Cat fish fishing Tips

Catfish Tips

When you think of catfish, you usually think of the small bullhead catfish you used to catch when you were younger. Those can be fun to catch and are very tasty, but they are just one of the types of catfish to be caught.

Flat head catfish, leopard cats, channel catfish, shovel billed catfish and salt water catfish are others that are a lot of fun to catch. The channel catfish seem to be more plentiful and popular. Channel catfish are the farm raised catfish that are used to make catfish nuggets and that is what you will probably get in most restaurants. The channel catfish is definitely one of the most sought after of that species. They are very tasty when fried in a golden batter and are very easy to catch.

Live bait is used the most for catching catfish and is really the best. Some of the baits used are leaches, small sunfish, worms, crawdads, minnows and grubs. Using nightcrawlers, which are so easy to get, will be your best bet to catch plenty of catfish.

Catching catfish can play havoc on your fishing gear so you need to use an outfit that will handle a large catfish if you hook one. Use at least a medium heavy pole and use a 10 to 15 pound test line and this should handle a very big fish. Your hooks need to be strong but not necessarily really big as even a small hook will hold a big fish.

A good rig for catching catfish is to use a sliding sinker with o-ring so that it won't slide down to the hook and tie a 16" leader to the hook. This way the catfish can pick up the bait and not feel any resistance. Leave the creel open on the reel so the fish can run with the bait and then you can set the hook. This way you will have less chance of the fish getting away. Always use a hook remover or needle nose pliers to get the hook out of the catfish.

If you are using the sliding sinker rig, the nightcrawlers work well as the primary bait, although in certain areas you will sometimes need to use other baits, so be flexible when choosing your bait. Sometimes crawdads or small minnows might be just the right thing for that particular area.

Try to locate an area that has some kind of structure such as dips, a cove, a dam, rock croppings, or maybe a point as these are good places to catch catfish.

When you are stream or river fishing you want to stay where the current isn't so strong when you are fishing behind a point of rock. A too strong current will cause your bait to not stay in place and you would need a sinker that is heavier, but continue with the sliding rig to keep down the resistance on the bait.

You can get some really big catfish fishing right off the deep part of the lake when fishing in the large and medium sized lakes.

If you like to fish for catfish, try some of the tips above and you'll be sitting down to a platter of golden fried catfish, the best eating in the world.

Did you find these tips useful? For more catfish tips and articles please visit my catfish site at http://www.squidoo.com/catfish-tips and go fishing!

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

Tips on catching catfish easily!

Catfish Fishing - A Few Tips to Get You Started

Now we know that there are a lot of people out there that are fishing for all kinds of different fish and we know that there are definitely a lot of people out there fishing for carp etc, now we should be thinking "I want to catch some big fish that will test my strength and agility". If you are thinking this then let me introduce you to the "Wels Catfish", this is a amazing fish that will definitely give you a challenge every time you try to catch these monsters, catfish fishing is huge and is going on all around the world, read on to find out more about the mighty Wels catfish.

Now the Wels catfish isn't any normal kind of fish these things can grow up to massive sizes, the fish itself has a long body which is scale less just like eels that you may have encountered, the difference being that the Wels catfish has a huge head and a really big mouth which inside contains 100's of little teeth along the bottom and top sides of the jaw. At the back of these monsters throats they have a crushing plate with which they crush up their prey. The fish also has a couple of fins one which runs near on the length of its body. These fish are also to spot by eye when catfish fishing because their bodies are mainly greeny-black and their eyes are dark, but then also they have creamy-yellowish sides which create a brilliant look, the look also disguises them well in the water from above.

Catfish fishing is made so much fun by these brilliant creatures that will actually shock you by how much strength a fish can really have but before you can start doing this you need to know what are the best ways to catch these fish when you are catfish fishing? Well read on and I will tell you some useful tips that will definitely come in handy.

So when catfish fishing you will want to try and identify where they are hiding out or especially where they are trying to feed, the main places that these types of fish like to hide are in dark quiet places when they are not looking to feed s o this may be handy but it is quite rare that catfish do not want to feed as they like to munch down quite a lot. Right so we know where to do our catfish fishing when they are not trying to feed but if they do which is the most likely thing they will be doing they like to go to places such as weed beds, the hollows under the bank and places where there are objects such as overhanging trees. Catfish fishing is good because when they want to feed a lot of people have said that they tend to come to you rather than having to look for them, another reason is that they will eat a lot of bait and they usually wont mind what but if you really want your catfish fishing to boom then you should use some smelly, fishy bait such as shrimp or tuna which they seem to love. They become attracted to the smell very easily.

