Catfish Fishing Techniques - Lee Bailey Jr Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Lee Bailey Jr Bassmaster Elite Series Pro

Features and behaviors from the Catfish Identifier

Catfish Fishing Techniques with Cut Bait

Catfish Fishing Techniques can be among the most enjoyable, rewarding, and affordable kinds of freshwater fishing available. Catfish are present in every state in the contiguous U.S., and odds are, whether you live in the middle of a big city, way out in the country, or anywhere in-between, you are not far from a catfish hole.

What I love so much about fishing for catfish is its simplicity. I can head out to my local river to fish from the bank with a couple of rods, some night crawlers, a sandwich, and have a fun and relaxing day of fishing. Loving it if I’m able to catch one that’s not too big or too small because they taste absolutely delicious. I like to fry it with a simple cornmeal breading and eat it as is or on a po’ boy sandwich, and man is it good!

Catfish Identifier

Blue Catfish

Blue catfish have a forked tail and are sometimes very similar to channel catfish. The number of rays in the anal fin is typically 30–35**, and coloration is usually slate blue on the back, shading to white on the belly.

Brown Bullhead

The Brown Bullhead usually has 5-8 large sawlike teeth on the rear edge of the pectoral spine and is mottled with brown or black spots on the side of the body.

Chanel Catfish

Channel catfish have a deeply forked tail similar to blue catfish but the coloring is much different than that of a blue. Channels have a deeply forked tail and have a protruding upper jaw.

Flathead Catfish

As the flathead catfish name suggests they have a “flat head” but other than the flathead at first glance it really looks like other species of catfish. Flat-heads are typically pale yellow to light brown on their backs and sides and this coloring is also very mottled with additional coloring for black and brown.

White Catfish

Similar to channel catfish. Tail fin forked. Upper lobe of tail may be slightly longer than lower. Anal fin shorter than channel catfish (18-24 rays). Head and mouth generally larger and wider than channel catfish.

Diet:

Catfish are primarily bottom-feeders and eat a wide variety of foods, including insects, mollusks, crustaceans, snails, snakes, fish and small birds. When learning how to catch catfish know that most non-commercial catfish fishing rigs are designed to accommodate still fishing. This is the most common way of fishing for catfish, making the simplest rig of all a just a pole with a hook.

Habitat:

Catfish live in freshwater rivers, lakes, streams and ponds throughout North America. They are bottom-dwelling, opportunistic carnivores.

Successful catfish anglers know habitat is important. Habitat of where adult cats live — a logjam for flatheads, a deep scour hole for blues, or a slowly flowing pool or chute for channels. Large catfish, and plenty of them, don’t just happen.

Habitat management is commonly the fishery manager’s strategy of choice to improve fish populations. While apparently simple habitat requirements and enduring catfish populations are good news for anglers.