Monster Catfishing Tips

Catching a monster catfish is on most anglers list of fishing goals. It seems like everyone wants to catch a monster catfish these days. And why not, they are one of the largest fresh water fish in North America. Both blue catfish and flathead catfish regularly exceed 40 pounds. The World Record Blue Catfish weighing 124 pounds was caught near where the Mississippi and Missouri rivers meet, close to Alton, Illinois.

The World Record Flathead Catfish weighed 123 pounds and was caught in the Elk City Reservoir. The World Record Channel Catfish caught at Lake Moultrie in South Carolina weighted 58 pounds. I consider any catfish over 40 pounds World Class Trophy material.

These monster catfish are found everywhere in the United States from Irvine Lake, Lower Otay Reservoir and San Vicente Reservoir in California, Lake Texoma in Texas, the Mighty Mississippi and Missouri River systems, the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, the James River and the Santee Cooper Reservoir in South Carolina are some of the top big cat producers. Even with all these great fishing grounds, few anglers catch monster catfish on a consistent basis.

I hope the following tips will help you join the ranks of catfishermen who catch these giant catfish on a more regular basis.

Go Heavy on Your Gear!

1. A 40 pound catfish can snap your rod like a twig and burn up lightweight cheap reels quickly. An investment in heavy tackle is a must. You don't have to spend a fortune. Look for deals on EBay, iOffer, Craigslist and CatfishingProducts.

2. A 7 or 8 foot heavy action rod is a good start. Bait casting reels are the strongest and most dependable. Some good brands are Penn and Abu Garcia. I use Shimano and Ocean Master. Many anglers also like the spin casting reel. Whatever type of reel you decide to use, make sure you spool it with at least a 30, 50, 80 or even 100 pound braid. If you are going to be chasing monster cats in heavy cover, you might go even heavier. I've broken off 100 pound braid on big cats at Santee Cooper. I recommend PowerPro braid.

3. Use a 6/0 to 10/0 heavy circle hook. I like the 8/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle hooks and sometimes I even use 10/0 if we have bigger baits. These bigger hooks leave plenty of gap to hook the fish. Circle hooks tend to catch the fish in the corner of the mouth making fish better candidates for CPR. Don't forget to get good heavy rated swivels because nothing bites more than to hook a great fish and part of your tackle breaks.

Best Baits.

4. Live bait is preferred for flatheads. They feed almost exclusively on live bait. I say "almost" because the largest flathead I've ever seen was caught by Tommy Fredrick on cut bait. Blue catfish can be caught on live bait and cut bait. Large baits will exclude smaller fish, but many a big blue has been caught on small cut bait. Other baits will work but not with the same consistency. Make sure you have plenty of gap no matter what size bait you have. Use baits that are indigenous to the waters you are fishing in if at all possible.

Check Your Line Often

5. A huge mistake that is very easy to make is not re-tying when you need to. You should check your line often for wear and abrasion. You should re-tie after a large fish or even after every few normal sized fish. If you have to pull really hard to come off a snag, it's time to retie. The line might not be bad, but it has been stressed. It only takes a few minutes to tie on a new knot. Monster catfish will test every bit of your gear, so make sure your hook is good and sharp. You've gotten all the gear, and traveled to a great place to fish, don't miss the monster because you are too lazy to check and re-tie your line.

What are you waiting for, get out there and get fishin! Good Luck!

For Catfishing information and products you can use to make your catfishing experience better and easier,for people who catfish or want to get into catfishing, peole looking for more catfishing information or a catfishing guide. Check out Catfishing Products.

Happy Hookin" and Good Luck, Gary