How to catch catfish using an underwater float

Many fishermen dream of catching catfish, but not everyone tries to start targeted fishing for this mysterious and powerful predator. Some lack patience, others have faith in a positive result. Many people simply think that catfish would have been caught long ago when fishing for other predatory fish, but since this did not happen, it means there is no point in starting. But these people are mistaken! You just need a systematic and deliberate approach to fishing, namely a little theory about the habits and biology of catfish and, of course, suitable gear.

Description and lifestyle of catfish

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- the largest predator of fresh waters. Reaches 400 kg of weight and more than 5 m of length. However, anglers usually deal with catfish weighing 15–20 kg, no more. On rivers it lives in the deepest holes, and also lives in lakes, also hiding in the depths. In spring, in sunny weather, it occasionally goes out to the shallows to bask. Catfish is a heat-loving fish; it actively feeds and hunts only when the water temperature is not lower than 8–10°. As it decreases, it goes into the quietest and deepest holes, where it lies on the bottom and hibernates until the water warms up in late spring. It grows quite quickly, especially in the first years of life. Leads a solitary lifestyle, pairing only during spawning. As soon as the pike spawns, the catfish awaken from hibernation and immediately begin moving to spawn upstream the river, and in lakes - to the mouths of tributaries. At the same time, the pre-spawning meal begins.

Catfish spawning occurs during the flowering of mountain ash, in deep places, where they tear off a hole and lay eggs in it. After spawning, catfish guard the eggs until the larvae hatch from them, which lasts 3–7 days. This is where their concern for their offspring ends. They return to their usual sites - in the pits. In small holes, one catfish often lives. Large pits can serve as housing for several. They are very sedentary. Having chosen a hole, they leave it only to feed, but do not go far. Catfish hunting can sometimes be frighteningly noisy. They flop around so much that it feels like blocks of the shore are collapsing into the water. You can detect catfish when, after rising to the shallows or the surface, they go, releasing a chain of bubbles into the depths, more like the bubbles of divers, they are so large.

Best lures

Based on feedback from anglers, catfish are caught well with both natural and artificial bait. It is written about resin above. Catfish especially readily attack spoon baits in the spring. Twin spinners make noise and attract the attention of fish. Experienced fishermen also use heavy spoon baits.

Habits and habitats of catfish

Distribution of the common catfish
Catfish is one of the large freshwater fish. Leads a sedentary lifestyle. It lives in deep pools littered with snags, stones and logs. The catfish leaves its hole only during hunting, during floods and during the spawning period. Catfish are predominantly nocturnal fish, but are also active during the day before spawning. Spawns in shallows with clear water. The entire warm period is active, but in winter the catfish sleeps in the deepest muddy places of the riverbed.

Catfish choose the deepest pools for permanent residence. If there are dark, calm holes in the reach, the fisherman has nothing else to look for: catfish stay only there. There is hardly any point in fishing in places whose depth does not reach 5 meters and in which there are no wells and oak trees, since catfish will not live in these places.

Catfish lifestyle

Catfish begin to be caught immediately after spawning, i.e. at the end of May or at the beginning of June. The bite intensifies until the end of June, then gradually drops until mid-August, and finally stops in September. To catch catfish, you should wait until the water is completely clear. A quiet, warm night from dawn to sunrise is the best time for catching catfish with quok. When the sun rises, the bite usually stops. Catfish are rarely caught during the day, but afternoon bites are possible.

The catfish is most often very attached to its hole; it periodically leaves it to hunt and invariably returns there. The smaller the space around the hole, the more often the catfish swims out of it. Fishermen often take advantage of this, lying in wait for fish at the exit from the pit. The frequency of catfish release depends on the success of its hunt. If the hunt was successful, then the catfish will leave the hole only in the morning; if not, then after 30–40 minutes.

During the hot period of summer, catfish often appear in shallow places with the current. Small fish often accumulate in such places. If there are “cluttered” places near the riffle, then this significantly increases the likelihood of meeting a catfish, since it attacks its prey from hiding, being a rather slow fish.

How to choose the right place

The key point is the deep places:

• Pits;
• Snag;
• Svali;
• Brovki.

Large individuals most often live in snags, but it is very difficult to get them out of there. It is better to fish at the places where the holes enter and exit. These are usually flat surfaces. You can determine the location of the location using an echo sounder.

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Catfish can occasionally rise to the surface of the water. Thus giving away your location. For what purpose he does this is unknown.

