Catfish Fishing

Welcome to our Catfish Fishing Home Page

The 3 major types of catfish that most anglers have heard of are channel catfish, flathead catfish, and blue catfish. There are also white catfish which are smaller and usually don’t exceed 20 inches. Bullhead catfish are found in three different kinds: yellow, brown and black. Bullhead catfish are the smallest of these catfish. They rarely exceed 10 inches in most waters.

Catfish Fishing Tips

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Baits, Rigs & Techniques	Tackle Recommendations

Best Fishing Rigs	Fishing Line Recommendations
Best Fishing Techniques	Fishing Rod & Reel Recommendations
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Habitat

Channel catfish are most popular because they are found in so many types of waters. Channel catfish can be found throughout the country in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. Most channel catfish are in the 2 to 3 pound range, but there are lots of channel cats caught over 10 pounds with a world record over 50 pounds. Flathead catfish are almost as popular. They are found throughout a large portion of the country and are very common in rivers and reservoirs. Flathead grow bigger with average fish above 5 pounds in most rivers, many fish caught over 50 pounds and a world record over 100 pounds. Blue catfish grow very big also. They are located throughout the central and southern parts of the United States. There aren’t as many blue catfish as there are flatheads and channel cats, but the blue catfish that do exist grow very big. 50 pound blue catfish are not unheard of and the world record is listing at over 100 pounds.

Some of the Ugliest Waters Hold Some of the Biggest Catfish

Unfortunately, some of the best places to catch big catfish are also some of the ugliest waters to fish. You can find some very big catfish on the many rivers that have very murky water and less than ideal surroundings for a nice vacation destination.

Live Baits Work Better for Big Blue Catfish & Flathead Catfish

Anglers usually think of dead baits when they think of fishing for catfish. However, the big blue catfish and flathead catfish will often feed on live baits, so if you’re looking to target these big fish, try using live bluegill, big shiners or sucker minnows.

Dead Baits Work Great for Channel Catfish

For channel catfish, it is tough to be fresh, cut bait. Dead bait seems to work better and live baits when fishing for channel catfish.

Lures Will Catch Some Catfish, but Live, Dead & Natural Baits Work Best

Many anglers report catches of good-sized catfish on artificial lures such as crankbaits and spinners. However, you will consistently catch more catfish by using live, dead and natural baits.

You Can Get Away With Sloppier Rigs Than Other Fish

Catfish are often caught by anglers who use fishing rigs that would be considered sloppy by many anglers. In murky water, you can get away with rigs that are not very stealthy when fishing for catfish. Some anglers will have big swivels that connect big hooks with super heavy line. You would think these rigs would not work nearly as well, but so many anglers do well with these types of rigs. Fishing for catfish is a lot different than fishing for smallmouth bass in clear water.