Riffles runs, and holes are your main format of underwater bottom structure. A riffle is followed by a run, and a run is followed by a hole. If you learn to read the river effectively, you can easily find the holes where the catfish are likely to be hanging out. Catfish love logs, stumps, and brush beneath the water.
Sometimes catfish will leave the area of the holes briefly and be in nearby runs and shallows actively feeding. If you do not have the best luck in the deep holes, try the runs nearby to see if you can find the hungry fellas. You do this by placing the rod tip at an angle opposite of the direction you are fishing.
If you line up in a straight line with the area you are fishing, and the catfish takes it or runs with the bait, your pole is likely running straight into the water. When you set the pole at an angle, the pole will have to slide right to left or left to right before being taken anywhere. It gives you more time to react, and you can typically see the bite sensitivity better and respond more appropriately.
Drift fishing for catfish can be one of the most effective ways of catching catch catfish at high rates.
If you can keep a slow controlled drift and use a good piece of cut bait, you can catch some monster catfish. Once you have your bait, use a large circle hook and hook the bullhead right near the tail fin. This will keep the bullhead not capable of going under logs or not moving around too much.
This will get the flathead nice and fired up and work great to get large flathead catfish enticed enough to strike. This plays into tip 7. Always find structure. The more of it, the better. Catfish love hiding and staying beneath large areas of log jams, brush, and other wood.
If you can find these areas, the chances of striking out diminish greatly and the chances of going home happy increase significantly. This can be huge. It will serve as an excellent warning signal that you have a catfish running or hitting the bait.
Side Tip: Always make sure to pull your drag out and test it before casting out for the first time each trip you take. If your drift fishing a mono-filament line can work, but a braided line can be your best friend.
Water coming into the curve will have more momentum, hitting the outside edge and gradually deepening the pool and eroding the bank. This erosion will result in trees and other structure dropping into the water, giving catfish a comfortable home with less current.
A deep hole is a great place for catfish to hangout and wait for food. Because they are patiently waiting for a meal, you have to drop the bait as close to them as possible. If you have a depth finder, use it to spot deep holes in rivers, or just keep an eye out for water that is slower and calmer, as this is a sign of deep holes. If your fishing on a farm pond, the owner of the property should be able to tell you where the deep spot is located.
Occasionally holding it still often leads to a bite. Sometimes catfish hit hard and quick. Other times they play with the bait before taking it fully. When in doubt, set the hook. A common rig-fishing strategy is feeding line to a nibbling catfish, so it won't feel resistance. When the fish steadily takes line, it's hook-set time. Give fishing for catfish a try. Pound-for-pound, these hard-fighting fish serve-up fun days on the water. Search Berkley Search.
In smaller rivers, holes form below shoals where current washes away bottom substrate. Look for big-river holes directly below dams, near outside bends and near tributary mouths. Sonar helps identify this structure. Cats that are "holed up" often remain motionless, waiting for food to drift nearby. Consequently, catfish baits must pass close to elicit strikes. Work holes thoroughly, top to bottom, front to back, and note where strikes occur. Concentrate on the most productive spots. Catfish stay in deeper areas during sunny days, moving to shallow spots to feed at night and on cloudy days.
Work your catfish bait accordingly. Tributary mouths are staging areas for pre-spawn and post-spawn catfish. If the mouth is relatively deep, or if the tributary channel joins a primary creek or river channel on the bottom, the area may have good trophy potential year 'round.
During cool months, tributaries with a warm in-flow attract the most catfish. Cool creeks are best during summer. Heavy rains that wash forage into the main water body also draw cats to mouths of feeder creeks and rivers. Examine each area, and fish those offering the most attractions. Catfish usually ambush prey from behind current breaks -- humps, holes or trees -- near the confluence of the tributary with the main lake or river. Cast your rig upstream and allow it to drift past these honeyholes.
Some rivers and lakes have prominent bottom channels; others have subtle drops and ledges. All such structures are trophy cat magnets you can find with sonar. Main channels act like major highways, leading migrating catfish from one part of the water body to another.
Small branches act as secondary roads, leading migratory fish toward shallow-water habitat. Trophy cats usually stay near deep water falling into the channel. Look for them near features on the ledge distinguishing it from surrounding areas -- brushpiles, points, adjacent humps, cuts in the bank, etc. Big catfish also like outside turns of channel bends, channel junctions and deep channel edges near dams. During the day, anchor in the shallowest water near the dropoff and fish deeper water.
At night, do the opposite to catch cats moving shallow to feed. Engineers often place riprap large rocks along shorelines to prevent erosion near dams, bridges and causeways. Riprap appeals to catfish because it attracts forage animals and provides cover, depth and shade.
Large channel cats, especially, like this habitat. When fishing a long, look-alike stretch of riprap, focus on objects distinguishing a small section. A pipe or fallen tree may attract catfish. Other times, a difference in the rocks does the trick.
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