One of the best methods used to catch these catfish when catfish fishing is to use live bait as these look very attractive to the catfish. Another bait that you will want to use if you are night fishing is to use worms but I'm warning you now if you only want Wels catfish you are going to need to use this bait at night otherwise you will catch many other fish other than the Wels.

I hope that this has somewhat helped you and given you a slight insight into catfish fishing for the Wels, if you are thinking of taking it up then I definitely recommend doing so.

Good Luck!

Find what you need to become great at catfish fishing Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Savour

Fishing for big catfish - The Secrets!

Catfish Fishing - Catching the Monsters

Catfish fishing is a very fun and energetic sport which requires a lot of hard work once you have caught one on the end of your rod, from the mighty wels catfish which can be huge to many other different types which you can catch across the world. One thing for sure especially with the wels catfish you will have to battle to win you catfish. This is why catfish fishing is such a highly addictive fishing type, because you have the excitement, energy and rush that will make you want to do it more and more.

Anyway enough about the fantastic rush catfish fishing brings us and lets move on to giving you some tips how to carry out this sport successfully. Read on to find out more.

Catfish fishing can be carried out in a lot of lakes and rivers etc all across the globe and can be the most fun you'll ever have fishing, you will want to try a lot of different techniques until you find the one that works best for you and believe it or not in no time you will be bringing in massive hauls of catfish that are massive in size.

One of the main things to catfish fishing is the time that you go out and do it because you really want to be going out and looking for them when they are feeding, now bearing this in mind the best time for you to go fishing is probably to go in the early mornings and in the evening when they will be out in force looking for their food. You don't need to fish for catfish at these times of the day but this is when they are most vulnerable to pick up your bait and they will be in the shallows of the lake or river making it easier for you to find them and catch them, remember though that catfish fishing can be done at anytime of the day and also in many places nearly all year round.

There are a few different places that they will tend to hide or hang out around as well so when catfish fishing look out for the reeds and see if there are any blockages in the river for example as catfish tend to swim around upstream from these looking for food on the bottom of the riverbed and also the riverbeds and to the side of rivers by the banks where they will be skulking around looking to feed.

Next a very good tip that I can give you when you go catfish fishing is to always try to use live baits as catfish tend to go for these a lot more, also another good tip that you should take into consideration when catfish fishing is to make sure that the live bait is very smelly (that's right the smellier the better), the reason for this is that catfish have a highly developed sense of smell and will sniff it out and come and feed, baits such as shrimp, tuna and other fish etc, but also remember that you should be varying the bait that you use because if you don't then catfish will just act like we do and get fed up of the same food and not bother going for it.

One of the last things I am going to tell you in this article about catfish fishing is that when you are fishing you need to decide on what size hook you are going to use as this can determine quite a lot with catfish, if you use a huge hook then you are only really going to be looking for the bigger catfish as the smaller ones will not go for the big hooks, some small hooks will also only catch the smaller catfish. So when you are next out catfish fishing you should try and mix up your hook sizes and experiment and see which ones work best for you, also don't forget to rotate the bait.

Until next time happy catfish fishing!

Find what you need to become great at catfish fishing Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Savour

You have got to try fishing for big catfish, what a rush! There are many tips on catching catfish, but when discovering how to fish for catfish, study hard, then put your new found information into practice. When cat fish fishing, you can have all the catfish fishing tips and catfish fishing secrets in the world, but if you never try them, it's a waste of time having them.

Tips on catching catfish

I love fishing for big catfish and I'm more than willing to share my tips on catching catfish, there are certain things you need to know when learning how to fish for catfish. With cat fish fishing, knowing these catfish fishing tips and even the odd catfish fishing secret is imperative!




Catfish Fishing - A Few Tips to Get You Started

Now we know that there are a lot of people out there that are fishing for all kinds of different fish and we know that there are definitely a lot of people out there fishing for carp etc, now we should be thinking "I want to catch some big fish that will test my strength and agility". If you are thinking this then let me introduce you to the "Wels Catfish", this is a amazing fish that will definitely give you a challenge every time you try to catch these monsters, catfish fishing is huge and is going on all around the world, read on to find out more about the mighty Wels catfish.

