| Different Methods of Fishing for
Catfish
How To Catch Catfish
I have been fishing for catfish all of my life
and have learned a lot about catfishing and different methods to catch catfish
over the years. In addition to making catfish bait and juglines I
am also a professional catfish guide. I don't reveal all of my secrets
for catching catfish but the information below will help serve as a good
guide to get you started. Being a sucessful fisherman that consistantly
catches fish requires experience and dedication. There is no substitue for
experience and time on the water when it comes to catching catfish. I also
highly recomend that you visit the Texas Catfishing Resource for more information
on catching catfish. If you have a question on fishing for catfish, you
can post it there and a lot of experienced fishermen will be there to answer
your questions. You can also post questions on the Catfish Bait Soap Message
Board. Always keep in mind that no matter how good a fisherman you are and
no matter what you know, sometimes the fish just do not bite, it happens
to everyone at some point. Be persistent in your pursuit of fishing and
learn from your mistakes and eventually you'll have fishing success!
Rod and Reel
Nothing beats just good old fashioned rod
and reel fishing. Nothing gets your blood pumping better than a tangle with
a catfish on rod and reel and pulling a nice fish to the boat. As a professional
catfish guide I spend a lot of time fishing for catfish with rod and reel,
and I love every second of it.
There are a lot of things to consider about
fishing for catfish the good old fashioned way with a rod and reel, including
what fishing rods to use or how to choose a fishing rod for catfish, what
type and brand of fishing reel to use (spinning, casting, spincasting etc),
what brand and size fishing line to use, what type of hooks to use for catfish,
where to fish, what kind of catfish you want to catch, baiting a hole for
catfish or chumming for catfish, where to fish and more.
In the links below we will try to cover
some of this basic information for catfishing with rod and reel to lead
you in the right direction.
Jug Fishing - Juglines - Fishing Jugs
Many "serious" catfishermen will use
juglines over any other form of setlines any time. Juglines or "Jug
Fishing" is one of the most popular forms of setline fishing for catfish
that there is. Jug Fishing for catfish is fun, simple and pretty easy to
do. The real advantages that there are to jug fishing over any for of setline
fishing is that when fishing with juglines you can spread out your fishing
jugs over a larger area, and you can easily move them or pull them in. I
have been jug fishing, running trotlines, limb lines and throw lines all
my life and I will choose jug fishing with juglines over any other form
of setline fishing any day of the week.
Jug fishing is most commonly done for catfish from
the "eating size" all the way up to huge trophy blue catfish.
Many fishermen specifically target huge blue catfish with their juglines
and fishing and jugs and have a lot of fishing success with their juglines
for these big catfish.
Jug Fishing is a simple and easy way to catch catfish
and you can catch a lot of catfish in a short period of time when your jug
fishing with juglines, plus it is relatively inexpensive. All you need is
a boat, some catfish bait and some fishing jugs and ready to get started.
There are commercially made models of fishing jugs
available, or you can make your own. There are hundred of different ways
to make fishing jugs. A jug line consists of a float, a mainline (adjustable
for length by being able to let out what you want off the float or fishing
jug) with a weight on the bottom, a float on the top, and hooks tied from
leaders coming off of the mainline. Some catfishermen also fish their juglines
"free floating" or "drifting" to cover a larger area
of water. This is a very simple and effective way of jug fishing also.
Most states have laws pertaining to jug fishing
and juglines, so make sure you check your local laws in regards to jug fishing
and juglines before you get started.
Juglines can be fished in deep water or shallow
water and typically have anywhere from 2 to 5 hooks on them.
Jug Fishing or "Juglines" is a great
way to get kids interested in fishing because it is non-stop action and
there is always something to do. There is no "sitting and waiting"
like people often do when rod and reel fishing.
In the links below we will cover information on
jug fishing like what types of hooks to use, how to build fishing jugs and
juglines, where to buy juglines, what baits to use for catfish, and where
to set your juglines for jug fishing.
