Catfish Like a Pro

Throughout the rest of his life, he has continued to search out some of the best catfishermen in the nation and learn their tactics for catching catfis After an unsuccessful try at becoming a commercial catfisherman, the author chose to stay in college and finish his degree, but finding and catching catfish always has intrigued professional outdoor writer John E. Throughout the rest of his life, he has continued to search out some of the best catfishermen in the nation and learn their tactics for catching catfish.

Many of the strategies you'll learn in this book come from the men who earn a portion of their living guiding and competing in professional cat-catching tournaments. Whether you want to learn how to catch more catfish sitting on the bank or in a boat or fishing calm water or the turbulent waters that come from hydroelectric plants, this book has the best tips from some of the most-productive catfishermen who've learned the secrets of Mr.

Whiskers through many years of trying a wide variety of different baits under various types of fishing conditions. You'll learn about the fishing tackle you'll need, the various methods you may employ and the strategies you can use to catch the most catfish. Although the catfish is not a glamour-fish like the trout, the walleye, the bass, the crappie or even the bluegill, when its fillets are put on the platter and prepared with one of the recipes in this book, you easily can understand why the catfish is one of the most sought-after freshwater species in America.

To add to the catfish's popularity, it is found in almost every creek, river, lake, tailrace or puddle of water that you can jump across. The catfish is America's fish, and it's been feeding mankind since the beginning of time. If you want to catch good groceries that fight hard and are delicious to eat, learn how to catfish like a pro in this book. This fishing guide contains numerous color fishing pictures as well as links to 20 video interviews with the pros.

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Catfish Like a Pro , please sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Ray rated it liked it Jul 01, Melissa Self rated it it was amazing Jul 13, Casey Law added it Jul 30, Terry Wells added it Dec 28, Attach the PVC to one end of the rebar and leave the end of the PVC just below the rebar so you have something to srtike and hammer it into the ground.

Good anchors are a catfish anglers friend. You need anchors that will grab and hold in a variety of wind speeds, bottom compositions and every situation you can could encounter. Two Anchors To Anchor: Not only do you need good anchors but you need two of them to anchor your catfish boat.

When anchoring nose the boat directly into the wind and attach the rope as close as possible to the centerline of the bow of the boat. If all else fails attach the rope to the bow eye of the boat. Use anchor pins or poles to secure and position your boat in shallow water. You can buy these or build your own shallow water anchor system. Drift Socks Made Simple: Drift fishing for catfish can be a very effective technique for blue catfish and channel catfish.

Having two good drift socks will help slow your boat down and help maintain direction. Drift speed is critical so make sure you monitor speed and adjust accordingly. The colder the water the slower you need to drift and the more important speed is. If fishing from a boat buying a good sonar unit and learning how to read it will do more for your success catching catfish than any other tool. Broadband or 2D Sonar For Catfish: Is the traditional sonar view that shows images below your boat. You get a narrow view of the area below the boat but can learn a lot and find fish with a simple broadband sonar unit.

Side scan or side imaging sonar allows you to see below and on the sides of the boat and covers a much larger area and see amazing details including individual fish. This makes the time spent searching for fish and shad much more productive. Side imaging sonar is hands down one of the top tools of most successful catfish anglers.

To maintain the ability to see details and identify fish plus cover a large area of water maintain the side imaging view at 65 to 70 feet on each side of the boat. Gives you the ability to see a detailed view degrees surrounding the boat while sitting still. This is a newer technology that still brings a premium price. Understanding the basic behaviors of catfish will help you narrow down the areas to search with sonar so you can learn to identify catfish and target them.

Out of the box your sonar will provide basic information. Tweaking the settings and making adjustments will take things to a whole new level. Experiment with adjustments in sensitivity and other features to get the best results and find more fish. Pay close attention to water temperature and bait fish locations to help narrow down areas to find catfish. These are the two simplest ways to help narrow down the areas to search and start catching fish. Many modern day sonar units have GPS technology that allows you to increase your productivity on the water.

Just as important is marking hazards or dangerous areas so you can avoid them. Get Details With Navionics and Lakemaster: These maps provide a higher resolution more detailed topographic map than those that come with fish finders. This higher level of detail allows you to identify structure, cover and other possible catfish hot spots and is well worth the investment! The Navionics App gives you access to GPS and the same detailed topographic maps available for sonar unit. No-roll sinkers work great for a variety of catfish rigs and are perfectly suited for catfish fishing.

