Tag: channel catfish’
Catfish Bait: A66 Special Report On How To Fish For Catfish At Paylakes! And Info On Blue Catfish Click Here!
- by Rober
Click Here To See Old School Catfish Fishing Secrets From 12 Backcountry Catfishing Masters!
There are many anglers who would jump at the chance to catch a trophy catfish but do not have the know how or resources to do so. Pay lakes can solve that issue. Many time these anglers do not have boats or the fishing savvy to hunt for the big catfish in the wild. But many of these anglers never catch a trophy cat because they don’t position themselves correctly to catch these large catfish at these pay lake pounds.
To catch trophy blue catfish, channel catfish, and flathead catfish at pay lakes there’s a few tips and techniques you need to know to be successful. Many times if a pay to fish area has multiple ponds, the pond with the trophy catfish will be separate from the other ponds. Also if there are multiple ponds. chances are one will be stocked with channel catfish in the 1 ½ to 3 lb range specifically for table fare or for the novice fisherman.
Just like in the wild blue catfish , channel catfish , and flathead catfish will relate to structure that is located in the pond. If any where in the pond there is are known submerged debris or tree trunks the big catfish will be close by. Also, if you do not want to compete with other fisherman fish your local pay lakes at night. Get to your local pay lake before dark so you can pick the right spot to catch your trophy catfish. If you can find a submerged stump close to shore that is great because big flathead catfish, channel catfish, and blue catfish cruise the shore lines at night.
There are questions you need to ask the pay lake proprietor before spending your money. First ask to see a list of the types of fish and their weights that are stocked in the ponds. Next if there are multiple ponds get specifics on which pond or ponds hold the trophy catfish. Next ask how deep the ponds are Just a note, the deeper the pond the better. If the pond has a deep hole ask specifically where it is located. Also ask where known submerged structure is located.
The ideal spot to set up for your bait fishing catfish trip in a paylake is 6 to 8ft deep flats near to the deep water. Also find areas with submerged rock and wood cover that are adjacent to the shallower flats and ledges.. Normally the big catfish in pay lakes will be close to lots of cover and the deep water.
The best catfish baits for pay lakes are natural bait fish such as goldfish, creek chubs, and shiners. The ideal size for these baits are 3 to 4 inches in length. If you are targeting large catfish such as blue catfish , channel catfish or flathead catfish in pay lakes you need to have heavy tackle too match your prey. A surf rod 7 to 8ft in length , medium power and either a bait casting or open face reel designed to be spooled with 25lb to 50lb test line. My preference in line type is a fireline.
A catfish fishing rig for a pay lake is a good hardy large slip bobber rig. To make a slip bobber rig slide the bobber stop up the line firs. Next slide your 6” to 8” long slip bobber up the line first. If you are night fishing I recommend you get one with a small battery powered led light on top. This will help see your bobber at night. Next tie on a two way ball bearing swivel to the line. And last tie a 6 to 8” leader with a 6/0 to 7/0 hook. The large hooks are important . Next either fish your catfish bait live by hooking right through or just behind the dorsal fin. Or if you are fishing dead cut bait, cut your bait fish into large chunks and put them on your hook . Make sure the barb of the hook is exposed.
We hope the information here has bin helpful about about Pay Lakes. Have a great day!
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Catfish Bait: A73 Key Fishing Information Catfish Structure & Edge Effects! And Catfish Fishing Details Here!
- by Rober
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To move past the basics of fishing for channel catfish, and blue catfish you need to understand good catfish structure, and realize what edge effects are and what they do. You can be an expert at creating catfish baits but if you can’t find the channel catfish with any consistency you are just going to be hit and miss on whether you have a good catch of channel catfish. Understanding channel catfish, and blue catfish location is a key component of moving past the basics of fishing for catfish.
