What do these quotes have in common?  “That bait stinks” “Ish, it’s slimy” “Night time is for sleeping” “They always sting me” 

They are all quotes women say about Catfishing.  If women don’t like, then it’s cool with me.  Kids don’t care for it much either.  It takes too much patients.  That means it’s the guy’s night out.

 

Catfish are a good fish to go after for any skill level of fishermen.  I like catfish because you always have a chance of catching a 20-60 pounder.  There are not to many other freshwater species that have that going for them.

 

For up to 10lbs Channel Cats, I like to use a simple nightcrawler and a slip float rig.  I like to drop them in the shallows and flats at night, and at the edge of deep channels in the day. 

For bigger Channels, I use stink baits, Blood baits, Carp, Crayfish and Salamanders, and fish them off of the bottom.

 

For Flatheads, I like live small Bluegills.  I have landed several up to 8-10 lbs Flatheads on nightcrawlers as well.

 

For Blue’s, I like to use fresh cut bait, the fresher the better.  I like to change my bait every 15 minutes or so.  The amino acids in blood, and freshly dying meat is the key attractant.

 

I usually quit eating catfish in late July, when the meat gets too muddy tasting.  And the fish I do keep, rarely exceed 5 lbs, for the same reason. 

 

 

 

Common Name: Channel Catfish

Scientific Name: Ictalurus punctatus

Range: Native to a majority of the river drainages of much of the central states from the Canadian border to the gulf, it is now found in virtually all states.

Habitat: As its name and range indicate, this fish adapted well to the river systems across the country that have a good current with a solid bottom.

 

Common Name: Blue Catfish

Scientific Name: Ictalurus furcatus

Range: Found in the major river systems of the south-central states - the Mississippi, Ohio, and Missouri - and their reservoirs.

Habitat: Lives in the deeper waters of these large rivers, often in areas of swift current over rocky or sandy bottoms.

 

Common Name: Flathead Catfish

Scientific Name: Pylodictis olivaris

Range: Found in the river systems of the lower Great Lakes as well as the Mississippi and Missouri River systems from North Dakota south to the Gulf

Habitat: Slower moving water in larger streams to rivers usually associating with cover