Catching Catfish with Bluegill

Worms are fun stuff.  They're great for catching lots of bullhead catfish, which tend to stay in the 1- 3 lbs range.  They can also catch some big carp.  The same can be said of corn.

Here lately, though, I've had the urge to catch bigger catfish.  After much research, the general consensus is that it probably won't happen on worms.

Smaller catfish can get the nutrition they need with worms, but the bigger ones require a heartier meal.  Remember how you could eat cereal nearly every meal when you were a kid?  Now that you're all grown up, you like to have a burger or a steak for your meal, right?

A larger catfish's version of a steak or burger is another fish.  Shad are ever-popular.  Most fish in the minnow family are oily, and that attracts larger catfish.

There is one other option that's sometimes overlooked.  That option is bluegill.  They're easily caught near the bank with a portion of your worm on a size 6 baitholder hook.

Unless you suspect monster catfish in the pond, I would cut the bluegill into reasonable pieces.  Then use a size two baitholder hook.

The results were undeniable.

With a couple of exceptions, the bullnose catfish that bit were significantly larger.  I also caught s decent sized channel cat, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

If you try this, don't be wasteful with the bluegill.  One or two cut up should be plenty for a couple of hours of fishing.  Also, check your state's rules and regs.

In Texas, gamefish cannot be used as bait.  Bluegill are not considered gamefish.  Tight lines!!