The definition of what is know as the “edge effect” is as follows: “The increased concentration of animals that sometimes appear when to habitats meet” Lets take this definition and relate it to fishing for channel catfish and blue catfish. Edges are very important to catfish fishing because both channel catfish, blue catfish will concentrate at certain edge lines within known catfish structure areas. If you can learn to read edge line you can save yourself a lot of time when you are on the water. Lets take for example you locate you are out fishing on a large reservoir and you locate a large school of gizzard shad but when you cast into the school you get nothing. Then you decide to move farther back from the school and just fish the edges. Wham! You get a hit and catch a 15lb blue catfish! Guess what you just used the edge effect!
The face of fishing structure for channel catfish , and blue catfish and flathead catfish has changed considerably in recent years. The this day and age you need more then just identifying where catfish structure is located. You need to understand where within that structure will the catfish be holding, and feeding. You still have to identify physical bottom changes, bottom debris locations and humps and depth changes but you also need to understand seasonal migrations and where and when channel catfish and blue catfish will be holding there. If you can get a good grasp of this concept you will be well on your way to being a very successful catfish angler.
Well that concludes my article about Catfish Anglers. Have a great day!
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Old School Catfish Fishing Family Secrets
Bait Fish: A70 Catching Catfish In Shallow Lakes And Reservoirs Details Here! And Info On Three Way Swivel Rig Click Here!
- by Rober
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Shallow lakes and reservoirs often have featureless basins and shallow shorelines. You can catch channel catfish by drift fishing the large basins using cut baits such as gizzard shad, creek chubs, and shiners as you catfish bait selection. A good bait fishing catfish rig for drift fishing would be a three way swivel rig. Use a sinker large enough to stay on the bottom and a 5/0 to 7/0 hook.
To fish shallow reservoirs and lakes at night head to the shallow shorelines because bait fish will concentrate at night there. If you are fishing in a boat locate edge lines where soft pan bottom turns into sand or rock. Drop anchor here and cast your catfish bait towards the shore line. You can also attract channel catfish to your area by dropping a underwater fishing light and chumming the area. You can catch channel catfish while your bait fishing with a simple slip bobber rig, or by fishing tight line.
Cover edges in shallow water are also excellent areas to catch channel catfish because the channel cats are attracted to abundant numbers of bait fish such as shad , minnows moving in and out of the cover. They are also attracted to shallow flat areas adjacent to cover that are sandy and have a good population of mussels. These areas are extremely good under winding conditions. Use bait fish such as gizzard shad cut into pieces for your catfish bait. Or if you find a adjacent flat that has a population of mussels use the mussels as bait. You can also use soiled mussels by extracting the mussel meat and let it soak in sour milk for about two day prior to your fishing trip. Just a note, channel catfish love mussels so do not overlook them as a catfish bait.
If you are going to target roaming channel catfish on large featureless flats, try to fish with a three way swivel rig fishing rig, while drift fishing because your catfish bait will be suspended slightly off the bottom. Use live bait such as creek chubs or shiners, or cut bait such as gizzard shad as your catfish bait selection. Make sure your sinker selection is large enough that it constantly bumps bottom as you are drifting. To locate a good drift fishing starting point on these flats look for a slight look for points that have a slight depth change.
I want to thank you for reading my article about Catfish Bait Selection. Have a great day and the the best of luck to you on your next fishing trip
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Catfish Bait : A71 Old Master Special Search For The Trophy Channel Catfish! And Info On Shad Click Here!
- by Rober
Click Here To See Old School Catfish Fishing Secrets From 12 Backcountry Catfishing Masters!
Trophy channel catfish over the size of 10lbs are considered rare and quite a catch. Amazingly some the most impressive monsters have come from the red river of the north in the Manitoba Canada basin. If your thinking logically you would think the largest giants of the channel catfish species would come from the southern region of the channel cat’s habitat, but that is not so. Habitat location doesn’t seem to make a difference when we talk about these trophy catfish specimens. It absolutely amazing that a 58lb channel catfish holds the world record. The monster of a channel catfish was caught in 1964 by W.B. Whaley. His catch was well documented and never has been discredited. Now this fish did come from a reservoir called Lake Marion in South Carolina, but no large monsters even close to this size have been caught since.