Now the Wels catfish isn't any normal kind of fish these things can grow up to massive sizes, the fish itself has a long body which is scale less just like eels that you may have encountered, the difference being that the Wels catfish has a huge head and a really big mouth which inside contains 100's of little teeth along the bottom and top sides of the jaw. At the back of these monsters throats they have a crushing plate with which they crush up their prey. The fish also has a couple of fins one which runs near on the length of its body. These fish are also to spot by eye when catfish fishing because their bodies are mainly greeny-black and their eyes are dark, but then also they have creamy-yellowish sides which create a brilliant look, the look also disguises them well in the water from above.

Catfish fishing is made so much fun by these brilliant creatures that will actually shock you by how much strength a fish can really have but before you can start doing this you need to know what are the best ways to catch these fish when you are catfish fishing? Well read on and I will tell you some useful tips that will definitely come in handy.

So when catfish fishing you will want to try and identify where they are hiding out or especially where they are trying to feed, the main places that these types of fish like to hide are in dark quiet places when they are not looking to feed s o this may be handy but it is quite rare that catfish do not want to feed as they like to munch down quite a lot. Right so we know where to do our catfish fishing when they are not trying to feed but if they do which is the most likely thing they will be doing they like to go to places such as weed beds, the hollows under the bank and places where there are objects such as overhanging trees. Catfish fishing is good because when they want to feed a lot of people have said that they tend to come to you rather than having to look for them, another reason is that they will eat a lot of bait and they usually wont mind what but if you really want your catfish fishing to boom then you should use some smelly, fishy bait such as shrimp or tuna which they seem to love. They become attracted to the smell very easily.

One of the best methods used to catch these catfish when catfish fishing is to use live bait as these look very attractive to the catfish. Another bait that you will want to use if you are night fishing is to use worms but I'm warning you now if you only want Wels catfish you are going to need to use this bait at night otherwise you will catch many other fish other than the Wels.

I hope that this has somewhat helped you and given you a slight insight into catfish fishing for the Wels, if you are thinking of taking it up then I definitely recommend doing so.

Good Luck!

Find what you need to become great at catfish fishing Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Savour

Fishing for big catfish

Looking for the ultimate catfish fishing secret? Well, fishing for big catfish is an art form, there are tips on catching catfish that anyone can use when learning how to fish for catfish. Anyone can start cat fish fishing and by using all the catfish fishing tips available, can soon jump into the major league of cat fishing, it just needs a little effort and a lot of know how!



5 Tips For Catching That Monster Catfish

Everyone wants to catch a monster catfish. There are no bigger fresh water fish in North America. Both blues and flatheads regularly exceed 50 pounds and the record for each is 124 and 123 pounds respectively. Heck even the record channel catfish caught at 58 pounds would certainly make someones day. For many anything over 50 pounds would be a trophy of a lifetime.

These monsters are everywhere in the United States but few anglers catch them on a regular basis. Here are a few tips that may help you become one of those whom regularly catch these monster catfish.

1. GEAR UP! A 50 pound cat will snap rods and fry reels. You must invest in heavy tackle. You will need a 7 foot or longer heavy action rod. Bait casting reels are the strongest but many anglers favor the spin casting reel. Whichever reel you decide on spool it 30, 50 or even 80 pound braid. Attach a 6/0 to 10/0 heavy wire circle hook.

2. Tie a good knot. Knots are often the weakest point of any fishing rig. Learn how to tie the Palomar knot. It is simple and efficient providing almost 100 percent line strength.

3. Where to fish. Large rivers provide the most opportunity for big cats but large lakes can also be productive. Another good place is the deep water below a dam as these monsters will lay in way for chunks of fish chewed up by the dam. Do not waste your time with creeks and ponds. It would be rare if you caught anything close to 50 pounds there.

4. Use fish for bait. Live fish for flatheads and cut baits for blue and channel catfish. Other baits will work but not with the consistency fish.

5. Have patience. You are not going to catch a monster cat every time out. Maybe not for several times out. This is what discourages the average angler but if you want to catch the big one you will have to have patience. Believe me once you hook one of these monsters you will realize that all that effort was worth it.

Doug Burns is founder of CatfishAngling.com - A leading source for tips, tricks and information on catfish fishing. Doug has been an avid angler for 35 years and a steady contributor.

Have a Question? I will be happy to answer it. CatfishAngling.com

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

Best catfish baits

The Best in Fishing Bait for Catfish

Fishing is a hobby men and a lot of women enjoy, but having the right fishing bait for catfish is a very important ingredient to bringing home all those delicious mouth-watering catfish for an outdoor fish fry with your friends and family. Knowing which bait works the best for catfish will give you a fishing adventure you'll remember for years to come.

