They get huge and in the world of catching whiskers, they are picky eaters. I fish for Flathead Catfish in the same manner as I do Blue Catfish except the bait used is the major difference. During this time of year, when the water temperatures are cooler, blue catfish are often found congregating in deep holes. The world record brown and black bullheads, in fact, came from lakes. The best bait size for blue catfish really depends on how big the fish grow in the waters where you are fishing! Catfish are found in lakes and rivers all over the U.S. It could be bluegill, carp, shad, perch, or clams. The best Flathead Catfish bait is highly debated as a controversial topic among anglers. If that doesn’t work, go to the chicken livers. When we went for bass, I’d fish for catfish. My friends even nicknamed me “Catfish.” When I was 10 years old, I saw a magazine article with an angler holding a giant blue catfish and it nearly blew my mind. Probably your best bet is to use some kind of bait fish, or smaller catfish. Secret Catfishing Baits. Minnows: Wanted dead or alive, minnows are a best bait choice as they work well for landing blue and channel catfish.The lively and big minnows are ideal for landing those big catfish. Catfish have been an important resource of the big rivers for a long time. Catfish aren’t picky eaters. Blue catfish are a type of fish that spend the majority of their day eating and aren’t very picky about what they eat. The 10000 allows you to load a high yardage of heavy line. Cow's Blood. However, the best bait for blue catfish is the ones common to the area you're fishing. When you're looking for one of the big three; blue catfish, channel catfish, or flathead catfish, you must tailor your catfish baits appropriately. During this time of year, when the water temperatures are cooler, blue catfish are often found congregating in deep holes. Fishing equipment for catching channel catfish as a general rule is much different than the equipment we use for catching blue catfish and trophy blue catfish on our guided catfish fishing trips. This is a bank fishing for big blue catfish video in which I catch my 2 biggest blue catfish of the year. Blue catfish also have an especially keen sense of smell, so baits that smell funny will work much better than ordinary stuff. Fishing for Flathead Catfish My top two favorite destinations for Flathead Catfish are the James River around the boulders of the fall line in Richmond and the Dan River in southern Virginia. Big blue catfish spend the winter gorging on bait fish that are sluggish from the cold water. But it’s not uncommon to use a 1-2 lb piece of bait cut in half or used whole. 1# Shakespeare Wild Cat Spinning/Spincast Fishing Rod – Best Lightweight Catfish Rod. The cut baits become more productive in late fall because stink baits and livers lose effectiveness as the water cools. Best tackle for catching catfish in a pond. Cut bait 100%. Or live bait. Blue Catfish caught out of the Potomac River Big cats will also eat other “rough” fishing like small carp, goldfish, bullheads if those are the best options available. Not saying they don’t work( some obviously do). Once you’ve located them start using bait that they’re used to eating. There are currently several ongoing studies to figure out what the impact of the blue catfish is on other species in the Potomac. You can fish with anything from chicken livers, stink baits (bought at local sporting good stores), hot dogs, cut bait. Here are the best fishing lures to use to target blue catfish in the Potomac River. Honestly I think punch/stink/dough bait is just a way for people to make money. When you are looking for a catfish fishing rod, you should first pay attention to its strength. 2. However, one can argue they are pound-for-pound the hardest fighting catfish of the three. Circle hooks will again be the option of choice with targeting flathead and blue catfish. The flathead catfish is your top river predator. Match the bait size to the mouth of your target. It is good practice to find the right line for the job, rather than just get the toughest line you can find. A journal entry by a member of the Lewis and Clark party, Patrick Gass, mentions catfish caught by the expedition from the Missouri River in Nebraska, August 25, 1804: “Two of our men last night caught nine catfish that would together weigh three hundred pounds. Best Ways to Fish for Blue Catfish: River systems with consistently flowing water produce the state’s best big flathead catfish fishing. Some anglers have developed their own brand of “secret catfishing baits”. Blue catfish are known for going after live bait much younger than other fish, so using good, live, stinky bait will get you blues. If you want to catch a large catfish, then you can’t do it without this fishing rod. The main reason for heavier lines isn't so much that the fish is going to break the line, but often catfish are found where there's a lot of structure. So, let’s get to it. Blue catfish can be caught year-round in the state of Texas, but the month of February and the first few weeks of March can be one of the best times to target large fish. Bait 'n' Rig Tricks For Catching Big Catfish In Rivers. That’s almost always going to be either threadfin shad, gizzard shad or skipjack herring. The best bait I have ever found for big blues is the bait I had on when I caught my last one,which probably wasn't the same bait I had on the one before that or the one I'll be using next!!! They are more like the vacuum cleaners of their homes. View on Amazon. Steer clear of those for catfish fishing. Blues and Channel Catfish live in similar areas, but the Flatheads are the "oddball" of the bunch with their own habitat and ... so working with the current is your best shot at catching 'em. Yup! Large blue catfish’s metabolisms do better in the cold water than small bait fish. Blue catfish can be caught year-round in Lake Texoma, but