What catfish techniques work best?
The best technique for catching Catfish is simply put fishing with live bait. There are ticks to every trade and the following paragraphs will give a short synopsis on how I go about catching catfish. I start with a medium action graphite fishing rod of six foot length. I will attach an open faced spinning reel to this rod, I prefer Shimano reels. I will generally spool the reel with fifteen pound braided line with a twenty four inch long fluorocarbon leader attached to the end of the line. I use fluorocarbon leaders for their invisibility factor. I do not use treble hooks when fishing for Catfish. I prefer single shank hooks. I like a hook that has a thick shank but is small enough to cover the bait I am using. Using a hook that is too large is a classic mistake many beginning Catfish anglers make. For bait I like an appropriate size live fish. Whether it is a bluegill, golden roach, sucker minnow, green sunfish or nay other fish I believe it is the best bait to use. Since Catfish are primarily bottom feeders I will attach sufficient weight to my line to keep the bait on the bottom of the body of water I am fishing. From this point forward I wait for a strike and the fight is on. Fishing for Catfish is a simple endeavor, much easier than fishing for other species such as Bass or Walleye. If you have the proper preparation your outing will be a success.
What is the best way to tell if there is catfish in a pond, besides tossing a chicken liver out and waiting to see what happens?