Catfish Bait: A73 Key Fishing Information Catfish Structure & Edge Effects! And Blue Catfish Visit Our Website For Details!
February 23, 2010 by admin
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To move past the basics of fishing for channel catfish, and blue catfish you need to understand good catfish structure, and realize what edge effects are and what they do. You can be an expert at creating catfish baits but if you can’t find the channel catfish with any consistency you are just going to be hit and miss on whether you have a good catch of channel catfish. Understanding channel catfish, and blue catfish location is a key component of moving past the basics of fishing for catfish.
The definition of what is know as the “edge effect” is as follows: “The increased concentration of animals that sometimes appear when to habitats meet” Lets take this definition and relate it to fishing for channel catfish and blue catfish. Edges are very important to catfish fishing because both channel catfish, blue catfish will concentrate at certain edge lines within known catfish structure areas. If you can learn to read edge line you can save yourself a lot of time when you are on the water. Lets take for example you locate you are out fishing on a large reservoir and you locate a large school of gizzard shad but when you cast into the school you get nothing. Then you decide to move farther back from the school and just fish the edges. Wham! You get a hit and catch a 15lb blue catfish! Guess what you just used the edge effect!
The face of fishing structure for channel catfish , and blue catfish and flathead catfish has changed considerably in recent years. The this day and age you need more then just identifying where catfish structure is located. You need to understand where within that structure will the catfish be holding, and feeding. You still have to identify physical bottom changes, bottom debris locations and humps and depth changes but you also need to understand seasonal migrations and where and when channel catfish and blue catfish will be holding there. If you can get a good grasp of this concept you will be well on your way to being a very successful catfish angler.
I want to thank you for reading my article about Catfish Fishing. Have a great day!
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Bait Fishing: A68 Tips & Techniques Catching Catfish On Lakes! And Info On Mesotrophic Lakes Details Here!
February 9, 2010 by admin
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Typically catfish thrive in food rich and fertile waters such as in eutrophic lakes that are not in their final stages of eutrophication. You can use the following lake aging process as a guideline to find productive channel catfish, blue catfish,and flathead catfish waters to go bait fishing in.
Oligotrophic Lakes: (stable young, infertile coldwater)
During the early stages of eutrophication there are no catfish present.During the midstage of eutrophication there are no catfish present. During the late stage of eutrophication there are no catfish present.
Mesotrophic Lakes: (mid-stage water changing from cold to warmer)
During the early stages of eutrophication there are no catfish present.During the midstage of eutrophication there could be some stocked channel catfish present.During the late stage of eutrophication channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish start to thrive.
Eutrophic Lakes: (Late stage lakes have changed to warm water )
During the early stages of eutrophication ideal for channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish to thrive. During the midstage of eutrophication channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish are still thriving. During the late stage of eutrophication channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish could still thrive under certain conditions.
From the chart above you can eliminate a lot of of fishing waters if you are targeting just channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. Catfish will thrive in mesotrophic lakes in their final stages of their aging process and eutrophic lakes in all stages of aging. The main reason catfish thrive in mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes is because of the much warmer water temperatures. All catfish need water temperatures of 75 degrees to spawn and the water in oligotrophic lakes all aging stages, and mesotrophic lakes in the early stages of the aging process have water temperatures way below what is needed for catfish to thrive and reproduce.
Also there is a abundance of bait fish and vegetation in mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes both needed to fuel the metabolism of channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. You can use this information to your advantage when you are going to go bait fishing for catfish. Once you have identified what type of lakes are going to be productive for catfish you can concentrate on there locations and what catfish bait types to use at during the different seasons of the year.
I have had a great time writing this article we hope you enjoyed our information about Mesotrophic Lakes. We wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip!
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Bait Fishing: A63 Special Report To Fish For Catfish In Rivers! And Info On Slip Bobber Click Here!
February 5, 2010 by admin
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Click Here To See Old School Catfish Fishing Secrets From 12 Backcountry Catfishing Masters!
