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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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mark_Fleagle/176411

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