Catching catfish with live bait

Catfish is a giant freshwater predator, a favorite target of many bottom fishermen. This inhabitant of rivers and lakes reaches enormous sizes; catfish weighing more than 300 kg have been encountered. One of the most common and catchy ways to catch this fish is live bait fishing. They catch catfish with live bait on a bottom from the shore or with various tackles from a boat. In this article we will look at this interesting and very catchy type of catfishing. Catching catfish with live bait is very interesting because you have to fight with really big and strong fish. After all, if a 5-kilogram carp is considered a decent trophy, then for catfish this is not weight at all. And to cope with this fish you need really strong gear. Although sometimes it is possible to pull out this giant of rivers and lakes using inexpensive Chinese fishing rods, it is better not to take risks and take more reliable gear. Now let’s proceed directly to choosing live bait.

Choice of live bait

The main criterion for choosing live bait for catfish is its size. Depending on the size of the specimens found in your pond, the live bait is selected. Typically, the caught catfish is 8 times the size of the live bait. That is, live bait weighing half a kilo most often catches catfish weighing at least 4 kg. If there are larger catfish in your reservoir, then use larger live bait - 1-3 kg. Although it is difficult to call such a fish a live bait, because it is a full-fledged trophy, but if you want to catch a really large catfish, you will have to sacrifice. Another very interesting point is that catfish bite much worse on purchased live fish. Therefore, you need to catch live bait directly in the same reservoir where you are going to catch catfish. Catfish have a very developed sense of smell, perhaps that is why it prefers local fish, or perhaps it’s all about the behavior of the stranger. The type of fish for live bait for catfish has absolutely no meaning. The only thing is that it must be the kind of fish that is found in the waters where catfish are caught. For catfish there is absolutely no difference - narrow-bodied or wide-bodied baitfish. Its mouth allows it to swallow prey 2 times smaller than its own size, so for a catfish weighing 10 kg, crucian carp of any size will be an excellent snack. When fishing for catfish, it is almost impossible to go too far with the size of the live bait. But, if you are a novice fisherman, start with smaller bait fish about the size of your palm or a little larger. Gradually increasing the size of the live bait and, as a result, the catch. But fishing with large live bait requires long waits for a catfish bite, while small live bait can provide regular bites throughout the entire fishing trip.

How to put live bait on a hook when fishing for catfish

The method of placing live bait on a hook when fishing for catfish depends on the strength of the current in the body of water where you are fishing. If there is no current or it is not significant, the bait fish clings under the dorsal fin. The hook or tee must be threaded so as not to damage the fish’s spine, otherwise it will very quickly lose activity, which will not be very useful for catching catfish, although even such a catfish can easily bite. When catching catfish in the current, bait is baited on a hook or tee by the lip, then the movements of the live bait will be more natural. The baitfish will hold its head against the current and make movements that attract catfish. Another way to firmly secure a live bait on a hook is to thread a leash through the gill opening and bring it out through the fish’s mouth, and then attach a tee to the leash. This way the tee will stick out from the fish's mouth. This method of placing live bait on a hook when fishing for catfish allows you to keep the bait alive and mobile for as long as possible, because you absolutely do not injure the bait when hooking it in this way. An alternative way to place live bait on a hook without injury is to use a regular rubber band for bills. Wrap the rubber band around the fish under the tail several times so that it is pressed tightly against the fish’s body, and fix the tee under this rubber band. The fish does not get injured and remains mobile for a very long time, at the same time its movements will resemble the movements of a wounded fish, which will attract the catfish even more. Some fishermen, in order to minimize trauma to the fish when hooking it, hook it through the body of the fish as close as possible to the caudal fin. Thus, not a single vital organ of the fish is affected and the baitfish remains mobile for a long time.

What baits are used?

Artificial

The main artificial baits for catching catfish are the following.

Jig

Silicone baits are used for jig fishing. The most commonly used are twisters and vibrotails. Lure sizes start at 5 inches. Since catfish have a well-developed sense of smell and taste, in certain periods, especially at high water temperatures, it makes sense to use “edible” rubber. There have been cases of catfish being caught on “edible” silicone worms, placed in a bunch on a hook, when they were playing attractively in the current.

