Catfish Guide - What To Expect

When you start out catfishing, you can expect to have some times when fishing is the worst and other times when fishing is the greatest. You will need to know what to expect with a hook, tackle, bait, and the technique.

You should also know what to expect about the fight and the taste. These are just a few things that you should read about and understand before getting started. Once you know what to expect, you can be prepared before, during and after catfishing. There is one thing that you should keep in mind when you are fishing, you are not going to catch a fish every time, but you might.

The hook is the thing that most anglers fail to worry about when planning the catfishing outing. You need a hook that will hook the fish and stick. If you are using the wrong hook or it is not strong enough, you could lose the bait and the fish before you even get a chance to see how big of a catch you had. Use a stainless steel hook and keep it filed and sharp before each fishing outing.

Catfish can dull a hook rather quick and you need to sharpen it before each fish outing. You should have at least ten to twelve sharpened hooks for each outing.

The tackle and equipment is another thing you should consider, but with catfishing, the tackle is not as much of a concern as the hook and bait is concerned. Some anglers will use artificial lures, but for catfishing, you can use a hook and bait if you do not want to spend a lot of money right away.

Your rod should be heavy enough to hold the big fish, but light enough to feel the bite and hold onto when the fight begins.


The bait is the easy part of catfish fishing. Catfish will strike at bait that is live or dead. The cat is a scavenger and swims the bottom of the water looking for food.

There is baitfish that the cat will eat, but if you have something that stinks and throws off a smell that can be smelled for a distance under water, the cats have a strong sense of smell and will track down the stinky bait to feed. You can use simple recipes to make your own bait or you could use fish heads from other fish.

The technique is something of a mystery, but if you suspend the bait just above the bottom of the water you fish, a cat will come along and feed if you are offering something that they cannot resist. Vertical dropping of the bait in an area known to be populated by catfish is a great way to fish.

Some anglers may troll or drift, but if you know where the cats may be hiding, you can drop into the zone or close by. If you fish a populated area, you will have no problem catching some fish.