What type of tackle do I need to catch catfish?

Unlike other types of fish, you can use just about any kind of tackle to catch catfish, as long as you are going for small and medium sized cats.  By small or medium sized, I mean somewhere around 10 pounds or less.  If you are trying to catch the next world record channel cat, you should use sturdier gear that won’t break.  Catfish are known to be fighters.

Because of the rowdy and rambunctious nature of catfish (they just don’t seem to like getting caught!), many experienced anglers prefer to use heavy rigs.  There are poles made with figerglass or steel cores that will not break easily, and have comfortable cork grips.  This will allow you to keep control of the line when the fish starts fighting. 

You can tell how tough a rod is by its pound test.  A rig with a pound test of at least 10 will be fine for catching smaller cats, but for the big boys you should go for 17 at the very least.  You can go as high as 60.  The higher the pound test, the more fight the rod can withstand before it snaps in half, and that award-winning cat is dashing off to look for somebody else’s bait.

Your hooks need to be extra sharp to catch catfish.  Most catfish anglers sharpen their hooks, even if they are brand new store-bought ones.  This is because catfish skin is especially slippery, and even new hooks won’t always cut through. 

Tackle is important, but you should keep it as simple as you need it.  Don’t go for something super fancy that you don’t know how to use.  Remember that bait is what catches your fish, not the tackle.

Tags: catfish ice fishing, fishing for channel catfish, catfish fishing methods, catfish fishing ponds, catfish hand fishing