You can reduce the number of snags by using snagless drift fishing sinkers. Just thread the barrel swivel on the main line just like you would an egg or no-roll sinker. You can buy these style sinkers also. Tips on catfish bait for all species of catfish including catfish bait selection, catching bait, prepared baits and more! Match the hatch is a good basic rule to follow for choosing your catfish bait or bait for any fishing for that matter.

Match the hatch means to use bait that the fish are feeding on or something that mimics what the fish are feeding on. Learn To Throw a Cast Net: Spend a little time up front when you get a cast net and prepare it the right way. Dip bait and sponge bait are both popular baits for catfish. The disadvantage of these baits are they require the use of the sponges or tubes to hold them which adds tackle and expense. The Best Sponge Hooks: Rather than buying expensive sponge hooks for sponge baits and dip baits buy plain treble hooks and a felt hat cleaning sponge.

Cut the sponge into small chunks and insert the shank of the treble hook through the sponge. They get their name from the process used to bait the hook. Cut Bait For Channel Cats: Stink bait or prepared bait is hands down best for catching numbers of smaller channel cats. If you want size over quantity then try some form of native bait fish cut into chunks. Blue Catfish Bait Made Easy: Blue catfish bait is simple.

Threadfin shad, gizzard shad and skipjack herring are favorites among catfish anglers and always produce but other fish like carp, buffalo, drum or perch are popular as well and will catch fish. Start with shad or skipjack when possible and throw some alternatives in the mix. Fresh bait is always best for catfish but frozen bait is better than no bait. Flathead Catfish Bait Made Simple: Flathead catfish are predator fish and feed primarily on live bait. Fish like perch, bluegill, brim or mud cats are always great baits.

Chicken Livers, Not So Much: If you want to fish with livers then use turkey livers, they catch more fish than chicken livers and are much tougher, so they are much less hassle. Using Shrimp For Catfish Bait: Shrimp can be a good bait for channel catfish. Homemade Catfish Bait Recipes: Many novice catfish anglers spend a lot of time looking for homemade catfish bait recipes and experimenting with making different concoctions. Catfish Bait Enhancers and Additives: These are most often scented sprays that are meant to be used with some form of cut bait.

How to tie and fish with various catfish rigs and tips for success using these riggings to catch cats! Three Way Rig, Overhyped and Overused: It can certainly be used to catch catfish but there are much better catfish rigs to use in many situations.

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The Slip Sinker Rig is the catfish anglers version of a Carolina rig. This is hands down the most popular catfish rig and it catches fish. If you only learn how to tie one catfish rig, the slip sinker rig is the one you need to learn.

The Slip Sinker Rig can be used for all species of catfish and almost every catfishing technique. The Santee Rig or Santee Cooper Rig is a slight variation of the slip sinker rig involving a small foam peg float. Experiment with leader length to get the right setup and let the fish tell you what they want. Slip bobbers or slip floats are very effective for catching catfish, especially smaller 1—10 lb channel catfish.

Slip bobbers allow for quick and easy adjustment based on water depth so you can fish deeper or more shallow as needed. With the right slip bobber you also have a very sensitive catfish rig that provides a visual indicator when a catfish strikes. Ultra Light Channel Catfish Bites: Balloon Rigs For Catfish: Balloon rigs are very effective when you need to cover a lot of water.

Catfish are sophisticated fish and respond to sight, sound, vibration and smell. Use the Versa-Rattle to add sound to any catfish rig and use them for any catfishing technique. Leader Line Is Key: Leader line is used in most catfish rigs and is commonly a heavier line that the main line on the fishing reel. This heavier line used as a leader absorbs shock when a fish strikes and provides additional abrasion resistance to reduce line breaks.

The longer your leader line is the more your catfish bait will move in the water with current and the more fish can move with it without you knowing.

Catfish Like a Pro

You may need to adjust on a regular basis to adapt! Tangle Free Leader Line Storage: Leader line left loose in a tackle box will quickly become a tangled mess. It will stay nice and neat and remain tangle free. How much you need will depend on the catfishing technique your using, wind and current. Tips on different techniques for catfishing and tips for success using these techniques. Some of the many different ways to catch cats!

