When you begin to catfish, you might be left with a number of questions about where to start. That's exactly what I hope to accomplish with this article. I will explain the five biggest things that you can focus on in order to start catching catfish. So let's get started.
1. Fish around Deep Structure
Fishing around deep structure will greatly increase your chances of catching catfish. Catfish are predominantly deep water fish, as I'm sure you have heard. But what most people don't tell you is that they like structure. Structure is contour changes on the lake bottom. I'm talking about points, ledges, channels, and humps. These types of areas typically rise from the lake bottom and will concentrate catfish.
Most of these areas, you can find on a topographic map. Start by looking for areas that you can reach. What I mean by this is if you have a boat or not. If you have a boat, you can fish structure close to the original channel. If you are bank fishing, you need to find areas that the channel get close to the bank.
2. Cover is a Must!
Having cover on these areas is a must. Catfish are ambush fish. They need cover to hide beside in order for them to stay in an area for an extended period of time. Think of this, if a catfish needs cover to stay by then a school of catfish need a lot of cover to setup by. Finding areas that have cover is a must! Just want to hit that home.
3. Use a Carolina Rig
After you find this cover, you need a rig that will give you the best chance to catch those catfish. Simply, a carolina rig is the best approach. If allows your bait to move freely and draw attention of catfish near by. You want a leader line of only a foot or less. Since you'll be fishing near cover, you don't want your bait to get hung too much. That can be annoying and a shorter leader line can reduce this.
4. Live bait anyone?
I'm a fan of live bait. I know sometimes that not an option but use it if you can. Live bait is lively. I know that's obvious but live bait has drawing power. You can pull catfish out of cover to take advantage of an easy meal. Choose a small bait to begin with. A 3" bream or shad will fall prey to catfish very quickly if they are in your area.
5. Feel Free to Move
Moving from spot to spot is my final time. Don't get hung up on one area. Those big catfish might not be there. Move to another spot after thirty minutes of no action. This might mean that you need to do a move to a completely new area or just twenty yards down the bank. You might need to do your homework and find 10 areas to fish that day but it will help you go a long ways. Keep moving until you find the school. When you do, you'll be for a great time.
Cat fishing is a great way to enjoy your free time and catch large fish. If you are interested in learning more about Big Catfish, you can visit http://www.HowToCatfishToday.com.
Thank You,
Justin Mott
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