Wobblers

Catfish are caught using wobblers mainly by trolling. Large wobblers shaped like “minnow” and “shad” are used. Wobblers can have different degrees of buoyancy

An important condition is active personal play. Depth may vary

Expert opinion Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.

It is useful to have baits with different depths in your arsenal in order to catch catfish both in holes and on riffles.

Oscillating spoons

Heavy spoon-shaped spoons are most effective for catching catfish. Also considered catchy are spinners made from two plates that produce a loud sound in the water.

Rotating

When catfish enter shallow water, they can be caught with large spinners of size No. 5 or larger according to the Mepps classification.

Animals

The following animal baits are used to catch catfish:

Crawls. The crawlers are placed several at a time on the hook so that the sting is covered. No matter how many crawlers are baited, most likely the prey will be a medium-sized catfish.
Frogs. The frog is placed on the thigh of the hind leg. Central and southern Russia is home to large sharp-faced frogs - a real delicacy for catfish. A catfish of any size can bite on a frog.
Live bait. It is believed that the larger the bait, the higher the likelihood of catching a trophy catfish. The best live bait, according to many fishermen, are gudgeon, loach and spikefish. Roach, perch, white bream and silver bream, although they are encountered by the catfish at every turn, are not so attractive to him as live bait. The situation is even worse with crucian carp and crucian carp, but they are not hopeless if there are no other live bait.
Leeches. The large false horse leech lives in many reservoirs and the catfish is familiar with it firsthand. Leeches, like crawlers, are placed on a hook in a bunch.
Meat of bivalve mollusks. Toothless and, in particular, pearl barley have a specific odor and serve as excellent bait for catfish. Mollusks live in the same reservoirs as catfish, and collecting them in the required quantity is not difficult.
Crayfish meat. Crayfish are quite often included in the diet of catfish if they live in burrows located in steep banks. The best bait is crayfish neck. It is advisable to use crayfish during the molting period, when their shell is not as hard as at other times.
Chicken giblets. This bait is successfully used for catching catfish of any size. It is better to attach the giblets to a treble hook.
Chicken liver. It is believed that it is better to expose chicken liver to the sun for several hours so that it acquires a specific smell. To prevent such bait from falling off the hook, it is wrapped in a mesh.
Meat fillet. Catfish can also be caught using pieces of regular meat, without bones, of course.
Fish cutting. Fish cutting is also a fillet, but from fish. Cut long narrow strips. The skin of the fish should not be removed so that the bait stays on the hook better.
Fish waste. Sometimes fish tails, heads and offal are used as bait, but this bait is inferior to others in terms of catchability.
Squid. This bait has become popular relatively recently. The tentacles of store-bought frozen cephalopods are used for fishing. Squid meat has an incomparable smell that catfish really like.
Locust. It is not always possible to obtain this insect, since it lives only in the south of the country. Locusts are placed on a hook several at a time.
Medvedka. The mole cricket lives in the ground. You can collect it under old manure. These insects are also put on several individuals per hook.
Carcasses of small birds. Chickens and sparrows are used as bait.
Expert opinion Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.
Before placing a bird carcass on a hook, it is advisable to scorch it over a fire so that it acquires a specific smell that is extremely attractive to catfish. Particularly large specimens of the predator are often caught on bird carcasses.

blood;
liver;
fish oil, etc.

