Catch Bigger Catfish

Catfish are a fun species to target.  They taste good, and they can get big.  The trick is to know the difference between the species.

There are three main sub-species:  bullheads, channel, and blue.  If you're looking for a big cat, you can ignore bullheads.  Most only grow to a pound or two.  See below.

That leaves channel and blue.  In order to target those bigger cats, the first thing you have to do right is the time of day.  Catfish will bite at any given time of the day, but their activity increased a LOT during the wee hours of the night.  With a moon like the one below, you won't even need a flashlight!

Next up is the bait.  If you want to avoid the little bullheads, stay away from using worms.  Instead, I would use one of four baits:  hotdog weenies, cut bluegill, cut shad, or cut carp.

I'm a BIG fan of hotdog weenies.  There's a separate post on here that will show you how to put them on the hook.  Bigger catfish seem to hone in on them quick enough to beat their smaller counterparts to the dinner table.  Case in point.

As usual, all fish were released unharmed.  Tight lines!

Berkley Cut Shad Powerbait Review

I've never had a lot of success ... or confidence ...in dough baits.  But, as the cliche goes, the proof's in the pudding.

Here's a pic of the product.  It works!

The package recommends a treble hook, but I prefer a size 2 barbed plain shank.  The fish was released unharmed.  Tight lines!

Targeting Bass Near Cattails

Bass are predators.  That's one reason they hang out near cattails.  That's where the bait fish are.  The other reason is that the cattails provide protection for the bass from their own predators.

Here's the reed line of the creek I fished tonight.  The lure I used is in the foreground.

You can see that the creek isn't very wide.  Crank baits are heavy, and they tend to sail when you cast them.  Fishing the cattail edge requires a very gentle, finessed cast.  Ideally, you want to land right at the edge of the reed line and reel the crank back toward you.

By the way ... you'll still over-cast from time to time.  You'll probably even loose a couple lures.  Just accept that now.  The more you do it, the better you'll get.

I hooked this guy on the far side of the creek at the reeds' edge.  He put up a fight about twice his size, and he tried to run back into those reeds.  Be prepared for that.

As usual, the bass was released.  Tight lines!

Choosing the Right Bass Crank Bait

In my opinion, the best way to pick a crank bait is to go to the lake first.  Observe the bait fish.  If it's legal in your area, you might even toss in a cast net and see what types of bait fish you pull out.

In my case, what clued me in was a thunderstorm that stranded baitfish in the grass when the water receded.  I saw lots of dead gizzard shad.  So I went to the store and got a lure that looked like a gizzard shad.

As you can see, I've had luck with it.

Here's a better look at the fish.

Not big, but fun all the same.  Below is a snapper I saw sitting on the side of the road.

I released the bass, and I left that snapper where he was!!

Tight lines!