You might be surprised there may be 30lb blue catfish or channel catfish or even a flathead monster in a river very close to you. There are parts of small rivers and large rivers that change on the way riffles, holes, and runs always align them selves within the river systems. The key is being able to recognize a riffle because a hole follows down stream, and a run always follows a hole down stream. This pattern is never out of order in any river system. This seems simple but all three of these river elements change in size, in shape all along the river. Also what was identified this year as a good hole may or may not be there next year.
Once you start to recognize this distinct pattern on small or large rivers you can start to identify good holes that may hold populations of blue catfish and channel catfish and your bait fishing efforts will start to be rewarded with good catches of catfish.
Riffles will extend down river and will be shallow and have a hard bottom. The rushing water over these shallow riffles and the rushing water flow will then cut the softer sand and soil creating a hole. Holes are also called a river pools and blue catfish and channel catfish will hold here. Just a note all holes are not created equal. Some holes will only be 2 or 3 feet and may not hold any catfish. Blue catfish and channel catfish will normally hold in the largest and deepest holes. Runs are river flats that begin at the tail out of holes down stream. Many times silt and any debris starts a run by sinking to the bottom of holes. Runs make up the majority of the terrain in the rivers. Eventually runs meet a riffle and another hole will be created down stream of the riffle and potentially more catfish bait fishing opportunities.
Catfish are seasonal and will move to different sections of a river as the seasons change. But how far they move depends on the species of catfish. For example channel catfish may move into small tributaries far removed from the main river, but flathead catfish may only move one tributary away. Blue catfish will seldom move away from the main river and you will only find a very few in tributaries away from the main river. They just very seldom ever move from the deep water of the main river.
One very effective river catfish fishing rig is a slip bobber rig.Slip bobber rigs are great for drifting over catfish holes downstream to find holding catfish. To make a slip bobber rig slide a bobber stop up your line. Next slide a slip bobber on the line. Next slide a small egg sinker up the line, then tie on a two way swivel. Then tie on a 8” leader with a 3/0 to 5/0 hook. Your cutbait type will depend on the type of forage fish are native to the river. For example if creek chubs are plentiful then you definitely would want to be bait fishing with them either as a cut bait or live bait, either would work as your catfish bait selection.
I have had a great time writing this article we hope you enjoyed our information about Cut Bait. We wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip!
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Catfish Bait: A59 Amazing Information To Catch Reservoir Catfish And Info On Flathead Catfish Details Here!
February 5, 2010 by admin
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Blue Catfish in reservoirs is not a natural occurrence. Although bait fishing for catfish in reservoirs is booming today because of original stocking and migrations of native river catfish into the reservoirs. Reservoir building during the 1950’s, and 1960’s and still today, has opened up a vast water areas for catfisherman. The original habitat of channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, and white catfish have always been in the river systems of the United States and they still thrive there today.
Reservoirs are not a natural catfish fishery because they are created only when a natural stream or river is dammed. These new water impoundments vary in shape, size, depth, water color, productivity, and potentially many other characteristics. The flathead catfish populations as well as other species come from the migration of the species from tributary feeds, you can bait fish for catfish such as channel catfish, flathead catfish, and blue catfish in some reservoirs, but just about all the reservoirs in the USA hold very good populations of channel catfish.
To catch catfish in reservoirs takes some practice because natural habitat and structure is abundant in reservoirs. To catch catfish you need to understand the reservoir you intend to fish. It important you get your self a Topographical maps of the reservoir. They can normally be obtained from The army core of engineers. Many times local bait shops also have maps. Also paying attention to the catfishes food chain is important. For example reservoirs almost always hold large populations of shad. If you can find the shad schools you will locate some blue catfish, and channel catfish. Normally flathead catfish don’t follow the shad schools. One key indicator there are shad near is multiple birds flying around. This a good way to locate shad schools for bait fishing for catfish. If you are looking for trophy catfish then reservoirs are where you need to fish. Blue catfish, channel catfish, and flathead catfish grow extremely large in reservoirs. Catching a blue catfish over 30lbs is not uncommon.