Read Fishing for trout using spinning rods on platnayas and streams

Where to look for catfish

In order for catching catfish with live bait to be successful, you need to know where to place this bait. After all, if you throw the tackle where there are no catfish, then you won’t get a catch. And you should always look for catfish in the pits. Each catfish has its own favorite hole, from which it never leaves for almost a minute. Often several large catfish hide in deep holes at once. Having discovered such a hole, you can very successfully catch catfish and end up with a good catch. You can detect such a hole in several ways: • with an echo sounder; • marker; • pulling the load along the bottom; • by catfish behavior. Finding a hole by dragging a weight along the bottom is very easy. Throw a heavy sinker away from the shore and wait for it to fall to the bottom, count how many seconds it will take for the sinker to reach the bottom. You can know that the sinker has touched the bottom by the sagging of the fishing line or the twitching of the rod tip. Your first cast is the starting point. Now make a few turns of the reel and stop, again count the seconds while the load is lowered. If the load takes longer to lower on any of the broaches, then the depth has increased. If the depression is decent, you should fish this hole. If the bottom topography is uniform, then you are unlikely to find catfish here. Walk a dozen meters along the shore and repeat the procedure again. And again you need to calculate how long it takes for the load to sink to the bottom after first touching the water. If the load takes longer to lower than when fishing the first area, it means the depth has increased and perhaps this is where the catfish hole is located. It is also quite easy to find out where its hole is by the catfish’s behavior, but not everything depends on you. The fact is that quite often the catfish creates huge splashes right above its hole. This huge fish rises to the surface of the water and turns sharply, slapping its tail on the water. Typically, this behavior of catfish is observed in the evening twilight, and even more often during thunderstorms. The catfish makes noise directly above its favorite hole, so all you have to do is make an accurate cast and wait for the bite. But it is not always possible to notice catfish splashes, so it is better to search for catfish places in advance, before fishing.

Optimal time

Like any other fish, catfish are active at certain times of the year. It is then that predators begin to actively move in search of food, looking for the most convenient habitats and undercuts where small fish accumulate. After going through puberty, catfish stop loving the sun's rays. Their priorities regarding their habitat change. As adults, catfish search for deep areas with sandy soil. In small rivers, catfish prefer to hide in the grass, even if the thickets of plants are located close to the shore.

By the way, catfish traditionally look for a ready-made habitat created by the flow of water. But if necessary, they can make their own “housing” themselves. They also make caves in the ground. Quite rarely, catfish with a sedentary lifestyle can be found in hydraulic pipes. According to experienced fishermen, the most productive period is considered to be from late summer to early autumn. That is why at the end of August you can meet many people on reservoirs who want to try their luck in catching a trophy specimen. Donka is an important tackle for catching catfish in the spring, especially in May. The coolest place during this period is considered to be the exit from the pit where the fish lived in winter. But it is best to wait until the water in the reservoir warms up. The catfish will start cruising around the reservoir, which means it will probably get hooked. Fishermen claim that catching catfish in the summer is considered the most exciting activity. They are in constant tone, do not notice either fatigue or time. But the most important thing is that all their efforts are rewarded with an excellent catch.

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In summer, catfish are found not only in the depths, but also in the shallows, which is why fishermen have an increased variety of places to fish. However, the best is traditionally considered to be a quiet pool. In the evening, catfish are especially active. As soon as the sun goes below the horizon, predators appear right on the surface of the water, creating noisy splashes. Ideally, summer catfish fishing should be done at night. You should use a frog or a small fish as bait. It is worth using several fishing rods, hanging a different bait on each hook. If you didn’t manage to catch a catfish on the first night, but managed to find its trail, don’t be upset. Having memorized its passages, subsequent night fishing will certainly be successful.

However, with sudden temperature changes and pressure changes, the biting stops. Catching a catfish in such conditions is a real miracle. Catching catfish in the fall is very simple and very interesting. The weather is appropriate, the predator feels excellent, leads an active lifestyle and even rises to the surface of the water. And if it becomes cloudy, he tries not to leave his home and looks for food there.

In the autumn period of the year, it is very difficult to determine the location of catfish. Therefore, you will have to look for a predator with the help of other fish, for example, carp or bream. Where there are a lot of them, there will probably be a catfish waiting nearby. The autumn bite is also affected by the fishing location. It’s better to throw the donkey into holes than to wait for a predator in shallow water. A good time for autumn fishing is early in the morning. The maximum silence of nature increases the chances of catching a large catfish.

Experienced fishermen, in turn, have drawn up a schedule for catching catfish on a donk, calculated for the entire period of activity of the predator.

In April, the predator wakes up from hibernation. He begins to hunt and get food. This is a good time for catching catfish on a donk.
At the beginning of May, the catfish leaves for spawning, and accordingly, its fishing stops.
At the end of spawning, the predator becomes active. A bottom fishing rod will help you catch catfish of any size.
The entire summer period is the time for catfish activity. In July, especially in the evening and at night, is the most favorable period for fishing both from a boat and from the shore.
After mid-September, the catfish bite decreases as the predator begins its migration period.
From November to March, fishermen should forget about catfish, as they are in hibernation.