Here's some really good catfishing information, covering catfish baits, weather and a lot more.


Catfishing - Important Information You Should Know

Knowing what to use and where is key in catfishing. The specific bait and where you are fishing it is vital. Other determing factors in your success will be the weather and at what time you are fishing. If it is hot, chances are the bite is going to be slow. The early morning and evening hours are most notably the best time to catch catfish.
The most commonly sought after catfish in the United States is the Channel Cat. They are regularly caught in most bodies of water. Rivers, lakes and ponds are literally full of them.
The most popular bait for Channels is worms, or more specifically, nightcrawlers. Channels bite better when it's cool outside, but usually can be caught at most times of the day depending on where you are fishing, and with what bait.
Other popular baits include, liver, shad, guts or sides, and prepared dough baits. The most rank of baits will usually get you results with Channel Cats. They are avid feeders on just about everything. They tend to feed more heavily during or after heavy rain. Places that have inflow after a rain are really good for catching Channels, as there are things washing in that they feed on. If you know a body of water with a river or creek running into a pond or lake, this can be an excellent place to catch them after it rains.
The Flathead catfish is another highly sought after fish. They are mainly fished because of their sheer size. Trophy Flatheads of 80 pounds or more are known to be caught. They are a little bit more of a challenge, because they are regarded as nocturnal predators. Meaning, they feed at night mostly on live bait. Perch, goldfish and shad are some of the best baits to use when going after Flatheads. Limb and trotling are the more traditional methods, but pole fishing has been making an upward climb as of late.

Every catfishermen wants one of those trophy Flatheads. Flatheads are also know to reside in hard to reach places, such as in logjams, or a body of water that isn't easily accessed. They are also very territorial, meaning they like to stay mostly in one spot, but are known to travel up to a mile at night when feeding. Your best bet at catching one of the brutes is to find a logjam or some type of obstruction, and wait until the evening and nighttime hours to go after one of these fish.
Blue Cat or aka the White Cat is the most heavily commercially fished of the catfish species in the United States. They are loved by fishermen because of their size, raw power, and active feeding habits. It is not uncommon for them to feed three or four times a day, and another two or three times a night. They prefer deep water as opposed to shallow, and running water is usually a plus. The most popular baits for Blue Cats are shad, cutbaits and perch. Notably the most preferred bait is taking a shad and cutting it into "chunks". The scent from the opened and bleeding shad attract Blue Cats quite well. They usually are caught in deep water in the daytime. At night they can be caught just about anywhere, but shallow water with cut shad, or a live bait will usually yield you results. It is not uncommon for Blue Cats to get to over eighty pounds in weight. The record set last year was over 120 pounds.
Bullheads are another type of catfish in North America. They are mainly fished because of their tasty meat. They can be caught in almost any type of farm pond. A popular bait for Bullheads are nightcrawlers. Usually when you catch one Bullhead, chances are you will catch more there. You can regularly catch them in the late afternoon hours. On an overcast day with worms, will usually get you good results, depending on whether the location you are at has Bullheads.

------------------------------------------------------- Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Fishing ------------------------------------------------------- Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Catfish Fishing Secrets

A really good article below giving the top 3 catfishing secret techniques, that are used by the pros!

The Top 3 Catfishing Secret Techniques

Just by doing a little research, you'll see that there are just as many specific fishing methods, and there's people giving you all kinds of advice on what's the best method to catch catfish. But after long talks with many enthusiastic fishermen, I picked up the top 3 methods to catch the big ones: drift fishing, jug lining, and slip weight.

Drift fishing

Drift fishing is one of the best methods for catching catfish, mainly in streams or rivers. All you have to do is go out in your boat, stop the engine and let the wind carry you down the stream. When you get a bite, just pull in the line, and that's all you have to do.

In most cases, vertical fishing methods are best for catching cats because they like to hang out deep down in the bottom, especially the big flatheads and blues. But, during the summers when the water is warm, there isn't enough oxygen at the bottom and they'll come up looking for food. Besides, in a river or stream you're likely to find many rocks and things down there, so it can be hard to catch them in the deeper water.

The best places to drop your sinker are to be found anywhere there's a block in the water. This is because the catfish don't struggle with the current when they're looking for food, so you'll be finding them where the water isn't moving a lot. So, find places where the water is relatively still to cast your line, like just below a dam.

One good idea is to put out more than one line and bounce them at the bottom. Put sinker down until it hits something, then drag it up and move it around, and this way you will attract those cats feeding down there. You have to get a feel for how much you want to move around. Drift fishing for cats is more fun than standing still and waiting for them to come along, mainly in the summer season when the cats are coming closer to the surface to look for food.

Jug lining

This is a technique where you string a line across the water with hooks at different intervals hanging down. Although you can catch catfish jug lining any time of year, it actually works best during springtime, when the water is just starting to warm up.

The best way to jug line for catfish is to use an "anchored jug line", that is attaching weights to the bottoms of your lines and these weights hold your bait still. You can use almost anything as weight, as long as you can attach it and keep the line in place. And how much weight you should use it depends on current conditions, but usually it's better to be too heavy than too light.

A good method for jug lining is preparing many small lines, each with only about 3 hooks, so that you can cover different parts of the river, stream or lake where catfish might be looking for food. Jug lining is a great way to catch the big ones, but you have to know the rules before you lay out your lines.

Slip weight

Usually, catfish like to stay at the bottom of the lakes or rivers and this is why using a slip weight rig is a practical way to catch them. A slip weight rig is where you set out a line with more than one hook that will go down there. You put a weight to the end as it helps you gain control over the level of the hooks. The great thing about it is that you can catch fish hanging around at different depths.

A slip weight rig is best used at night when the catfish are coming up to the surface looking for food. One of the reasons why slip weight rigging is so cool is that the fish can't actually feel the weight of your line. The secret here is to keep the weight heavy and the line tight.

These are the top 3 most successful techniques of catching catfish, but sure there may be others out there, just as many anglers. In the end, it all depends on whom you ask. Check out these ways of catching catfish and see which one suit you best.

Tony Brian is a freelance writer for outdoor sports magazines and a contributing writer for bob long paintball markers specializing in cat fishing, drift fishing and dye paintball markers

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Brian