subject: Catfish Tips You Need To Know [print this page] Catfish fishing can be successful when you have the correct bait, equipment, location and use the right technique. The other tips that you should follow concern the water conditions and the time of day that you fish. The catfish are tasty on the table, but catching them can take time. The catfish are scavengers that feed on other fish and dead things. Because of the instincts of the catfish, you must use the bait that will help you land them. The catfish uses the sense of smell to find the bait rather than the sense of sight.
Bait
Use fish heads or your own homemade fish bait. Anglers are known to use chicken livers or fish guts with some household ingredients. Although the bait should have some smell to it, road kill such as a possum will work. Cut bait to the size you need and bait the hook so that the catfish is hooked as it grabs the bait. For your own recipe, use one that has worked for other anglers. The dough balls with chicken blood or chicken livers rolled inside works as well as chicken livers right on the hook.
Keep the bait simple and take enough along so you have what you need for a full night of fishing. The bait should never be frozen when you use it. If you use bait that has been in the freezer, make sure that it is thawed before using it.
Equipment
All you need is a heavier rod and a spinning reel to use. In the olden days, cane poles were used to catch the catfish. Actually, the pole you use today should be about six to eight feet long and have some weight so that it can withstand the fight that the catfish is going to give you once it takes the bait. The hook is important. Keep the hooks sharpened after use. The catfish has tough meat and after one use, the hook can become dull. The hook should be sharpened before the next time it is cast. A dull hook will hamper your chances of keeping a hold on the fish.
Location
Study the water that you are going to fish. Catfish are not found everywhere. You will need a map of the water so that you find the ideal locations under water where the fish will be hiding. Catfish are not typical fish and can be found just about anywhere.