If you are wondering why this fish grew so big we can speculate that three factors drove it’s growth, but this only pure speculation. During the late 1950’s and into the 1960’s there was serious flooding of river delta system in this area. This generated a very unusual growth and population of forage fish such as shad and skip jack herring that migrated into Lake Marion. This fish had an over abundance of food to eat for many years.. Also there was no competition from flat head catfish or blue catfish at that time. Since then both have been introduced to the area, and no monster channel catfish of even close to this size have been caught since. That is factor number two, competition for the food source from other game fish.
Normally channel catfish have a internal growth mechanism built into their metabolism that determines how large they will grow. Prime natural habitat for channel catfish would be in small to medium rivers that have a overabundance of bait fish and where they had very little competition from other predators such as blue catfish and flathead catfish, and other large game fish. Normally in theory ,if these habitat conditions are present no mater where the location is within the channel catfish’s habitat range there’s a good chance that very large channel catfish will be caught.
For example I live by a very large shallow lake in ohio that has had an over abundance of gizzard shad for years. The lake is exceptional for channel catfish and catches over 4lbs are a very common occurrence. Although they are uncommon there are catches of trophy size channel catfish over 10lbs every year. I personally have caught five 10lb plus catfish using various catfish baits and catfish live bait rigs. from this lake. My biggest be 12lbs + caught just this year in august. This lake is 10 miles long and 2 miles wide and there is an amazing amount of cover. It is fed by two creeks. There are no blue catfish in this lake and a very small population of flathead catfish. So there is little competition for the shad. They did however introduce walleye into the lake about 8 years ago so the verdict is out on what it will do to the growth of very large channel catfish. But I know in my gut there is a channel cat out there in the 20 to 30lb range. One of these days I will catch one of these monsters using my special catfish baits.
I want to thank you for reading my article about Gizzard Shad . We wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip!
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Bait Fishing: A68 How To Catch Catfish On Lakes! And Info On Eutrophic Lakes Click Here To Visit Our Website Today!
- by Rober
Old School Catfish Fishing Family Secrets
Typically catfish thrive in food rich and fertile waters such as in eutrophic lakes that are not in their final stages of eutrophication. You can use the following lake aging process as a guideline to find productive channel catfish, blue catfish,and flathead catfish waters to go bait fishing in.
Oligotrophic Lakes: (stable young, infertile coldwater)
During the early stages of eutrophication there are no catfish present.During the midstage of eutrophication there are no catfish present. During the late stage of eutrophication there are no catfish present.
Mesotrophic Lakes: (mid-stage water changing from cold to warmer)
During the early stages of eutrophication there are no catfish present.During the midstage of eutrophication there could be some stocked channel catfish present.During the late stage of eutrophication channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish start to thrive.
Eutrophic Lakes: (Late stage lakes have changed to warm water )
During the early stages of eutrophication ideal for channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish to thrive. During the midstage of eutrophication channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish are still thriving. During the late stage of eutrophication channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish could still thrive under certain conditions.
From the chart above you can eliminate a lot of of fishing waters if you are targeting just channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. Catfish will thrive in mesotrophic lakes in their final stages of their aging process and eutrophic lakes in all stages of aging. The main reason catfish thrive in mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes is because of the much warmer water temperatures. All catfish need water temperatures of 75 degrees to spawn and the water in oligotrophic lakes all aging stages, and mesotrophic lakes in the early stages of the aging process have water temperatures way below what is needed for catfish to thrive and reproduce.
Also there is a abundance of bait fish and vegetation in mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes both needed to fuel the metabolism of channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. You can use this information to your advantage when you are going to go bait fishing for catfish. Once you have identified what type of lakes are going to be productive for catfish you can concentrate on there locations and what catfish bait types to use at during the different seasons of the year.
I have had a great time writing this article we hope you enjoyed our information about Catfish Bait. We wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip!