the month of February and the first few weeks of March can be the best times to target large blue catfish. Dough bait is usually to target channels and there’s better bait than that. As they get older, wiser and bigger they do seem to be more selective in their eating festivities. Others prefer to start every catfish outing early by using light or ultralight gear to catch black perch or green sunfish to use as bait. My leader is 30lb. Depending on the body of water, a lake may contain some big specimens as well as plenty of smaller ones, and the subspecies can be varied. They love oily fish and they like it fresh (frozen baits don’t work as well), but they don’t seem to mind if it’s dead. Whatever you do, don’t approach pond fishing like you would river fishing. Channel catfish will generally average 1-3 pounds in size so the tackle and equipment can be much lighter, plus the channel catfish bite is much lighter than that of a blue catfish. Choosing the best catfish baits requires knowing what catfish you're fishing for and what that species enjoys most. Best Bait for Blue Catfish Blue Catfish are much less fussy than Flatheads when it comes to taking cut bait. Blue cats are not very pickers when they are young. The blue catfish is now considered an invasive species in the Potomac River specifically. Choose a heavy, sinking bait for fishing in the current. Some serious fishermen generally kill their minnow’s first before putting them on the hook making them easier for the catfish to track down and suck in. For example, if you are fishing for giant blue or flathead catfish, you will want a 50- to 80-pound line to be safe. Anglers using fresh live bait are the ones with the best chance to catch a truly large catfish of whatever species. Here are the things you’ll need to make your own catfish bait: 1 1/2 c. Livers (Chicken, Deer, Cow, whatever you have) His 120+ pound catfish was caught on a big bread dough ball. To learn what the best baits for big catfish are, check out this article. If I caught fish over 25 lbs consistently, I'd probably go to at least a 50 lb leader. Simply because of the uniqueness of the behavior that the species is known for. For some anglers there are no wrong catfish baits… Channel catfish will eat a wide range of bait choices from cut baits and live baits of bluegill and shad to chicken livers or stink baits. ... Blue Cats, and/or Flathead Catfish. The most passionate and debated part of catfish fishing is the bait that attracts catfish the best. Big catfish requires big gear. They don’t get as big as the blue or flathead catfish. Having fresh bait is essential to catching blue catfish … Regardless of anything you have seen or heard the best bait for blue catfish in most situations is the primary forage fish in the body of water you are fishing. That extra yardage can mean the difference between seeing a big catfish on the bank, or an empty spool on your reel. Most have had proven results. For channel catfish, blue catfish, and the bullhead species, I like to offer a big, hearty, temping chunk of cut bait. Consequently, in the winter time blue catfish have more energy than their prey. Whatever it is that big catfish naturally eat is what will work best. Why is this the case? The size 6/0 is going to be best to ensure you have a large enough hook. Blue And Flathead Catfish Hooks. Big channel cats and blue catfish have relatively smaller mouth parts so while they will bite a living shad or bluegill, they prefer cut shad. 1. Big catfish will gobble up a wide variety of offerings. If you’re horrified at the idea of creating catfish stink bait recipes then I suggest looking for other types of catfish bait recipes such as channel catfish bait recipes or catfish dough bait recipes. Catfish can run 30 to 50 yards if they have the room, and you can’t stop them, you can only wait for them to get tired. Find out what natural forage is in the lake. The blue catfish is the “big momma.” These brute fish can exceed 100 lbs, and it’s a thrill to catch a giant blue when you’re catfish fishing. But cut bait works. I use Big Game 15 and 20 lb. If you are targeting either of these catfish, you’re no longer messing around with the smaller catfish. Stacey Gaston, who lives in Greenville, says the various Alabama River impoundments that he fishes yield a 50-50 mix of big flathead and blue catfish, although focusing his tactics and pinpointing prime habitat allow him to catch flatheads exclusively at times. Channel, blue and flathead catfish are common lake residents, as are their smaller bullhead cousins. It turns out that hefty blue catfish are wildly attracted to cows blood. The key to catching these fish is to present them with live or dead bait if possible. Blue Catfish. Large live shiners, herring, and shad are deadly, especially on flathead and channel catfish. The best baits for this type of catfish are punch baits that have a strong odor such as Mr. Whisker’s Cheese Catfish Punch. Over the course of the year, just for catching catfish in the winter, I accumulate left-over bait such as sunfish and creek chubs in a hopefully unnoticed corner of our freezer. Some swear by the biggest goldfish they can find as top baits for channels and flatheads. If the fish are hanging around on top of the water, use a bobber and circle hook with the native bait. This secret bait comes to me from a small corner of Arkansas and has proven to pull in large blue catfish averaging 35 pounds from the Sulphur River.This requires taking a 2.5-gallon bucket to the butcher (or slaughterhouse if there is one in your area) to fill with cow's blood. I’ve even seen some catfish soap baits used from time to time. I spent much of my teens and twenties searching for big catfish in New Jersey, but the smaller channel cats just weren’t cutting it. On some waters commercial catfish stink bait concoctions are good options.

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