Catfish are among the biggest fish in the US. The biggest catfish caught in the US is a 143 pound blue catfish. You may or may not be going after a world record, but they can still be a ton of fun to catch. Catfish are powerful and will definitely pull some drag, so hang on to that rod! Learn how to catch catfish and see what it’s like to reel in a monster!
Another great thing about going after catfish, is that it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to get started. You don’t need a super high-end rod and reel to catch catfish. But what will help the most is choosing the right bait, hooks, line and location.
The first step in choosing the right gear and location is to know which type of catfish you are targeting. There are many species of catfish around the world and they all have their own behaviors. Knowing these species is an important place to start.
Four Types Of Catfish
As I said above, there are many species of catfish. They range from the giant Mekong Catfish, to the tiny Glass Catfish kept in aquariums.
But as far as fishing in the US goes, the most common catfish to catch are Bullhead catfish, Channel catfish, Flathead catfish, and Blue catfish.
Bullhead Catfish
Bullheads are quite a bit smaller than channels, flatheads and blues, but when you find a good bullhead spot, they make up in numbers what they lack in size.
Bullheads are usually brown in color with a yellowish belly. They average in length around 8-12 inches long. They can be differentiated from channel catfish by their colors and non-forked tail.
These small catfish are mainly scavengers. They’ll eat whatever smells good to them and fits in their mouth. I have had the most success catching bullheads with a worm on a simple sliding sinker rig.
Be careful when handling bullheads. Like other catfish they have a sharp spine in their pectoral fins as well as their dorsal fin. If you get stabbed. be sure to wash the wound well with soap and water.
All catfish have these spines, but the smaller the catfish, the sharper the spines.
Channel Catfish
Channel catfish are a good step up from bullheads. They can grow much larger in size, but can still be caught in decent numbers. They are also commonly stocked in lakes and small community ponds.
Channel cats are much lighter in color than bullheads or flatheads, and they have a forked tail. They have a bluish-grey back with a white belly. Smaller channel cats will also have black spots along their sides, but these spots go away as they mature.
Similar to bullheads, channel catfish will swim around looking for their food. They are more willing to scavenge for their food than flatheads or blues, and so stink baits like chicken liver or rotting chicken work well to draw them in.
Flathead Catfish
Flatheads are known for being a more difficult fish to catch. They prefer catching their food live. And they do most of their hunting by night. But lay that aside and these fish are some serious fighters. Plus, they can grow to a pretty big size.
Flatheads look almost like a giant version of the bullhead. They are brownish-green in color with a lighter belly and a non-forked tail. The differences are flatheads grow to be much bigger and they have a slight under-bite. Flatheads also have a flat head…
During the day, Flatheads generally find cover to rest and ambush food as it swims by. This makes fishing for them a little more difficult. Your best chance for flatheads is to fish at night when they move into the shallows to hunt bluegill, shad and other bait fish.
Flatheads are much more picky than bullheads or channel cats. They want to catch their food live. As bait, you should use live bait fish that are found in the same body of water and fish at night.
If you want to fish for flatheads during the day, it is very possible, but you’ll have to get your bait right in front of their face. Unless you know right where the fish is, then your best bet is to use live bait under a bobber, and allow it to drift around in the wind, or if you’re in a river with a boat, you can drop your live bait straight over the side with a sinker and drift down stream with your bait just off the bottom.
Some people will use lures for flatheads because you can cover a lot of water, and hopefully drag your lure in front of one.
Blue Catfish
Blue catfish are the biggest of the four catfish we’ve talked about here. The record catfish for the US was a blue catfish weighing in at 143 pounds. It was caught in 2011 in Buggs Island Lake, Virginia.
Blue catfish are more similar in looks to channel cats rather than bullheads or flatheads. They have a bluish back with a lighter belly. They also have a forked tail similar to a channel catfish. The main difference is size. But when you catch a big channel cat, it can be difficult to tell the difference.
This photo from Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, http://fw.ky.gov/Fish/PublishingImages/GR4G01.JPG shows from top to bottom a channel cat, blue cat, and a flathead. You can see the different head shapes pretty clearly, especially between the channel cat and the blue cat.
Blue cats aren’t quite as picky as flatheads when it comes to live bait. A lot of anglers will use big chunks of cut up bait fish, and drag those behind a boat. Blue catfish are generally caught in deeper water, but will come up shallow in the spring. The best bait will always be the fish found in the local water. This could be bluegill, but softer bait fish like shad work best.