Dead minnows are a wonderful bait to use when fishing for catfish. Live minnows tend to attract a lot of bass and that can interfere with the catfish you're after today. Catfish really don't care, live or dead, they'll go after either so save the live ones for a day of bass fishing. Use the dead minnows with a bobber system to suspend them a foot or so under water especially in the summer and spring months and in shallow water.

Sardines, anchovies and shad are other favorite catfish baits. These work well in water that is deep and used more when you are drift fishing. Another favorite fishing bait for catfish is crawfish, this is a delicacy for them. The meat from the tail works best but crawfish can be used as live bait as well but the pinchers need to be removed if you're fishing on the bottom or use a bobber rig to keep the crawfish off the bottom.

Shrimp is another catfish delight. These should be shelled before being hooked as the catfish prefer the shelled shrimp. The larger shrimp can be cut into small chunks while the smaller ones can be placed on your hook whole. Some people soak the shrimp in garlic oil, vanilla, anise oil, or any number of other things to add another scent to bait shrimp.

Night crawlers work very well too, catfish love worms. Worms are easily found at any bait and tackle shops, especially from the spring months into the winter. When you bait your hook with a worm make sure you don't leave a long end hanging lose because a catfish will suck the worm off the hook before you know what happened. Place only enough weight on your line to allow your worm and line to drift naturally along the bottom with the current for the best results.

Chicken livers or gizzards are also great bait for catfish. Make sure they are fresh and not frozen. Place these on your hook and just wait for the catfish to come calling. The only draw back to using chicken gizzards or livers is they come off your hook easy after they get wet. It's best to use a treble hook so you'll get a little more time out of this bait.

There are also some lures and prepared fishing bait for catfish on the market today. Your best bet with these is to find someone who has had a lot of experience with lures and prepared baits and try those that have been proven to work. The bait shop owner can give you some tips on what's been working lately and recommend some brands to try.

You'll find more information about fishing bait for catfish at our site and while you're there download your copy of a free report to help you plan a fishing trip

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

I hope this article helps with finding you the best catfish baits, which is what you need when you try fishing for big catfish, these tips on catching catfish are updated regularly, showing beginner and advanced alike how to fish for catfish. With cat fish fishing, there are so many techniques available, but we try and find the absolute best catfish fishing tips and you never know, we may just have knowledge of secret catfish baits!

Cat fish fishing

Catfish Fishing At Corona Lake

I just wanted to share with you another one of Southern California's catfish fishing (Hot Spots). Today is Jan. 06, 2008, now is the time to catch the big one. I fish at Corona Lake as often as I can because the fishing here is excellent. I always catch the limit which is (Five). This is one of the lakes that are stocked two to three times a week with very large trout, channel catfish, wiper, (Hybrid Striped Bass) sturgeon, large mouth bass, crappie and bluegill. Corona Lake also held the State Record for the largest Catfish at over 61 pounds. It also held the State Record for the largest Channel Catfish at over 52 Pounds. There is no fishing license required

Using the right bait is probably the most confusing part of fishing, and there are nearly as many concoctions as there are anglers. Bait selection ranges from night-crawlers, garlic corn, chicken liver, crickets or fish eggs, crawdads, grasshoppers, frogs, live and dead minnows, cut bait, and a multitude of prepared baits and stink bait. The prepared baits most often have one thing in common that's cheese. All of these bait preparations and many others are excellent and all will catch catfish. Selection of bait from this lengthy list may seem difficult but from my experience selecting bait can be made into a rather simple process.

The most important points to consider when selecting bait is to determine the size of the catfish you want to catch and the water temperature of the lake. The rule of thumb is to use cut-bait for the best luck in late winter and spring. The cut bait of choice is mackerel and should be used when the water temperature is less than 60 degrees. Catfish usually feed on minnows and crayfish that die during winter and sink to the bottom. Bait scent is the key here, Fish in deeper portions of the lake then shift your efforts to shallow water afterwards. The shallow water warms faster and attracts catfish into the nearby shore line.

The keen sense of smell possessed by channel catfish make it one of the few species of game fish that can be readily caught here at this lake during the spring, summer, and early fall. During the warmer months most anglers will tell you that this is usually the best time to catch catfish and I agree. Catfish seem to be more active when the water temperature is above 70 degrees.

