Where to find catfish

When a river takes a sharp turn, the outside edge is a great place to cast for catfish. Water coming into the curve will have more momentum, hitting the outside edge and gradually deepening the pool and eroding the bank. This erosion will result in trees and other structure dropping into the water, giving catfish a comfortable home with less current.

A deep hole is a great place for catfish to hangout and wait for food. Because they are patiently waiting for a meal, you have to drop the bait as close to them as possible. If you have a depth finder, use it to spot deep holes in rivers, or just keep an eye out for water that is slower and calmer, as this is a sign of deep holes. If your fishing on a farm pond, the owner of the property should be able to tell you where the deep spot is located.

Just remember to always get permission before attempting to fish on private property. Grab a budget rod and reel and it will correlate with the material best suited for your price point. Rod length is going to be the first factor we need to consider. Generally, the longer the better. If you can find a two-piece rod that can go even longer — then do it!

Length gives you both room to move away from the boat, casting distance to hit those perfect spots and extra leverage to reel in those massive channel cats. Next is power. For simplicity, a rods power rating is really just how strong the backbone of the rod is. A lighter rod will allow for a better fight, while a heavier rod will support a heavier fish. Next is rod action. Rod action is where the rod starts to bend. As you will find out, we recommend using a circle hook as a catfishing staple.

Therefore, a little extra flex in the rod can help the fish pick up the hook and run with it. They just need to be large enough to handle a spool full of 30 lb braid. Spinning reels are great for shore and distance casting while baitcasting reels provide better retrieving speed and a more sophisticated drag system for reeling in those monster fish. Therefore, most people will have to do a little upgrading before making their first trip. Make sure you research your local area to understand a little bit of the size distribution of catfish there.

Finally, one of the easiest ways to buy the right setup, at the best price, is to simply buy the combo. Popular rods with these specs include:. Your line needs to be heavy and tough — meaning in most cases you are going to want to have a heavy poundage braided line. Brad was specifically set up with a pound braid, a barrel swivel, and a matching 30 lb fluorocarbon leader. This is ideal if you are chasing catfish that can often exceed 20 pounds in size. However, one of the biggest and unique tips he shared was adding a plastic protector above the swivel.

This helped keep the weight from constantly beating up on the knot and therefore increasing reliability in the entire setup. A more reliable setup means more fish in the boat. The presentation is simple. Most people will find success using a flat weight, circle hook, and bait of choice. The size of the flat weight will completely depend on the depth and current of the body of water you are fishing. When targeting big cats, drop a weighted bait into one of the circular whirlpools of water eddies near the ends of wing dikes.

These are the prime feeding sites, so they usually hold bigger, more dominant cats. Anglers who consistently catch big catfish know how to analyze structure and cover to find the best holes.

Photo By Ron Sinfelt. Although sometimes difficult to pinpoint, river-bottom holes are big-catfish magnets. These structures break current, providing resting and feeding spots for blues, channels and flatheads. In smaller rivers, holes form below shoals where current washes away bottom substrate. Look for big-river holes directly below dams, near outside bends and near tributary mouths.

Sonar helps identify this structure. Cats that are "holed up" often remain motionless, waiting for food to drift nearby. Consequently, catfish baits must pass close to elicit strikes. Work holes thoroughly, top to bottom, front to back, and note where strikes occur. Concentrate on the most productive spots. Catfish stay in deeper areas during sunny days, moving to shallow spots to feed at night and on cloudy days.

Work your catfish bait accordingly. Tributary mouths are staging areas for pre-spawn and post-spawn catfish. If the mouth is relatively deep, or if the tributary channel joins a primary creek or river channel on the bottom, the area may have good trophy potential year 'round. During cool months, tributaries with a warm in-flow attract the most catfish. Cool creeks are best during summer. Heavy rains that wash forage into the main water body also draw cats to mouths of feeder creeks and rivers.

Examine each area, and fish those offering the most attractions. Catfish usually ambush prey from behind current breaks -- humps, holes or trees -- near the confluence of the tributary with the main lake or river.

Cast your rig upstream and allow it to drift past these honeyholes. Some rivers and lakes have prominent bottom channels; others have subtle drops and ledges. All such structures are trophy cat magnets you can find with sonar. Main channels act like major highways, leading migrating catfish from one part of the water body to another. Small branches act as secondary roads, leading migratory fish toward shallow-water habitat.

Trophy cats usually stay near deep water falling into the channel. Look for them near features on the ledge distinguishing it from surrounding areas -- brushpiles, points, adjacent humps, cuts in the bank, etc. Big catfish also like outside turns of channel bends, channel junctions and deep channel edges near dams. During the day, anchor in the shallowest water near the dropoff and fish deeper water.

At night, do the opposite to catch cats moving shallow to feed. Engineers often place riprap large rocks along shorelines to prevent erosion near dams, bridges and causeways. Riprap appeals to catfish because it attracts forage animals and provides cover, depth and shade.

Large channel cats, especially, like this habitat. When fishing a long, look-alike stretch of riprap, focus on objects distinguishing a small section. A pipe or fallen tree may attract catfish. Other times, a difference in the rocks does the trick. Watch for big boulders changing to smaller rocks or slides of rocks creating underwater points. Small ponds and lakes inundated when larger lakes fill are prime locales for trophy cats of all species. These offer easy access to deep-water holding areas and shallow feeding spots.

They're especially productive in large, shallow lakes.