cat-fishing and discover the techniques used by pros. There is a catfishing course available for free download.

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you may also be interested in ice fishing for catfish

Catfish Fishing Techniques Part 3

Here is part 3 of 3 articles from Jeff, who is a catfish fishing techniques expert. In this third and final article, Jeff where to fish and how to catch monster catfish. click Here for part 2 and click here for part 1.

A Guide to Non-Typical Catfish Fishing Techniques Part III 

Method 2
The second method that works really well for me is drift fishing. Lets start by explaining how drifting works. It's really pretty simple: you cast out bait and drag it behind or from the side of your boat while the wind pushes you along.

Where to Fish
The majority of Cat-men that I know all use the same rig, although their tackle will differ from one guy to the next. Whatever tackle they use, they are all dragging some kind of bait on the bottom. The big difference between most drifters and myself, however, is that I usually do not drift in water any shallower than 30 feet deep while most others like to fish much shallower, such as 10-20 feet deep.
The shallow waters of most lakes contain a few big fish and lots of little ones resulting in lots of action, but not too many that will test your string. I have said before that Blue Cats can and will live and feed in deep water. My best day of drifting, as far as numbers of fish weighing between 3-20 lbs. goes, occurred last December. In one drift I caught and released 47 Blue Cats. These fish all came off of a huge flat that runs parallel to the main river channel with an average depth of 45 ft. Its surface has a few small humps and a couple of old ditches running across it. People drive by me and look in disbelief when they see me drifting in 30 to 50 ft of water, but when that fish locator shows big fish marks on the bottom at those kind of depths I have a pretty good idea of what's down there.
Not all lakes are as easy to drift: some have gobs of timber and some have tons of rock on the bottom. The best lakes I have found have had some silting or massive mud flats that were old fields at one time. Simple structures like old ditches that carve across mud flats give Blue Cats a place to ambush their prey and might give them a little relief in the water column when the water is at its coldest or warmest. Look at these flats from different angles and ask yourself, "How does the bank look?" Could the surface under the water look similar to the structures above the water? Chances are that it will be pretty close.


These ideas are not really new. Bass and Walleye fishermen all over the U.S. use land structures to locate their fish and when it comes to locating these structures, fish locators are very valuable tools. My opinion is that you get what you pay for with electronics, but if you can find shad or baitfish with your locator as well as see the big fish marks, that's all you need.

Catchin' the Big Cats
The speed of your drift makes a huge difference. A good rule to follow is 'the colder the water, the slower you should go.' A big Blue Cat will not want to chase bait that's traveling fast in cold water, so when you are dragging bait on the bottom you should use some kind of drift sock or sea anchor. You might have to experiment with different sizes until you figure out what size slows your boat down. Manufacturers of drift socks will usually give you an estimate of the size of sock compared to the size of the boat you are using.

Furthermore, just because you are a Cat-fisherman, it doesn't mean you can't use the tools other fishermen use. Experiment with different hooks, weights, line, rods and reels, but my advice would be to eventually work your way into having an exactly matched set of at least 4 rods and reels. When you learn what works for you, you will be much happier with a matching set of gear. Having your gear match might not sound like much, but when you start catching Blue Cats over 20 lbs you'll know the limitations of your tackle. Furthermore, you wont have to worry every time you set a hook about which rod the fish hit because they will all perform the same.

Closing
Get some good gear capable of handling big fish. Get your tools so you can go out and learn your lake. Spend time learning your water before you start to fish. If you can't or don't want to spend the amount of money necessary to purchase all the equipment and cover all the various expenses, don't be afraid to take guided trips. You'll have good company from someone who knows the lake well and can teach you a great deal, plus it takes A LOT of guided trips to add up to the cost of equipping yourself.

Don't be afraid to experiment with new tactics after you start fishing. Always remember: Blue Cats are Blue Cats, they don't know what lake they're in or where they live. They will behave the same where I fish or where you fish. If you'd like, I can actually travel to your lake to prove it, as well as show you what a professional guide would do on your lake or river. Always keep your eyes on your fish finder, and get out there and try some non-typical Catfishing!
If you missed either of the first 2 parts of this article, head to this URL for the complete article: http://www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com/nontypical-catfishing.htm
Copyright © 2002-2005 Jeff Williams
You have permission to publish this article free of charge as long as you are not selling it and that you include the author bylines immediately visible with the article and, if published in an electronic medium such as on a web site, you provide a link back to http://www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com in the author bylines, both where the web address is listed as well as well as with the text "Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service"...

Jeff Williams runs a Truman Lake Hybrid Bass and Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service offering lodging and guided trips in Missouri. To book a trip, learn more tips, or find out how Capt. Jeff would fish your own local waters, call 1-866-HOOKSET or visit [http://www.ozark-lodges-fishing-trips.com] today!

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