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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
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Channel Catfish and Other Catfish Species
Channel Catfish and Other Species
Catfish come in many species. Size can vary from less than a pound to over a hundred pounds depending on age and species. There are even a species that can stay on land for a limited time.
First,let’s check out the channel catfish. The channel cat, as most people call them, is probably the most popular of the catfish species. Channel catfish can be caught year round, except in extreme cold conditions they can be less active. As with most catfish, the channel cats prefer the deeper cooler water, usually with a sandy or gravel bottom, but can adapt to most environments. They primarily feed on insects, crayfish and smaller fish.
The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) looks much like the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), but the channel cat has a rounded anal fin as well as twenty to twenty four rays. The channel cat has bluish coloring which fades to white along their belly. They have a smaller belly than the blue catfish. Most channel catfish have small spots on their backs. The largest channel catfish ever caught was fifty eight pounds. The blue catfish gets much larger than the channel catfish, with many over one hundred pounds.
White catfish (Ameiurus catus) also known as the fork-tailed catfish, are primarily a tidal water species that inhabit waters having a salinity of 5 percent, but also is found in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. This type of catfish is much smaller in size. The record white catfish is only twenty one pounds eight ounces.
The blue catfish,(Ictalurus furcatus), is one of the largest species of North American catfish. Blue catfish are opportunistic predators and will eat any species of fish they can catch, along with crayfish, freshwater mussels, frogs, and other readily available aquatic food sources. Catching their prey becomes easier if it is already wounded or dead. Blue catfish often feed beneath schools of striped bass in reservoirs or feeding on wounded baitfish that have been washed through dam spillways or power generation turbines.
The flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) is the second largest species. The flatheads prefer live baits. The best time to catch flatheads is after dark. The record for flatheads is one hundred and twenty three pounds.For more great information on Catfishing and great catfishing products look at Catfishing Products.
Good Luck and Happy Fishin’, Gary
Catfish come in many species. Size can vary from less than a pound to over a hundred pounds depending on age and species. There are even a species that can stay on land for a limited time.
First,let’s check out the channel catfish. The channel cat, as most people call them, is probably the most popular of the catfish species. Channel catfish can be caught year round, except in extreme cold conditions they can be less active. As with most catfish, the channel cats prefer the deeper cooler water, usually with a sandy or gravel bottom, but can adapt to most environments. They primarily feed on insects, crayfish and smaller fish.
The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) looks much like the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), but the channel cat has a rounded anal fin as well as twenty to twenty four rays. The channel cat has bluish coloring which fades to white along their belly. They have a smaller belly than the blue catfish. Most channel catfish have small spots on their backs. The largest channel catfish ever caught was fifty eight pounds. The blue catfish gets much larger than the channel catfish, with many over one hundred pounds.
White catfish (Ameiurus catus) also known as the fork-tailed catfish, are primarily a tidal water species that inhabit waters having a salinity of 5 percent, but also is found in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. This type of catfish is much smaller in size. The record white catfish is only twenty one pounds eight ounces.
The blue catfish,(Ictalurus furcatus), is one of the largest species of North American catfish. Blue catfish are opportunistic predators and will eat any species of fish they can catch, along with crayfish, freshwater mussels, frogs, and other readily available aquatic food sources. Catching their prey becomes easier if it is already wounded or dead. Blue catfish often feed beneath schools of striped bass in reservoirs or feeding on wounded baitfish that have been washed through dam spillways or power generation turbines.
The flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) is the second largest species. The flatheads prefer live baits. The best time to catch flatheads is after dark. The record for flatheads is one hundred and twenty three pounds.For more great information on Catfishing and great catfishing products look at Catfishing Products.
Good Luck and Happy Fishin’, Gary
Best Spots to Catch Channel Catfish
Best Spots to Catch Channel Catfish
Do you love to fish for channel catfish? Here are just a few of the best places to catch them.
One of the top spots has to be the Cheatham Reservoir in Tennessee. Channel catfish as big as twenty five pounds have been have been caught there. Local fishermen report you will leave with a stringer full here.
Another hot spot is Merritt Reservoir in Nebraska. The fishing there is totally awesome. The only problem is that this lake is virtually in the middle of nowhere. For those who make the trip the fishing will be well worth it.
The Chotawhatchee River in Florida is one of the best kept secrets in the nation. This river runs from Alabama into Florida. There’s plenty of deep water. You can catch all you want here. There are many twenty pounders and bigger cats caught here every year. "The big channel cats were everywhere, shallow and deep, with a 32-pounder our best fish of the season.”
The Rock River in Illinois is an excellent place to fish for channel catfish. There are many cats in the ten to twenty pound range
Newmans Lake in Gainesville Florida is also a popular spot for catching channel catfish. It has deep waters, but has limited access unless you have a boat. You can catch plenty of catfish there almost year round.
Mississippi River in Illinois is another channel catfish hotspot. Around Alton, Ill., there is some of the best channel catfishing there is. Catches of 25 to 50 fish a day are typical, and the action is usually fast. It's a great place to introduce your kids to the fun of fishing.
A good spot to fish for channel cats is in Lake Erie, Pennsylvania. You can find them anywhere from rock and clay bottoms to the deepest parts of the basin.
Powerton Lake located in Peoria, Illinois is another fantastic place to go for channel catfish. A great number of channels can be found here due to plentiful spawning.
La Salle Lake in Illinois is another great place to find channel catfish. Fifteen pounders are frequently caught here.
Another place to find channel catfish is Lake Bentonville Arkansas. A large quantity of the fish can be found here and you have easy access to the shoreline around the entire lake.
Lake Conroe in Texas is a great catfishing spot. They can be caught in 20 feet to 25 feet of water on the edge of the river channels and on the creek edges. Catfish Killer Cheese Dip Bait fished 2 to 3 inches off the bottom works well. Small pieces of peeled shrimp, or shad dipped in Catfish Killer Cheese Baits in the blood or shad scent are work best for catfish from 1 to 5 lbs. Chicken livers are also work well here to catch catfish.
Some larger catfish, mostly blue catfish can be caught using fresh shad or cut perch. in 15 to 40 feet of water.
If you don’t live near one of this great fisheries don’t sweat it, there are great places to cat channel catfish all over the country, just find one near you.
If you have a great place to catch channel catfish let us know about it.
Good luck fishing. Gary
For more great catfishing info check out Catfishing Products
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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