Habitat
Catfish can be found in a variety of waters such as ponds, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and streams. You can catch them in clear water, murky water, shallow water and very deep water. Catfish can adapt to so many different environments, which is why they are so widely available in so many different states and countries.
Fishing Rigs
You can keep it real simple if you want when fishing for catfish. Most live bait rigs work great for targeting catfish. Take a look at our fishing rigs section for catfish to learn more.
Live & Natural Baits
Catfish will eat a variety of live, natural and dead baits. Take a look at our live & natural baits section for catfish to learn more about what to use and how to use it to catch more catfish.
Rod & Reel Recommendations
Based on the type of catfish, you may be using very light tackle or a very heavy rod and reel. Learn more on our rod & reel recommendations for catfish page.
Fishing Line Recommendations
You can use a wide range of line sizes based on what type of catfish you are fishing for and where you are fishing. You can go from 6 to 8 pound test for bullhead catfish in a pond or 50 plus pound test for huge catfish in a river. Learn more on our fishing line recommendations for catfish page.
Eating Catfish
Catfish can be hit or miss depending on who you ask. Love it or hate is how most people feel when they describe eating catfish. You can find catfish at almost every major super market in the U.S., so you have a lot of options if you want to eat some catfish. Most people fry them in oil with their favorite fish batter. Adding a little bit of lemon to the fish helps make it taste better for a lot of people.
Fish During Low Light Conditions
Low light conditions are almost always better for catching catfish. During the day, the sun will almost always push catfish into deeper water. During the spring, this may not be the case because catfish will seek out the warmer water in the shallows. Once the spawn is finished and catfish head into deeper water, the sun will have more of an effect on where they will be found. During the summer, expect to find catfish in deeper water when the sun is out. At night, good numbers of catfish will move back into shallower water to feed. They usually are quite active in the early morning, late evening and through the night.