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Bait fishing: A69 Old Master Special On Channel Catfish In The Spring,Summer,And Fall ! And Info On Catfish Bait Click Here!
- by Rober
Click Here To See Old School Catfish Fishing Secrets From 12 Backcountry Catfishing Masters!
Channel cats are the most studied species of catfish, but compared to other game fish studies the amount of data available is minimal. Most of the data that is available about channel catfish’s seasonal movement is based on just a few rivers, lakes and reservoirs that have been watched closely.
The length of daylight is the key factor that triggers the seasonal movements of catfish thoughout their habitat. Some species such as the channel catfish are effected more then other species such as the blue catfish and flat head catfish. Actually the length of day effects small organisms and all animals up the food chain to include game fish. The intensity and length of light effects drives the yearly migration and spawning and feeding patterns of channel catfish, blue catfish, and flat head catfish. If you can learn these patterns you will enjoy more productive channel catfish bait fishing trips on a regular basis.
The channel catfish’s movements can be analyzed by using a very good the catfish calendar that the In – Fisherman developed. This calendar can be obtained by purchasing their book In – Fisherman Critical Concepts. Basically the calendar divides North America into the Southern range, The Midrange, and the Northern Range. The calendar has ten periods which include catfish pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn, pre-summer, summer peak, summer, post-summer, fall turnover, coldwater, winter. Each of these periods is posted on the calendar through all months of the yearin all ranges, so you can predict where catfish will be and what kind of catfish bait you can use in your local area. Or if you are planning a trip to catch a mess of catfish out of state you can use the calendar to pick the best time of year.
The winter period includes the coldwater and winter periods. This period is classified as long periods of time that the water temperature is below the normal range for catfish. Channel catfish will continue to feed during this period but they won’t be as active when compared to other times of the year. If you plan on going bait fishing to catch some channel catfish at this time of your look for deep water holes that is where they will be holding for the winter. Temperature ranges in the winter average from 32 degrees to 39 degrees in Manitoba to 40 degrees to 50 degrees in Florida.
The spring coldwater period arrives right after ice-out in the north and when the water temperatures in the south start to rise. Channel catfish will still be located in deep holes. Unlike walleyes, pike, and sauger, who move quickly into their spawning period, channel catfish, blue catfish, and flat head catfish do not spawn for tow three more months away when water temperatures rise to 75 degrees. When water temperatures rise above 50 degrees channel catfish, blue catfish and flathead catfish will begin to move out of there deep holes looking for the years winter fish kill. This is an ideal time to use gizzard shad and skip jack herring as your catfish bait. All catfish species will be aggressively eating the deed fish kill, even the flat head catfish who normally feeds primarily on live bait fish, such as bluegill, perch, and other catfish and forage fish.
The pre-spawn period is when the channel catfish will start it’s migration to smaller rivers, and tributaries to look for food and to find good spawning areas. In lakes or reservoirs this migration may be to the mouth of any incoming creeks or rivers into the lake or reservoir. This time of you’re a good catfish bait would fresh mussels and large live creek chubs and large shiners. The main difference between the pre-spawn and early spring period is that the channel catfish’s metabolism is increasing and they are becoming more active so they are aggressively looking for catfish bait.
As the water temperatures rise to 75 degrees catfish such as the channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish enter the spawning period. Channel catfish will spawn for over a month so bait fishing efforts will not be effected. Channel catfish are extremely active and aggressive during the spawning period. A good catfish bait would be cut baits such as gizzard shad, soured mussels, or creek chubs.
The settling period includes the post spawn and the pre-summer periods when water temperatures rise to about 80 degrees and above. The channel catfish has the same activity level and feeding patterns during the summer as they do during the spawn period and your bait fishing methods and catfish bait can remain the same. As the water levels start to drop the channel catfish will start their move to deep water areas down stream or deeper areas on a lake or reservoir. They will still feed aggressively during the night hours in shallows but move deeper during the daylight hours.
