Hot Weather Catfish Fishing Basics

Catfish are a blast to catch but can be a bit of a mystery to beginning anglers. What exactly is the best way to catch these whiskered beasts? Summer afternoons and evenings are a great time to catch them. Try these tips to increase your catch rate or even introduce catfish fishing to a new angler.

Deep Water
Catfish prefer the deep water to the shallows. Many new anglers prefer watching a bobber bounce on the surface of the water, but such presentations of bait will usually not entice catfish. Remember, catfish prefer to eat near the bottom of the lake, pond, or river. Thus, make sure you are using a rig that lies on the bottom. A popular (and easy rig) for such situations is simply several split shots crimped 1ft ahead of the main hook, casted out, and let rest on the bottom. Keep the line relatively tight, and place the rod in a rod holder, or propped up with a stick. Many catfish will take the bait and run, hooking themselves in the process. Watch the tip of your rod for tell-tale bites and hookups. Be sure to set the hook once you get a fish on, because sometimes the catfish will only be partially hooked on the first run.

Stink Bait
Catfish heavily rely on their special ability to sense proteins and other food matter in the water. Thus, protein-rich baits are great for catfish, much better than lures or bread balls. The easiest bait to use is garden worms or nightcrawlers, either dug from the backyard or purchased from the store. Alternatively, and slightly more messy (not for the squeamish) is to use chicken livers. Many large grocery stores sell these, and some bait shops also have them on hand. Catfish go nuts over the smell and high protein content of the livers. Just be sure to wash your hands after handling such material!

Warm Water
Target warm water, not cool, clear, cold lakes. Catfish are a warmwater fish and most of the big ones (flatheads, blue catfish and so on) are caught in big, slow-moving, warm, rivers and lakes. Bullheads and channel catfish are much more common, but are also usually caught in warm ponds, lakes and streams. Don't shy away from muddy or discolored water, some of the best bullhead fishing I have experienced was in dirty ponds with less than 6 inches of visibility. Hand-in-hand with this is the idea that warm weather is the best for catfish fishing. The cats are more active and more apt to bite in such situations.

Catfish fishing is loads of fun and a great way to introduce new anglers to the sport of fishing. Grab some poles, stink bait, and find your nearest catfish pond today!