Tackle and technique for catching catfish

Large catfish

- the desired catch of the fisherman. Catfish are caught using girders, bottom fishing rods, a track, a special method of “kwok” (kwok) and spinning rod. The bait for catfish is not only live fish, but also pieces of meat, worms, shell meat and molting crayfish.

Catching catfish using a kwok (the “kwok” method)

Catching catfish with a kwok
Catching catfish with a kwok

undoubtedly ranks first in the column of the most effective methods of catching catfish. Indeed, it is difficult to name a place where catfish are found and are not caught with quok. The very origin of the name of this method (“quack”) has two versions: the first - the quack resembles the voice of a female and the males follow it, the second - this sound resembles the croaking of a green frog, the favorite food of catfish or a drowning animal.

Fishing for catfish using kwok begins quite early, from the moment of spawning, on average in the last days of May. They usually croak on a bait, only in some forgotten areas they still practice croaking without bait, i.e. they lure the catfish closer to the boat with the help of a “waba” (aka kwok) and suppress it with spears.

The most common kwok is made from 25-35 cm planks, 4 cm wide and 2 cm thick, with a small indentation of 3 cm at the end (see picture). Another type of quok, the so-called catfish, which is more common and used, is 45 cm in length and has a somewhat curved shape. The materials for making quok can be: rowan, apple, bird cherry, elm. At the end of our workpiece we leave a rounded bamboo, from which we need to make something like a small glass, 3 cm deep and with an average diameter of 5 cm. Some fishermen have simplified the making of the kwok and the kwok method itself. Instead of a wooden quok, they use a straight cow horn, carefully cleaned inside, and at the end a small hole is made through which a fishing line is passed, to which a hook and bait are then tied, respectively, at the end, and several knots are made near the horn so that the fishing line does not jump out; a small sinker is attached to the fishing line 5-10 cm from the horn; the distance from the horn to the end of the fishing line is at least equal to the depth of the reservoir. Thus, the angler uses only one hand to catch the kwok.

When fishing for catfish using a hook, the following can be used as bait or bait: a sparrow, a green frog, a dried ram's head, an eel, a crayfish, an oyster, or just a piece of meat. They usually swim afloat, first swimming upstream and then downstream. The boat should be light, but not too narrow so that the catfish does not overturn it. No more than two people with one oar “on board” participate in fishing. If you have marked a hole where catfish live, then you should start right there, lower the live bait into half-water or spruce 1.5 m from the surface, wrap the fishing line around your fingers and with the same hand, using a catfish, begin to quack. After some time, the catfish (or several catfish) approaches the bait, sniffs it, and then sucks it in, at this time the fisherman removes the fishing line from his fingers and strongly hooks the catfish, if it is small (up to 8 kg), then feel free to pull it out onto the boat, in Otherwise, you need to let go of the line a little and tie it to the bow of the boat so that it does not tear the line out of your hands. Sometimes a catfish, being hooked, rises to the top and quickly throws itself to the bottom in the hope of breaking the tackle or overturning the boat, which most often happens with inexperienced fishermen.

Catfish are caught exclusively in calm, warm weather, in the evening, from the moment the sun sets below the horizon until it gets dark, and also in the morning, before sunrise. You can catch no more than 4 catfish at a time. In bad weather, you shouldn’t even go out into the water; the catfish lies deep on the bottom and lies motionless, not hearing the alluring sounds of the catfish.

Catching catfish with a bottom rod

See also: Catching catfish in the fall on a feeder

Bottom tackle for catfish

The first thing you need to start with is selecting the necessary gear for catfish. One of the most popular options when catching catfish is the common donka. Depending on the circumstances, you can fish with either a standard bottom tackle or use bottom tackle with a rod.

A fishing rod for catfish should have a large margin of safety and have a powerful blank. Many of the catfish's catching places are located close to snags, under which it constantly strives to go as soon as it feels that it is on the hook. Therefore, in this case, the only chance to catch him will be forced fishing, in which the reliability and strength of the tackle comes first.

When hunting for a trophy, specialized carp or sea casting rods will be the most suitable. On ordinary fishing rods, spinning reels with high power and a large spool are installed, starting with the 4000 marking. Such spools can be used to wind a sufficient amount of thick fishing line for casting and retrieving. The most suitable models will be carp and marine reels.

The thickness of the fishing line largely depends on the rod and reel used in the bottom. They will partially dampen the power of the fish, so you can use a thinner line. A mono fishing line with a diameter of at least 1 mm or, even better, a nylon cord is installed on a standard bottom without using a rod.

The weight and shape of the sinker depends on:

• bait used;
• fishing spots;
• currents.