The summer period which includes summer peak , summer and post summer periods occurs when the water temperatures rise to 80 degrees and above. The summer period includes much of July, August, and September. Summer is the prime time to fish for channel catfish because they are predicable and actively feeding. You can continue to catch channel catfish while bait fishing using cut bait for your catfish bait selection. Some common bait fish to use for cut bait are gizzard shad , skipjack herring, shiners and creek chubs.
As the cooling period starts channel catfish and blue catfish will head for deeper holes in rivers and lakes. And will be less active as the whole cycle of life starts over again.
Well that concludes my article about Catching Catfish. We wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip!
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Bait Fishing : A65 Channel Catfish Fever! Catch It Today! And Info On Bait Fish Visit Our Website For Details!
- by Rober
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North America’s channel catfish habitat range has skyrocketed to a point that every state in the lower 48 now has a healthy population of channel catfish. If you you are new to catfishing and you want to try your luck at bat fishing then targeting channel catfish is a excellent way to start. Or if you are a experienced cat fishing person there are many trophy channel over 25 lbs to be caught.
Currently there are over 8,000,000 catfish anglers in the untied states probably do to the fantastic job of stocking and regulating the channel catfish population the individual state departments of wildlife have done over the years. And because of their great efforts, of the 8,000,0000 catfish anglers the majority of them target the channel catfish. The channel catfish is pursued mainly because the easy accessibility the majority of these populations, and because they are excellent table fare. Fishing for channel catfish cat be done from the banks just as easily as from fishing from a boat. Fishing from a boat just gives you more opportunity to cover more catfish waters. These fish are also tenacious fighters once on your hook and line. They will fight you to the very last reel in. What is also amazing is channel catfish are easy to set up and go bait fishing for.
There are an abundance of channel catfish that are in the 1 ½ to 3 lb range that you can have a great time catching either from a boat or from the shore. If you are targeting large channel catfish it takes some skill and experience to catch these fish but with experience these fish too can be caught.
To set up to catch channel catfish is quite simple. If you are fishing from a boat get a medium power spin cast or bait casting rod and either a matching bait casting reel, or spin casting reel (open face reel) designed to be spooled with 15 to 30lb test line. My preference is fire line because you can spool double the amount of line you could with monofilament line because of it braided design is the ½ the diameter of monofilament line. Next make a simple slip sinker rig that works great for bait fishing for catfish. To make a slip sinker start by sliding a ½ to ounce egg sinker up the line. Next tie a two way swivel onto the line. The step is tie a 12” to 24” leader with a 5/0 to 6/0 hook onto the open eye of the two way swivel. For catfish bait I suggest two choices, of creek chubs cut into 2” chunks, or gizzard shad cut into 2 to 3” in strips or chunks. Now your ready to catfishing!
I want to thank you for reading my article about Bait Fish. Have a great day and the the best of luck to you on your next fishing trip
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Bait Fish: A67 How To Classifying Catfish Waters! And Info On Bait Fish Click Here!
- by Rober
Click Here To See Old School Catfish Fishing Secrets From 12 Backcountry Catfishing Masters!
The process of classifying catfish lakes is no exact sceince but general guidelines are used to help you locate such catfish types like channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish at different seasons of the year. The classifying process is not an exact science because there is not a lot of scientific data that has been collected about catfish like other game fish species. Fortunately there is some data that has be collected about the channel catfish, and we will use some of that history as reference for our article today. Our article today will focus on the different types of catfish lakes.
To classify catfish waters is a three part process. When you classify catfish waters for bait fishing you compare the type of lake, structure, the lakes location, and seasonal movements of a particular species of catfish such as channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. If this sounds like a bit of work it is. To be a very good catfish angler it does take a bit of practice and trial and error just like any other sport. For example your best pro athletes spend hours in the weight room and with conditioning to get ready for the next season. The ones that prepare the best perform the best, it’s no different with fishing for catfish, or any other fish species for that mater.
