Catching Catfish
A Few Old Time Tricks For Catching Catfish
There are certain rigging methods that are more favorable to the avid cat fisherman, though a couple of them may be a bit trying for the apprentice. Catching catfish can be made simpler by the light of the moon, as these big, tasty carnivores tent to migrate toward the shallow waters and the river banks at night when the hunting is easiest. You can have success catching catfish by day, but you will need to know how to rig your bait so that it falls into the weeds at the waters floor but does not snag. This can be a challenge, and most experts will encourage you to use a smaller hook and larger bait when opting for the daytime fishing experience.
The most common and alluring baits for catching catfish will most often be dead, as this helps to set the catfish’s most keen sense, his smelling power. This sense is responsible for over 80% of his hunting tactic, and you should play this to your advantage. Some experts swear by frozen shrimp from the grocery store, thawed and peeled and then thread from tail to head on a small hook. You may also use chicken liver, and this is another favorite for the professionals and the avid cat fisherman. Blood worms are also great for catching catfish. These baits are most efficient when weighted, and you can do this by threading a weight onto your fishing line.
Because catfish hide at the dark, cool, weedy areas during the daytime hours, as mentioned, you will basically need to put your feed right in front of his face in order to get him interested. He won’t be in the mood for sport or for chasing things around, so you’re basically looking to serve him and hope that he bites. This is why chumming is such a useful tool form catching catfish. Chumming is the act of fortifying your preferred fishing waters with a rich formula in order to draw more fish to the area. If you pan on fishing that evening, and you know that you plan to fish using chicken liver, you would finely grind a paste of chicken liver and flour, maybe a bit of catfish paste mixed in for extra odor, and sprinkle it liberally into the water that morning.
You don’t need to worry about spending too much money of fancy poles or tackle if you are a beginner or intermediate cat fisherman, just be sure that your rod, line, and hook are trusty and strong. Your hook needs to be extra sharp, as the catfish is strong and his mouth quite tough, and you will need to set your hook hard and deep in order to land him.