Weighted sinkers are needed when using baits such as live bait, crayfish or frogs, which can pull the equipment to the side. If fishing takes place in a local place near snags or algae, then you will be accompanied by constant hooks. The strength of the current plays an important role. The thick fishing line used has great resistance to water flow. Therefore, the sinker for the current must be weighted and have a ribbed shape. In some cases, you can (and should) use a Tyrolean stick as a sinker.

In order to choose the right hook, you must first decide on the bait. For bulky and live baits (such as frogs, live bait), you need to use tees and doubles, and for a bunch of crawlers or shells, a single one will do.

This fish has a large mouth, so small hooks (so-called swallowers) are used very rarely. Hooks must be of high quality and strong.

How to make donka for catfish?

• This is perhaps the simplest question that an angler may have. The rig consists of a sinker and a leash with a hook. The sinker can be either an end sinker or a sliding intermediate sinker. It is advisable to make the leashes about half a meter, since it takes time to swallow the bait. With smaller leashes the number of idle bites increases.

How to catch catfish on a donk?

• You need to start by finding a place to install the donks. These should be typical catfish habitats. At first, you can put several standard donks on reels in local places (under a tree, near water lilies, reeds, etc.), and sit on the pit with a pair of rod dongs on a long cast. From time to time, in order to stretch your legs, you can go and check them and if necessary, transfer them. When installing the reel, take care to securely fix it so as not to be left without gear. Don't underestimate fishing at the feet. Just don’t forget that this is a fish that is shy of extraneous sounds, so be quiet and don’t turn on the flashlight unnecessarily.

What can serve as bait for catfish?

• Catfish are omnivorous fish and the main diet changes only with age. At first, the basic diet is worms, leeches, shells, etc. Over time, the traits of a predator appear and the fish switches to frogs, crayfish and fry. Even later, mice, large fish, waterfowl and small animals are eaten.

For our reservoirs, this is a real orderly, since in addition to living inhabitants, he does not disdain food that tastes “scented.” The sense of smell in such cases plays a major role, and when using such baits, the angler has a great chance of attracting a predator from a long distance. The most popular baits for catfish among fishermen are a bunch of worms (crawlers), crayfish, frog, live bait and a number of others.

Catching catfish using a spinning rod

Not everyone succeeds in catching a trophy catfish, but small catfish, up to 3–5 kilograms, are quite successfully caught using a spinning rod.

You can't catch catfish with light spinning rods. You need to buy a reliable and powerful fishing rod. If you are directly targeting large specimens, then a two-handed spinning rod will do. With a longer rod you can make a quality cast. Since baits can be of impressive size, a test rod needs to be 60-100 grams, powerful. With such a spinning rod you can catch big fish. A rod with a lighter weight can also handle a lot of weight, but it will take much longer to lift the fish off the bottom and land it. A rod with a very high test weight, about 300 grams, is not suitable for catching catfish by casting simply because it will be physically difficult to do.

The reliability of the reel should not be in doubt. The reel must be selected so that it can withstand sudden jerks when fishing. Reliability can be ensured by the largest number of bearings and the presence of idle speed. It is better to buy a reel with steel or bronze gears, it is more durable.

There should be a lot of fishing line on the spool, about 200 meters. Usually a braided cord of appropriate thickness is used. For powerful fish the thickness is up to 2.1 mm, for catfish - 1.4 mm. But still, when choosing a cord, you must be guided by the parameters of the gear. Everything must be balanced. If the breaking load of the cord is much higher than the characteristics of the spinning rod - rod, reel, bait, then the fishing efficiency will immediately decrease. A very large safety margin is not needed.

Particular attention should be paid to the hooks. If the hook is hardened, it will break when fishing for large fish. The next trick is to ensure that the hook is sharp and well sharpened, but even high-quality sharpening does not guarantee a bite when biting.

Catching catfish using a spinning rod

This fish can like any bait, as long as it is large in size. Catfish are caught using various spinners, oscillating and rotating, frogs, wobblers of at least 5 centimeters, jig heads, twisters with a length of 9 centimeters or more. You can use fish made from foam rubber to catch catfish. They are soaked in blood or catfish flavoring. Catfish are caught using artificial “frogs” and “mouse” wobblers. Catfish are often caught using a spinning rod using natural bait - live bait or dead fish, because catfish are known to feed on carrion.

When fishing for catfish, the retrieve should be leisurely, about 20 centimeters from the bottom. The game is sluggish with any bait. Oscillating spoons should waddle slightly; pauses are periodically needed, during which the spoon glides freely. This tactic gives positive results. Catfish loves it when the bait is in the water column and hangs. It should not immediately fall to the bottom like a stone.