Before we start on the different lake classifications lets talk briefly about the idea water temperatures for channel catfish, blue catfish and flat head catfish. This information is vital when you are preparing to identify ideal bait fishing for catfish waters. The ideal temperature range for all catfish is between 75degrees to 80 degrees. When the water temperature rises to 75degree all catfish will start their spawning. This will occurs at different times, depending where the catfish waters are located. Typical spawning periods for Florida are the months, of April, May and June. The catfish spawning times for Alabama and Georgia are May and June. In Texas and Oklahoma catfish spawn between May and June. In Kentucky and Tennessee the spawn will happen between June and July. In Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa The spawn of catfish will occur in June and July. In Ohio The cats will spawn over a three month period between July to early August. In Minnesota and Wisconsin you can expect the spawn to be between July to early August also. Manitoba Canada will have a spawn of catfish between July and August.
The following information about the types of catfish lakes is to be used as a guide only so you can classify your local cat fish hole and lakes around you. There are no two lakes that are exactly alike but fortunately lakes do fall into three basic categories which are oligotrophic (young lakes), mesotrophic (middle aged lakes), and eutrophic (old lakes). Some lakes such as oligotrophic lakes will not hold any catfish and can be eliminated them from you catfish lake classification list. Understanding the idea temperature range for catfish is a key factor when you start to learn the catfish water classification for bait fishing. All baseline data will be developed based on knowing this information first. Catfish will react differently when the water temperature moves below or above their ideal temperature and you will be predicting their movements and feeding patterns based on this information.
To classify a lake into one of the three lake classifications listed in the last paragraph there are some specific factors you need to consider such as how many game fish there are compared to the number of bait fish, the amount and type of aquatic vegetation, and other critical structure habitat factors. This information will be used in combination of seasonal movements to determine where catfish will be located and what type of catfish bait to use when you go bait fishing for your particular species of catfish.
Well that concludes my article about Flathead Catfish. We wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip!
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Bait Fishing: A63 Old Master Special Fish For Catfish In Rivers! And Info On Cutbait Details Here!
- by Rober
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You might be surprised there may be 30lb blue catfish or channel catfish or even a flathead monster in a river very close to you. There are parts of small rivers and large rivers that change on the way riffles, holes, and runs always align them selves within the river systems. The key is being able to recognize a riffle because a hole follows down stream, and a run always follows a hole down stream. This pattern is never out of order in any river system. This seems simple but all three of these river elements change in size, in shape all along the river. Also what was identified this year as a good hole may or may not be there next year.
Once you start to recognize this distinct pattern on small or large rivers you can start to identify good holes that may hold populations of blue catfish and channel catfish and your bait fishing efforts will start to be rewarded with good catches of catfish.
Riffles will extend down river and will be shallow and have a hard bottom. The rushing water over these shallow riffles and the rushing water flow will then cut the softer sand and soil creating a hole. Holes are also called a river pools and blue catfish and channel catfish will hold here. Just a note all holes are not created equal. Some holes will only be 2 or 3 feet and may not hold any catfish. Blue catfish and channel catfish will normally hold in the largest and deepest holes. Runs are river flats that begin at the tail out of holes down stream. Many times silt and any debris starts a run by sinking to the bottom of holes. Runs make up the majority of the terrain in the rivers. Eventually runs meet a riffle and another hole will be created down stream of the riffle and potentially more catfish bait fishing opportunities.
Catfish are seasonal and will move to different sections of a river as the seasons change. But how far they move depends on the species of catfish. For example channel catfish may move into small tributaries far removed from the main river, but flathead catfish may only move one tributary away. Blue catfish will seldom move away from the main river and you will only find a very few in tributaries away from the main river. They just very seldom ever move from the deep water of the main river.
One very effective river catfish fishing rig is a slip bobber rig.Slip bobber rigs are great for drifting over catfish holes downstream to find holding catfish. To make a slip bobber rig slide a bobber stop up your line. Next slide a slip bobber on the line. Next slide a small egg sinker up the line, then tie on a two way swivel. Then tie on a 8” leader with a 3/0 to 5/0 hook. Your cutbait type will depend on the type of forage fish are native to the river. For example if creek chubs are plentiful then you definitely would want to be bait fishing with them either as a cut bait or live bait, either would work as your catfish bait selection.