Catch Catfish Step By Step
Sure you can grab a rod and some worms and head to the lake… but if you want a better chance at success, go for the tactical approach. Take these steps to make sure you are doing everything you can.
Step 1: Find Out What Catfish are in Your Area
As you know, each species of catfish has different behaviors. Start by asking around both online or to your friends or local tackle shops. Ask what catfish are in your area, what they recommend as bait, and where a good place to get started would be. But be nice and don’t expect them to give away all their secrets.
I currently live just outside of Phoenix Arizona. If I search online I see that a lot of the community ponds and nearby lakes are stocked regularly with channel catfish. I also see that there are flatheads and channel cats in the canals.
Currently, my interest is in fishing nearby ponds to catch channel catfish, so I now have a list of ponds that are being stocked this week with catfish.
I also know that the catfish they stock here aren’t huge… maybe 3-5 pounds.
With this information I can decide what size rod, line and hook to use, as well as a number of baits that could work.
Step 2: Choose Your Rod and Reel
Rod selection is less about the size of fish you are catching, and more about the size of weight you are throwing and how far you need to throw it.
If you want the full guide then check out this article about choosing the best catfish rod and reel for you
And the good news is money isn’t everything when it comes to choosing a catfish rod. Cheaper, less sensitive rods can work great, and some people may even argue that they are the best choice to catch catfish.
There are a few things to pay attention to when choosing the right rod. Here they are…
Length
Longer rods generally cast farther than shorter rods. If you are fishing from the bank, there will be times that a longer cast to deeper water will get you into more fish. Opt for the longer rod if you’ll be fishing catfish from the bank. 7 to 10 feet is a good range.
If you are fishing from a boat then you can get away with a shorter rod around the 6 foot range. Shorter rods are easier to transport, and you generally don’t need so much casting distance, as you can put your boat wherever you need it.
Action
Moderate action rods are great for catfish. The long bend in the rod will help to keep fish on the hook. Some cat fishermen also argue that if your rod is too stiff and sensitive then catfish will feel the rod pulling back and spit out the bait before you get a chance to hook them.
Power
The power of the rod is talking about how much weight that rod is designed to throw. This is where you need to take into consideration what type of water you are going to be fishing.
If you are planning to fish rivers, then you will need to use heavier weights to hold your bait down while the current is trying to wash it away. The stronger the current, the heavier the weight.
Every river is different, so if you aren’t sure how much weight you’ll need, the best thing to do is go to your local tackle shop and ask them. Let them know where you plan to fish and what type of fish you are going after and they can give you all kinds of tips specific to your river.
If you are fishing lakes and ponds, then you don’t need nearly as much weight.
The lure weight rating should be written on the rod. For lakes and ponds you’ll generally be throwing weights anywhere from 1/2 oz to 3 oz. And for rivers it really depends on a lot of factors but somewhere in the range of 2 oz up to 10 oz.
Again, check with your local tackle shop if you aren’t sure what you need for your local river.
Reel
You have two main types of reels you can choose from to catch catfish… a casting reel or a spinning reel. Either option works fine for catfish. A casting reel takes a little more time and patience to learn. If you are just getting into fishing then I recommend getting a spinning reel.
The key thing to pay attention to is if the reel has instant anti-reverse. If you can turn the reel handle backwards at all before it locks, then I don’t recommend it. Your hook sets won’t be as powerful, and it’s annoying to have your reel fighting against you when you’re bringing in a fish.
Another thing to look for in a reel is a smooth drag. A smooth drag will help you to keep the perfect tension on your fish as you reel it in.
As far as size goes, get one that can handle the size line you will put on it.
Step 3: Choose Your line
There is a lot of information and opinions about what fishing line to use to catch catfish. I’m going to keep it simple here.
The three main options for line are mono-filament, fluorocarbon, and braid. Most catfishermen narrow it down to mono or braid.
Mono is stretchy which can help keep fish on the hook. It’s also more abrasion resistant than braid. But it is thicker and has memory which leaves it curly as it comes off the reel and doesn’t allow it to cast as far as braid.
Braid is super strong for how thin it is. It has zero memory and casts smooth and far. It has very little stretch so you can feel the nibbles of the fish sooner. The downside is that it’s two to three times the price of mono.