Catfish bites begin with small twitches, followed by a powerful jerk. Sometimes it's just a jerk. You might think that there was a snag, but as the line unwinds you immediately understand that this is not so. When a catfish resists in the water, it comes at you with speed, so that you don’t have time to pick up the slack in the fishing line, or in the opposite direction, and you can drop the spinning rod from your hands. The main thing is not to let it go into snags. If he goes there, it will be almost impossible to get him. If the weight of the fish is impressive, then it is necessary to drag it using maximum effort.

When fishing for large catfish, a hook is simply necessary. Otherwise, the heavy carcass cannot be pulled out. A landing net is also used to pull out large fish. To make it more convenient to rest with a spinning rod, it is good to have an unloading vest while fishing.

Catching catfish with a spinning rod can be done all year round, regardless of the season. The main thing is that there is open water. In spring and autumn, you need to look for it in the pits where it sits out. In summer, especially at dawn or dusk, catfish are caught in good weather.

Secrets and features of catching catfish

• Hooks for catching catfish should be single, since an “equivalent” tee would be incredibly large, and with a smaller tee you can catch only one catfish out of a hundred that peck. A hook for catching very large catfish must be made well and of high quality.

• Catfish choose the deepest pools for permanent residence. If there are such dark, quiet holes in the reach, the fisherman has nothing else to look for: catfish stay only here.

• The condition necessary for successful fishing is silence. Don't knock, don't shuffle your boots on the boat - the catfish is not afraid of anything except knocking.

• Catfish are taken differently. A hungry, unbothered catfish, encountering a bait, boldly grabs it and rushes to the side. Since the movement of the boat does not always coincide with the direction of movement of the catfish, the angler always experiences a jerk. It can be either barely noticeable or very sharp when the catfish is hooked on its own. Such bites in the form of a strong jerk are remembered for a long time. The bites are the same when not one, but two or several catfish are walking in the pool. You must always be prepared for this kind of bite, do not get lost, avoid tangling the line and be afraid of being thrown out of the boat.

• But it happens that the catfish, having found the bait, does not grab it, but rubs near it, touches the cord, as if reluctantly takes the shells and immediately throws them away. After playing with the nozzle, the catfish moves away, then returns to it and fiddles with it again. Anglers call this kind of bite “sluggish”. The game of catfish with a nozzle is well transmitted along the line. If the bite is sluggish, they try to hook the catfish with a not very sharp jerk. Sometimes you have to hook several times until the catfish is thoroughly hit.

• Catfish is found more often in the southern regions of our country. It is the largest and voracious predator of fresh waters. Its weight reaches 250 kg. You can catch it from dusk to dawn. Sometimes he is caught in the morning hours. For example, there were cases when catfish were caught while fishing for pike perch.

• To catch catfish, strong tackle is used, nylon or silk line, which can withstand at least 10 kg of weight. The bait can be small live fish, frogs, a piece of meat or lard. Some people catch catfish using the fried meat of various birds. Small catfish can be caught using a bunch of large crawling worms or leeches.

• When catching catfish, one thing must be taken into account: it always tries to go with the caught prey under a stone or snag, from where it is difficult to remove it. You must approach the inversion without delay and, after hooking, try to bring it to the surface.

• When biting a large catfish, you need to tire it a little and then turn it purple. It is recommended to stun a very large catfish with a blow to the head with a special mallet, and in its absence, use an oar, and then row to the shore. In the fight against large catfish you need to be very careful.

• The scaffolding should not get tangled; for this purpose, the nylon scaffolding needs to be treated with drying oil. When playing, it should be pulled (slowed down). If necessary, allow the boat to be towed - this will make the catfish get tired faster and stop fighting.

Artificial bait for catfish

Catfish can be successfully caught not only with a variety of baits, but also with all kinds of artificial baits, such as:

• silicone baits;
• wobblers;
• spinners (spinners and spoons).

It is advisable to pay increased attention to finding the predator’s parking spot. If there are no bites for 30-40 minutes, you should change the place of fishing. When fishing a new place, it is recommended to alternate baits, determining the preferences of the barbel during the fishing process.

It is advisable to take large silicone baits for catfish. The best wiring is tapping on the bottom. Catfish are often caught using large spoons and deep wobblers.

What to use to catch catfish is a question to which there is no clear answer. It is necessary to try various baits directly on the river, selecting the most catchy one.

• Artificial bloodworm
• Winter mothless
• Silicone baits for pike perch
• Detailed review of Lucky John Ballist