We hope the information here has bin helpful about about River Hole. Have a great day!
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Catfish Fishing Rigs: A62 Old Master Special Pick The Right Cutbait & Tackle! And Info On Catifish Bait Details Here!
- by Rober
Old School Catfish Fishing Family Secrets
Catfish have a very tuned sensory system that allows them to taste catfish bait from sometimes 15ft away. They can smell and taste very small concentrations of your catfish bait when it dissolves in the water and can detect them from some distances away. This is definitely an advantage on any waters where there is a current because the smell and taste drift down stream. It is also a distinct advantage in murky waters where sight is impaired. There are many catfish anglers who prefer prepared baits, and there are many fishing situations where they do work very well but our article today will only concentrate on natural catfish baits.
You can catch catfish with cut bait in rivers ,lakes, ponds and reservoirs because catfish like channel catfish and blue catfish feed off of dead as part of their normal diet. Also cut baits work well because they immediately release small particles into the water and create a smell and taste trail for any blue catfish or channel catfish in the area. During the summer flat head catfish will normally only feed on live bait that is near their area such as shad, yellow perch, pan fish and other forage fish in the area, but during the pre-spawn time right after ice out they will feed aggressively on dead catfish bait such as cut bait chucks. An excellent cutbait for blue catfish and channel catfish are oily forage fish such as skipjack herring, and gizzard shad. Mussels also make an excellent catfish bait fresh or seasoned in sour milk for a few days.
There are some basic cut bait fishing rigs that work well for different fishing situations. The types of catfish rigs we will mention are quick hit rigs, three way swivel fishing rigs, a basic slip sinker rig, modified slip sinker rig, and a basic slip bobber fishing rig.
One of the favorite fishing rigs that is used to catch flat head catfish and blue catfish is called the quick hit fishing rig. To make a quick hit rig you will need two number 2 to 1/0 treble hooks, a three way swivel, and a bell sinker large enough to keep your live bait close to the bottom In shallow water areas a ½ ounce will usually work but if you are fishing for blue catfish in current or trying to anchor your catfish bait for flathead catfish you will need much larger bell sinkers typically from 3 ounces to 8 ounces. The size you select will be determined by how large your bait is and how strong the current is.
First tie on the three way swivel to your main fishing line, then tie on a 6 to 24 inch dropper that has your bell sinker attached. Then tie on the quick hit rig to the last open eye on the three way swivel.
To make your quick hit fishing rig tie the lead treble hook on to a 12 to 30 inch leader using aimproved clinch knot. Next, tie the second treble hook about 4” away from the lead treble hook using a snell or uni-knot. You will want to use a gizzard shad for your catfish bait in the 8 inch to 10 inch size range. Insert just one of the hooks of the lead treble right behind the shad’s head in the upper flesh area. Next insert just one of the hooks of the lead treble behind the dorsal fin in the top flesh area.
To make a standard three way swivel rig first tie your three way swivel to the main line. Next tie your dropper to one of the open leads of the three way swivel. The dropper rig should have a bell sinker ½ ounce for shallow water or 3 ounces to 8 ounces if you are using large size catfish baits foe blue catfish and channel catfish. The leader should be 6 to 24 inches long with a 5/0 to 7/0 hook.
To make a basic slip sinker rig slide an egg sinker on your line then tie on a 5/0 to 7/0 hook. Then clamp on a split shot sinker up the line 6 to 24 inches from the hook. This type of slip sinker fishing rig tend to hang up quite often and many fisherman use the modified slip sinker rig instead, because of this reason.
To make a modified slip sinker fishing rig slide a ½ to 4ounce bell sinker up the line. Next tie on a two way swivel. The tie on a 6 to 24 inch leader with a 5/0 to 7/0 hook.
I have had a great time writing this article we hope you enjoyed our information about Blue Catfish. Have a great day and the the best of luck to you on your next fishing trip
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