Tight Lines and Anchor: Drift fishing is a common catfishing technique. This involves casting baits out one side of the boat usually with multiple rods and dragging baits along the bottom while the wind moves the boat. Drift fishing allows you to cover a lot of water and is one of many ways to catch fish. Is similar to drift fishing but rods are commonly run off the back of the boat rather than the side and a trolling motor is used to move the boat instead of allowing the wind to push you.

Controlled drifting is similar in many ways to strolling and the technique that it refers to do can vary based on where you are in the United States. This usually means either the same technique as strolling or using the trolling motor and holding the rods while bouncing baits off the bottom.

Doodlesocking is a technique commonly used for channel catfish. This involves dropping baits in and around rocks and rip rap shorelines to catch spawning channel catfish. This is an incredibly effective technique to use for catching catfish in the summer months. Slip corking for catfish is a term used to describe fishing for catfish with slip bobbers. Splat Fishing is a technique used for catching blue catfish around bird roosts.

There are a number of different species of birds that roost that will hold catfish but cormorants are the most common. Locations, techniques and other various areas. These are the ones that cover how, when and where to catch catfish. Keep A Good Fishing Log: Keep a fishing log every single time you go fishing. Done correctly this will unlock a wealth of information for future success catching catfish. Fish of all species catfish included often move on a daily or even hourly basis.

The terms cover and structure are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same, in fact they are very different. Structure is the physical changes of the water body, such as points, humps, ledges, river channels, drop offs etc. If you drained all of the water from a lake the structure would remain.

Items like docks, fallen trees or timber and vegetation are cover. Cover can be natural or man made. The short answer is all of it or at least most of it based on seasonal movements. Catfish love structure so areas like points, humps and drop offs are favorite areas to catch catfish among many catfish anglers. Dial In The Channel: Catfish love creek and river channels that run across the bottom.

Catfish often follow major tributaries when moving between structure following them to other areas. When searching for fish and scanning new waters look for irregularities in the area. For example if scanning a river channel look for another second tributary, change in structure or isolated cover in the area. Flathead Catfish Like Combinations: Flatheads like combinations of cover and structure with variety of depths in the same general area.

The biggest flathead catfish often prefer the thickest and most complex locations. Water temperature plays a major role in fishing for all species of fish catfish included. Wind oxygenates the water, concentrates plankton and baitfish and in turn helps you find fish! Pay close attention to wind direction.

Catfish Like a Pro by John E. Phillips

Wind moves plankton which is the primary food source for Threadfin and Gizzard shad. When the wind blows in a consistent direction you can use this as a tool to find and catch shad as well as catfish. Wind Patterns and The Catfish Bite: Wind from the West, fish bite the best. Wind from the East, fish bite the least. Wind from the North, do not go forth.

Catfishing Tips: The Ultimate List Of Catfishing Tips

Wind from the South puts bait in their mouth. Winter catfishing is one of our favorites, winter catfish action is excellent! There are many great times of the year for fishing for blue catfish. My personal favorite is late Fall and Winter as well as the Spring. The cooler months are great for catching numbers of blue cats and trophy blues as well.

Spring will produce some trophy blue catfish as well but the numbers of fish are amazing. Again, you can catch channel catfish all year and the best time to catch them may very based on whether you want to catch size or numbers. My personal favorite for catching channel catfish has always been late Spring and through the Summer from pre-spawn to early fall when the water begins to cool.

If you want to catch tons of channel cats and fast paced action that catching channel catfish in the summer is tough to beat! Flathead catfish are generally best from the first sign of warming water until the cold water period sets in with the exception of a short window during the spawn. Savvy catfish anglers know that some of the best catfishing comes during some of the worst weather conditions.

Sometimes not catching fish can be due to weather factors but keep looking because there are fish feeding somewhere. Rapidly Changing Weather Conditions: Major changes in weather can have significant impacts on fish and the way they feed. Shallow water fishing is excellent in the spring for blue catfish as is fall and winter. This will also help you learn how to find fish. The most productive approach to catching fish and what all of the best anglers do is locate fish and target them. Flathead Catfish Require Patience: The best flathead catfish anglers know that having patience is key.

