Bait, and time

[Jordan5]

OK i wuld like to know what baits you perfer and what the best time to fish for cats is? i live in ohio and would be fishing in a corey

thanks
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[Tarpon4me]

Hey there Jordan5............

You know, the tactics vary depending on the species of catfish in the area and the body of water.

Channel and bull catfish are the most common species and are more less the scavengers of the waters. These are the ones you hear about that like stink bait, hot dogs, shrimp, and just about everything else under the sun. About the best bait i've found for these two species is chicken liver. I'll freeze them first because they seem to stay on the hook alot better. They'll thaw in the water slowly, and give off a nice scent trail. Channel cats like structure, so keep that in mind. Like all the catfish species, they hold in the deeper holes during the day. They aren't picky about current and don't require very large fishing equipment as they are of the smaller species of catfish native to North America.

Blue catfish dig fresh cut shad, carp, or what ever else is handy. Fresh only, you'll get no blue with old, stinky bait. Many local charter captains will keep the bait alive until time to use it so it is as fresh as possible. I've caught many blues in open water along deep, sandy bottoms, with a fast current. Though they generally don't stay right on top of structure like channels do, they aren't far from it. In the smaller rivers in my local area, I try to find a deep hole with a sandy bottom that over looks a shallower calm current area with sub level structure. These spots seem to hold the most blues during the day. Keep in mind that regardless of the species of catfish, they all roam the shallows come night fall to feed. This is why bush hooks work mostly at night, and anglers who tie them during the day usually come up empty handed.

Flathead cats feed almost exclusively on live bait, however, will gladly take an offering of fresh cut bait as well. I prefer live bait as apposed to cut bait, but either one will work. Flatheads prefer deep holes and lots of structure. They like a moderate current if you're fishing a river, but also can be found in large lakes where there is no current. Santee Cooper is a fine example of this in the great state of SC. Come night fall, keep your line close to the bank along the edges of a hole, and you're sure to catch a couple. Flatheads love bridges, rocks, and submerged trees and stumps. If you know a spot that usually warrants a snag and lost leader, that's where the flatheads are. [cool]
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[mattscru]

Hey Bryan, Remember the goldfish [] Im going to try them next time I get the catfishing gear out.
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[Jordan5]

this helps a ton. thanks a lot
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[mattscru]

Thats what we are here for. Tarpon has alot of knowlege and can give you some great pointers to catch the big cats. Once you catch some big ones please feel free to share them with us on here.

Matt
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[Tarpon4me]

LOL, that's right Matt, don't forget the goldfish. I was waiting to give them a good test under good conditions before I recommended them. []

Also, thanks for the kind words! Right back atcha' [cool]
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[katfish]

Jordan

You never said what type of catfish you were after.

I will assume you want the biggest you can find and advise accordingly.



Flathead catfish eat live fish. Keep baits healthy and lively. Best baits for them are lively baits in appropriate sizes. Flathead will eat any fish they can catch and consume. There seems to be a preference in different waters and I believe it is based mostly on availability of bait.

In Ohio you will find that bluegills (rockbass when available) will make good baits until water temps are high and they die after being hooked. At that time I change to goldfish.

I hope this helps you out.
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[mattscru]

There we go Bryan, goldfish do work! Im going to try them next time I go catfishing. Well I gotta go get on the water, Me and Jimflash are going out on his boat on sinclair today. I'll keep yall posted on how we do.
Matt
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[fsh4fun05]

Kat, that thing is friggin' HUGE! We only have channels and bullheads here in Utah. I caught a 15 lb. flathead when I was in Texas in March, what a fight!
Jordan5, what is a corey?
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[mattscru]

Fsh4fun05, Hows the ponds right off the interstate in kaysville? Wehn the first opened back up we tore up the channel cats at night on lcd lighted bobbers with any and every type of bait you can think of. And Im talking 5-10 pound fish, I wish I had a copy of that picture but it took four of us to hold up the ROPE we had to use as a stringer! Might be worth your try for some good cats, but I wouldnt be surprised if they didnt get fished out by now. We fished the most southern 2 ponds.

Matt
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[Tarpon4me]

LOL, I told you so. I've still got quite a few in the fishing pond. It's like robbie (katfish) said though, bait changes from area to area. Like for me, there's nothing better than a slab crappie for a big flat head. You go to Santee Cooper, most of the guys use fresh cut shad. They keep them alive until they go on the hook. They cross cut them to make sure each piece if full of scent and that down home goodness. LOL [] It all depends though. But, I can promise you this. Those gold fish will die violently this comming weekend. It's looking like the ocean is going to be a little rough, so it might be a river trip this time. It's still too soon to tell though. [cool]
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[mattscru]

I might get some myself this weekend if I go back outon the lake with JimFlash. It seemed all we could catch were channel cats and all we wanted were crappie[mad] So the gold fish might have to get it!
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