The most popular catfish bait used at this lake is eagle claw and nitro bait. As water temperatures warm to 70 degrees and above, many anglers use these baits. This bait is most effective for catfish fishing during June, July, August and September. Anglers seeking larger catfish during this period use large sized baits such as live bluegill, hog wild, crayfish and frogs. Large catfish like a good sized meal and the movement of these creatures will attract their attention.

The tackle you need to use here is 7ft heavy rod and conventional or spinner reel with 30 pound test line. If you are fishing for large catfish, be sure to match the reel to the fish. Light duty reels are made to catch small fish and heavy duty reels have the power to land trophies. Light tackle will catch small catfish but may not handle trophy size catfish. The thing to remember is that catfish may be in brush or in heavy cover in the lake and after the strike the catfish will fight so prepare your self.

The most important part of the tackle is the sinker and hook. Always use the lightest weight necessary, and always use a slip sinker. The slip sinker rig allows a catfish to pick up the bait without feeling the weight of the sinker. With any resistance on the line whatsoever, a respectable channel catfish will leave one bait morsel in search of another. Always use a sharp hook. Hooks with bait holders on the shank are preferred by most anglers. Use sponges or plastic worms when fishing with one of the soft, prepared cheese baits. No matter which hook and bait you select, present it to the fish in the most natural manner, which always requires the use of a minimum amount of weight. So if you should visit Corona Lake in Southern California, be sure to try the above catfish fishing methods for the best of luck.

For more fishing articles, fish recipes and tackle information from or post to our fishing blog; KC Carson visit Catfish Fishing in Southern California
http://www.carsonaffiliatemarketing.com

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

Ice fishing for catfish

Ice Fishing Catfish - How Is It Done?

Ice fishing catfish is a fun and exciting way to catch fish. It is worth the challenge put in front of you. Most of the old timers who have been fishing for various types of catfish over the years would be surprised to hear about the new wave of fishing for cat in ice, but many experienced ice anglers have stories to tell about hooking something under the ice that pulled hard, and broke their line. Now that ice fishing for channel cat has gained in popularity, many people now believe these stories are catfish stories.

There are various methods, tips and types of equipment on the market today to help you to catch the big one even in ice fishing catfish. The question is, what do you need, how do you use it and when are you going to have the best opportunity for getting the catfish you want. Here are some tips and tricks to help you with this type of catfish fishing.

Most people, who have fished for cat on the ice, have had success on farm ponds. These ponds usually have better ice fishing yields if they are at least fifteen feet deep and about three acres in measure. If they are stocked with larger catfish (usually approximately two pounds or larger, since smaller cat do not seen to bite well when ice fishing) you will also experience a bigger catch.

Whenever you are fishing for catfish on ice, keep to what you already know about fishing for cat. Catfish are bottom dwellers. In the colder months, they will seek the deepest part of the body of water that they inhabit. If you are fishing in a smaller body of water, like a pond, it is much easier to determine where that deepest part of the water lies.

If you are on a large lake, it might be hard to determine where to drill your hole in the ice in order to locate the deepest regions where your catfish will be gathered. Unlike fishing in water, where you can simply pull up your anchor and move, once you have drilled a hole, set up on your target area, and begun to fish, it is much more difficult to up and move if the fish are not biting. Just do a little research, and look for the deepest part of whatever body of water you are fishing, before you drill your hole.

In the wintertime, catfish primarily exist on small worms and grubs that emerge from the muddy bottoms of catfish ponds. Their metabolism slows down, and they are not as active. They do not use as much energy. They will hit on smaller wax worms. Pay close attention to this need that they have because many people try to use the wrong tackle to secure the fish during this season. Think about their lifestyle when ice fishing catfish.

Once you have chosen your site, preparation comes into play. Drill a few holes in the ice and use a depth finder to locate the deepest part of the body of water in which you will be fishing. Don't expect to locate your fish with sonar, though, because catfish stay so close to the bottom that they normally do not show up well on sonar. Once you have located your catch, use the right equipment. Pay close attention to these details!

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best catfish fishing information possible. Get more information on ice fishing for catfish here: http://www.askcatfishfishing.com

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

When ice fishing for catfish, especially when you are fishing for big catfish, finding out the best tips on catching catfish should be your priority. There are hundreds of really good tips on how to fish for catfish. So if you are one of the thousands of cat fish fishing enthusiasts, I hope these catfish fishing tips help.