In comes the fifteen minute rule. If you fish an area for fifteen minutes with no bites or activity, move and repeat the process. Never wait for fish to come to you, go to the fish.

See a Problem?

Just tie a new catfish rig and move on! Break Fishing Line, Not Gear: Grab the line a few inches above the reel and pull some slack and then wrap it around the fishing reel back to front three to four times. Once the line is wrapped around the reel pull straight back with the tip of the rod pointing at the snag.

Be cautious of keeping larger catfish brood fish and pulling too many fish from a given body of water. Trophy Catfish Sizes May Vary: Look in another water like the Red River of the North to Captain Brad Durick where he consistently catches channel catfish that exceed 25 pounds and the Texas channel cats fail in comparison.

Regardless of which species of catfish you fish for it takes a long time for catfish to reach trophy sizes. How long depends on a variety of factors and will vary on different bodies of water. Catfish are also often one of the last species of freshwater fish to spawn. When Do Channel Catfish Spawn? Channel catfish spawn when water temperatures are between 75 and 85 degrees with 80 degrees being optimal water temperature.

Channel catfish are cavity spawners and only spawn in dark, secluded and protected areas such as cavities in rocks, logs or undercut banks. This is a great time to catch big numbers of channel catfish using some unique techniques. When Do Flathead Catfish Spawn? Flathead catfish generally spawn when water temperatures are between 75 and 80 degrees. Nest sites will include hollow logs, undercut banks and other cavernous areas that offer protection. When Do Blue Catfish Spawn? Blue catfish spawn when water temperatures are between 70 and 84 degrees which usually occurs in late Spring and Early summer.

Catching blue catfish in a pre spawn or spawning pattern can be very difficult. Trophy catfish conservation increases in popularity every year and for good reason. Conservation minded anglers release catfish that are larger than five to ten pounds as these fish are capable of spawning and will keep the waters populated with catfish as well as provide a trophy fishing opportunity for another angler in the future when released.

If you catch a big catfish then take a quick photograph and release it alive to help protect the sport! Solunar Calendars and Catfish: Solunar calendars are always a topic of debate amongst anglers and sportsman. Again, just like all the other weather patterns, can there be changes to fishing on a full moon or other moon phases?

Should you ever decide whether to fish for catfish because of the moon? No, never, just go fishing. Barometric pressure and the impact it has on fishing is always a topic of great debate. Does barometric pressure affect fishing for catfish, absolutely! Should you make decisions on whether or not you should go catfish fishing based on barometric pressure, absolutely not. Many outdoorsmen and anglers use cows as an indicator for fish and game activity.

The theory is if cows are active, moving and feeding then other fish and game are also. Cows laying down are a good indicator or barometer but unfortunately cows also lay down for other reasons as well. The Bird Is The Word: Birds are a tattletale used by many anglers in both fresh and saltwater fishing. Always pay attention to your surroundings, mother nature will tell you a lot if you pay attention! Chumming and Baiting a Hole For Catfish: Chumming is the act of throwing small amounts of food in the water to attract catfish and fishing soon after you throw the chum in the water.

Baiting a hole for catfish is similar but done repeatedly in the same area over an extended period of time. Baiting a Hole For Catfish: Consider putting chum in burlap sacks or other containers to allow small amounts of chum to enter the water over an extended period of time. You can bait a hole throwing chum or food in the water by hand also and even train catfish to respond to sounds or the process of feeding them.

Keep Count Of Catfish: This makes for an easy way to keep track of the number of fish kept and will keep you out of trouble! Keep your eyes open and watch for signs of food that catfish might hone in on. This can be anything from natural food sources that fall in the water to areas where people regularly throw food, keep an open mind and you might surprise yourself!

Post Cold Front Catfishing: Regardless of time of year massive cold fronts can make for tough fishing but making a few changes to your approach and technique can increase your success and put more catfish on your line. Two things to consider when fishing in post front conditions are to reduce the size of your baits and slow down your fishing. These two simple changes can result in big returns. Night fishing is often a favorite of catfish anglers, especially in the Summer months. Add them to slip bobbers to see activity in the water or tape the light sticks to the tip of your fishing rod to see your rod tip moving at night.

Black Lights and Fishing Line: If you prefer more visibility for night fishing consider using battery powered black lights and high visibility fishing line.