One situation where braid is the clear choice is when you are fishing in current. The thinner diameter of braid cuts through the current and so you don’t have to use as much weight to keep your bait in place. Plus you will have more direct contact with your bait so you can detect bites more easily.
When using braid you should still use a mono leader. This gives you what’s called a bumper, allowing some stretch while fighting a fish. This stretch helps you keep the fish on the hook.
As far as strength you can use anywhere from 20 to 100 pound test for braid. And around 20 pound test for mono depending on the size of your target fish.
Step 4: Get Good Hooks
Hooks and bait are probably the two most important aspects to catching catfish. Having a properly sized, shaped, and sharpened hook is going to greatly increase the number of fish you catch.
Check out this article on catfish hooks for more in depth information.
Size
Catfish have a thick jaw bone and you need a hook big enough to get around that. You should err on the big side. To catch smaller catfish up to around 5 pounds, use 3/0 or 4/0 hooks.
Gradually increase hook size for bigger fish. It’s important to use bigger hooks with bigger baits so that there is plenty of hook point showing.
When using big baits and fishing for big cats you may go up to a size 10/0 or 12/0 hook.
If you are fishing for bullheads, just use a size 8 or 10 bait holder hook.
Shape
There are tons of different hook shapes out there and new ones pop up all the time. The common and basic hook shapes to catch catfish are circle hooks, shiner hooks and J-hooks
Circle hooks are great if you are fishing with multiple rods in rod holders. The design of the circle hook is so that the fish hooks itself. There is no need to set the hook. When you see your rod tip bouncing, just start reeling. The design of the circle hook also helps prevent gut-hooking.
J-hooks will also work in rod holders but you’ll have to pay a little more attention. If you wait too long to set the hook then you have a higher chance of gut-hooking the catfish.
Shiner hooks are shaped in a way that helps keep live bait like shiners on the hook. But you can also use live bait on J-hooks and circle hooks.
Sharpness
This one is simple. Use sharp hooks. Obviously all hooks are sharp, but you can really feel the difference between an Owner and an Eagle Claw. I always go for the more expensive hooks like Owner and Gamakatsu. They make very strong and sharp hooks.
Even if you buy a good brand of hook, you should check each one closely before you tie it on your line. Even these professional hooks can sometimes have defects.
Some fishermen carry a small hook sharpener with them. That way they can make sure their hook is sharp to begin with, and if the hook gets nicked on a rock, they can sharpen it.
Another issue with cheap hooks is that they can bend more easily. After months of self-teaching my self to steelhead fish, I finally hooked into my first one. It was a big powerful fish in a strong current and after just a few seconds of fighting him, my line went limp. I reeled in to see that my cheap no-name hook had straightened out. I decided I would never loose a fish again due to trying to save a couple bucks on cheap hooks.
For catfish, you can skimp on your rod and reel and even line. But never skimp on good hooks. Other than bait selection, good hooks are the most important part of your tackle system to catch catfish.
Step 5: Choose The Right Bait
Choosing the right bait is second only to location when trying to catch catfish. Knowing your species of catfish, as well as what they are eating in their home waters is crucial to catching more fish.
Check out this article where I go in-depth on catfish baits and how to fish them.
And here is an article about the top three catfish rigs and how to tie them.
I mentioned above what each of the four common species generally eat, but here it is in summary…
Bullheads are scavengers and eat anything that looks like food. Worms, dough balls, Slim-Jims, and shrimp are some common ones.
Channel catfish are also scavengers but will go after bigger baits. Hotdogs covered in jello, chicken livers, chicken meat covered in jello, spam, worms, and stink-baits.
Flatheads are hunters and eat mostly live prey. Find out what bait fish live in the water where you’ll be fishing and use these as live bait. It could be bluegill, shad, or shiners.
Blue catfish grow big and like to eat big chunks of fish. They will eat them dead or alive. They prefer fresh bait so you can catch whatever bait fish are in their home waters and fish them live or cut them up.
Step 6: Go Catch Fish!
The final step is you just have to go out and get started. Now that you know where to go, have your gear and one or two baits to try out, go hit the water! Don’t expect to catch a ton of fish or the new record on your first time out. I mean… it is possible, but not likely.
Figuring out how to catch fish at a location takes time. But that makes the catch so much more rewarding. Besides… a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.
So get out there, relax, catch some fish and have fun!
Oh! One last tip… check out this article on The Best Time to Catch Catfish.