Trotline -Trotlines
Fishing with trotlines is a simple and effective
method of fishing for catfish. Running trotlines is a great way to catch
a lot of nice catfish in a short period of time, but make no mistake, there
is some work involved. Trotlines are used by all types of people fishing
for catfish, from the serious commercial fisherman who depends on filling
the boat up with catfish to make a living, to the weekend angler who just
wants to catch a few catfish for a fish fry. It takes a little work and
preparation to set them out, but once you do, you would be surprised at
how many catfish you can catch in your trotline in a 24 hour period. Trotlines
can be used in shallow water or deep water, in lakes, ponds creeks or rivers,
and during just about any time of the year.
Trotlines are commonly used to catch eating sized
catfish, and also used to target trophy sized catfish, usually yellow catfish
which are also called Apps, Opps, Yellers, Flatheads and many other names,
it just depends on what part of the country your in.
The trotline is made up of a long line, with hooks
placed at set intervals along the line and anchored or tied off at both
ends. There are a lot of tricks to running trotlines, and we will go in
depth to help you with this information and lead you to fishing success.
Some of the things to consider when setting and running trotlines is, location
to set your trotline, what type of catfish you want to catch with your trotline,
trotline hooks to use, the tension of the line on the trotline, how much
weight to use, hook spacing and more.
Most states have regulations on trotlines and how
long they can be, how many hooks you can use, hook spacing and more so you
want to check your local laws about fishing with trotlines and and make
sure your doing everything legally.
I really prefer jug fishing over fishing with trotlines
because juglines are easier to set out, easier to take back in, and easier
to move around and spread out. There is nothing worse than setting a trotline
in a bad area that is not producing fish and then having to take your trotline
up and set your trotline in another area.
Trotlines will commonly be 50-100 feet long and
have anywhere from 25 to 50 hooks on them.
In the links below we will cover information on
fishing with trotlines, how to set trotlines, how to fish or "run"
trotlines, how to build trotlines, what types of hooks to use and more,
as well as different ways to set trotlines and where to set them.
Setting
a Trotline from Shallow Water To Deep Water
Setting
Trotlines in Deep Water
Setting
a Trotline Across a Channel
Throwlines - Throw Lines
A throw line is kind of a modified trotline. Throwlines
are easier to put out and pick up and gets extra hooks and catfish bait
in the water. A throw line consists of a line with a weight on one end anchored
at the surface on the other end with several hooks attached along the line.
It can be set by throwing it off the bank, tied to a tree in the lake and
set from there or several other ways.
Most throwlines have 5 hooks on them and are usually
25 to thirty feet in length. Throwlines are also often made of rubber band
line.
Most states have regulations on throwlines and
how long they can be, how many hooks you can use, hook spacing and more
so you want to check your local laws about fishing with throwlines and and
make sure your doing everything legally.
In the links below we will cover information on
fishing with and setting throwlines. Thorwlines work well for blue catfish
and channel catfish.
Limb Lines
Limb Lines are pretty simple. You get up into a
river or creek and find a flexible tree limb that hangs over the water and
you tie a line to it with your bait hanging in the water, and wait for a
catfish to come along and take your bait. This is an effective method to
use fishing for catfish in rivers, creeks and works well for blue catfish,
channel catfish and flathead catfish.
Pole Lines - Bank Lines - PVC Bank Poles
Fishing with pole lines (also known as
bank lines or pvc bank poles) follows closely to limb line fishing. Fishing
with pole lines for catfish you rig PVC pieces up with line and hooks, and
find locations in the river or creek bank and stick the pole line in the
ground, and wait for a catfish to come along. PVC Bank lines are vert=y
effective and work well for flathead catfish, blue catfish and channel catfish.
Yo-Yo's for Catfish - Mechanical Fishers
A yo-yo or a mechanical fisher is a small
device that you tie on to a limb, dock, jug or even the side of a boat.
basically what this device is is an automated reel. You tie it off to your
chosen item and then pull the line out and bait it. The mechanical device
sets and the line stays out in the water. When a fish hits the bait, the
yo-yo pulls the line back in rapidly and hooks the fish. |