Another key factor to catch catfish in reservoirs in understanding where the original series of channels were located. Catfish will remain a river fish instinctively even in reservoirs even in reservoirs. There will be good populations of channel catfish, flathead catfish, and blue catfish living in structure that is close to the original creek and river channels.
To catch flatheads locate areas near the original river channel or original creek channels. Flathead catfish are not a roaming catfish like the blue catfish. If you intend to go bait fishing for flathead catfish you will need to find there location. These fish will not move far.
To catch blue catfish in reservoirs head to areas that have current flow, and to where the shad schools are located. Blue catfish do not hold as tight to the original channels as do flathead catfish, but the will still be located in these areas. If you are going bait fishing for blue catfish you can use live catfish bait or dead cut bait, the blues like either. Their favorite food sources are oily schooling fish such as threadfin shad, gizzard shad, and skipjack herring. If you can locate the shad schools in reservoirs you could have a outstanding day of fishing.
To catch channel catfish in reservoirs you can fish anywhere in the reservoir where there is adequate catfish habitat. If there is a better spot for channel catfish on a reservoir it would be far up small tributaries adjacent to the main reservoir. They are like the blue catfish and they will feed on live baits such as shad and crayfish, mussels or cut bait. If you plan to bait fish for channel catfish through line just outside the current in structure areas channel catfish are like flathead catfish and do not prefer to stay in current.
We hope the information here has bin helpful about about Catfish Bait. Have a great day and the the best of luck to you on your next fishing trip
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Fishing Rigs: A61 Amazing Information To Pick The Right Catfish Tackle! And Info On Trophy Blue Catfish Click Here To Visit Our Website Today!
February 4, 2010 by admin
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Old School Catfish Fishing Family Secrets
There are no set specifications on what tackle you should use for big catfish in the over 20 lbs range, but if you have been a catfish angler for any length of time you understand that big fish like a 30lb blue catfish or a 25lb channel catfish will need some very powerful tackle. Our article today will focus on some suggested tackle.
When you are fishing big rivers and there is a strong current you need to go big on your tackle. A good surfcasting rod and reel combo spooled with 30 to 50 lb fire wire fishing line is a good start. The surf rod will get your catfish bait where it needs to be, and will help you when your fighting your big catfish. You will be able to cast your large baits into current areas and with the proper catfish fishing rig you will be able to keep you catfish bait on the bottom. When you fish strong current areas you will need a good supply of 4 to 5 oz pyramid sinkers the are the best bet to keep your bait from rolling. You will also need hook sizes from a 5/0 to 7/0 size range. A simple fishing rig would include the pyramid sinker tied on the end of the line and your 5/0 to 7/0 hook tied on about 3ft up the line with a loop knot. You could use gizzard shad or skipjack herring cut bait cut in large chunks.
If you are drift fishing for big catfish such as blue catfish and channel catfish you may want to use a 7 to 8ft medium power bating casting rod , or medium action open face reel rod with either a bait casting reel or a open face reel spooled with 30 to 50lb fire line. Make sure which ever reel you chose it matches your rod selection and is designed to use large pond test lines. The reason I suggest you get fire line is because the large test lines such as 30 to 50lb test have a diameter size about ½ of what monofilament line is. For you catfish bait fishing rig I suggest you use a what is called a three way swivel rig.
To Make a three way swivel fishing rig tie the three way swivel onto your line first. Next tie a 8 to 12 inch dropper leader with a 3 oz to 5 oz pyramid sinker. Next tie your 50lb test fire line leader 16 to 28 inches in length with a 5/0 to 7/0 hook. Just a note if the current is extremely strong you will need to go with a larger pyramid sinker, because you need to hold on the bottom to be successful.
For fishing large reservoirs a pontoon boat works great for fishing for large catfish such as blue catfish and channel catfish. But if you are fishing rivers they are not a good idea. If you plan on fishing large rivers with strong currents a good suggestion would be a 16 to 20 ft aluminum deep v designed hull boat. You want to have a larger boat so you have the room to maneuver when you are trying to land a large trophy blue catfish or channel catfish.
Well that concludes my article about Skipjack Herring Cut Bait. Have a great day and the the best of luck to you on your next fishing trip
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