Freshwater Fishing. Fish Species Smallmouth Bass. Coho Salmon. Get A Fishing License Get started fishing today, purchase your fishing license online, check regulations and more. Register A Boat Register your boat today. Learn how to register your vessel, boating laws and more. While a few channel catfish are caught at mid depths or near the surface, focus your efforts on the bottom, whether you fish in a lake, reservoir, pond, or flowing water.
This is mentioned first among channel catfish fishing tips because it is that important to remember. Stillfishing and drift fishing are generally the preferred methods of catfishing in all of their habitats.
For the most part, fishing on or close to the bottom with some form of bait is the most reliable way to hook this as well as other catfish species. Dead natural baits, cut baits, and smelly bait concoctions are preferred for attracting these scent-oriented fish, but live bait is also a good option, particularly for larger specimens. While some channel cats are caught by casting with lures, especially diving plugs or jigs, this is generally an ineffective method of deliberately angling for this species.
If you do fish for channel catfish with a jig, try tipping the jig hook with a live minnow or live worm. In big impoundments, look for channel cats in the tailrace water below the dam, and in rivers that feed the reservoir. Also in big impoundments, channel catfish lake fishing tips include looking for channel cats along old riverbeds and channels and concentrating on the curves, bends, deepest holes, and the junction of channels.
Other lake places to focus include ledges, or any place where the lake bottom drops off to deep water out in the main lake; humps or shoals that drop fairly abruptly to deep water; and areas with a soft bottom. Early in the season when the water is warming, try big-lake flats, as well as the area near the dam, particularly the riprap and boulders along the face of it.
Smaller fish are preferred for cooking because bigger ones, except for flatheads, can get tough. For the most part, catfish are bottom feeders and usually hold in deep water, although they will move into shallows to feed, especially at night. In large lakes those that are actually impoundments catfish, especially big ones will hang out along an old creek and river channels in deep water.
They move to shallower depths to feed, especially at night, and the flats adjacent to channels offer especially good fishing. Follow a creek channel across a flat to the back of a cove, and chances are you will find catfish somewhere along it. Catfish will hold on any kind of bottom, from rocks to mud, but seem to have a preference for hard bottoms, including those of clay or gravel. The depth of water can be critical. In winter and summer, catfish hold in the deepest water that has enough oxygen to support them, searching for temperatures in the mids.
In the south, that can mean very deep water. In the spring spawning period, they will move into shallow water with hard bottoms. In the fall, they will move shallower as the water cools down to the 70s on top, then back to deeper water as it gets colder.
Catfish can be caught in cold water, even when ice fishing, but this is uncommon. These fish are usually most active in warm water. Catfish will eat just about anything they can get in their mouths. Liver, live minnows, earthworms, crickets, and mealworms are all favorite natural foods. There is a wide range of prepared "stink" baits on the market, too.
These paste- and dough-like baits can all be molded around hooks and are popular for bottom fishing. Cats have been caught on unusual baits, as well, ranging from pieces of hot dogs to soap, and they will hit all kinds of artificial baits, from plastic worms to crankbaits and spinnerbaits, though these are not as successful as a natural or prepared bait.
Natural or prepared bait size depends on the size of the fish you want to catch. Billy Joe Bob fishing at the middle of the lake in foot waters and just dropping a line is obviously doing something slightly different than you and has a boat to help guide him to these locations. You do not have this luxury. Look for signs of cover and natural food flow.
Sometimes this will be near overhanging trees, or it could even be something as simple as near a boat dock on the lake where you know the cover is provided for the catfish. No sir. We are using the newer technology which is sonar you can merely send out in the water from shore and learn various lake composition such as weeds, rock, and other structure. This should give enough detail on the water structure for you have an idea of where to cast and aim for your bait presentation.
Blood or cheese flavors. Runner-up for me has always been chicken livers. The problem I have with chicken livers is the limited hook selection and limited casting abilities if you want to keep the perfect presentation and the liver neatly on the hook.
Just my opinion and will tell you that chicken liver works excellent as well. In all honesty, all the baits we listed earlier in the post will catch you a catfish at one point or another if you can locate them successfully. Also read this: What is the best hook to use for catfish. If you have decided to trust me and use the stink bait approach you will need a few things.
First, you will need a sponge treble hook or some form of bait holding hook set up. The sponges and the Tube sponges work best for me. They hold the bait, get nice and stinky and slimy and disguise the hook perfectly. Not to mention they come in tons of colors and options to really put off a signal to the catfish beneath the water surface. You will also want to either find a stick or using some form of a straight edge tool to apply the bait. I always just found a stick, gently placed the sponge over the bait container and pressed down, rotated once in a circle and was good to go and it works like a charm.
Alright well, we know where to look for the catfish and what bait to use but when should we do it? Ultimately one of the best times to catch catfish in lakes from the bank is going to be nighttime. As you have probably read in my other blogs, I believe catfish can be caught any time of the day if executed properly. I also think that there are clearly better times to do so.
Early morning before the temperatures are rising too much, you can catch catfish on lakes much easier. Often, in much more shallow water. They will naturally stay in areas during this time to keep cool and remain near cover. The ideal temperature outside for catching catfish is when the sun is not at a peak level which leads to my next point. This is going to be some of the prime-time real estates you will run into for bank fishing for catfish. They are active, they are hungry, and they are moving to shallow waters to feed.
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