Features of choosing a boat
It is necessary to decide on the number of fishermen. Depending on this, you need to choose the size of the boat. After that, you should choose the type of boat. It is recommended in any case to use a metal boat. It is the most resistant to various external influences. These include damage to the boat by fish fins or knots of underwater snags. It is also recommended to cover the frame of the boat with sheets of foam or rubber. In this way, you can avoid noise when the boat is docked with any objects. Otherwise, when using a metal boat, you can greatly scare the fish and you will not be able to catch anything.
Where and when to look for catfish
The fishing time to catch catfish comes almost immediately after the reservoir is freed from ice. Even earlier. You can successfully catch a giant by carefully approaching the hole above the hole. Well, as soon as the ice melts, the catfish begins to become more and more active. This activity lasts until late autumn with a short break for spawning. Depending on weather conditions, it can begin at the end of April, mid-May, and even at the beginning of June. The signal for this important process will be the water temperature rising to 15 degrees Celsius.
The best results can be achieved in the morning and evening dawns, as well as at night. During the day, the catfish prefers to lie somewhere in a hole, leaning its wide side against a flooded tree or snag. You can lure him out of his favorite shelter only by quoking, and provoke him to bite only by passing the bait right in front of his nose.
Tackle for catching catfish from a boat
Today, there are various types of gear for catching any fish in different ways. The main gear designed for catching catfish from a boat is the following.
Kwok. This is one of the most common devices for catching catfish. The principle of its operation is to attract catfish using sound signals. The catfish, having heard specific sound waves, swims to the place where they appear, where it is caught using bait and a hook. It is recommended to catch catfish using quok in summer or autumn. The exception is June, as it is characterized by spawning. As for the time of day, this fishing method is suitable for both day and night fishing. Fishing before a thunderstorm will be very effective. It is worth quoting on large rivers, lakes or other bodies of water. It is recommended to choose bodies of water with underwater holes or ditches. In addition, catfish can be easily caught in backwaters, where they often rest.
Spinning. There are two ways to catch catfish using a spinning rod: trolling and casting. Regardless of the fishing method, it is recommended to use a wobbler or silicone fish with a jig head. For trolling, you need a rod with a weight of 100 to 120 grams. It is also recommended to purchase a long leash made of soft metal cable. As for fishing by casting, it must be carried out in the shallows. In such cases, it is possible to use heavy casting spinning rods.
Bottom tackle. This is the most outdated, but quite effective tackle designed for catching catfish from a boat. It is distinguished by its simplicity. Its design includes a durable nylon cord, sliding weight and hooks. The peculiarity of this gear is that it can also be used when catching catfish from the shore. It is stored on a reel.
Spinning
Catching fish that grow up to 100 kg leaves its mark on the equipment of the spinning rod. Spinning rod for catfish should be powerful, long (2.7-3 m) with a cast of 60-100 g. Such requirements are simply explained.
A long, powerful rod makes it easier to cast heavy baits and easier to land large fish. A large power reel should hold 200 m of braid no weaker than 30 lb.
When fishing with a twister, which will not be a problem to deepen, it is better to use a 50 lb line. Only with such equipment can you really compete with real giants.
When catching catfish with a spinning rod, it is necessary to take into account the slowness and sedateness of this fish. Large individuals will not chase fast-moving twisters and wobblers, especially if they move high above the bottom.
Therefore, the main parameters of wiring are a smooth, uniform movement at the very bottom
• If it is a wobbler, then it is important to deepen it so that it moves from the bottom no higher than 25-30 cm
• Jig fishing is used when using heavy spoons and silicone fish. The catfish bite resembles a light poke while the bait is immersed.
After hooking, the large fish tries to escape at a constant speed into the shelter, and the small catfish run away in jerks.
Trolling
The fishing line in trolling gear is used both monofilament, with a diameter of 0.4-0.6 millimeters, and braided, its thickness is from 0.25 to 0.4 millimeters.
Casting
Catching catfish with a spinning rod by casting from the shore or boat also requires the presence of a durable heavy-class rod and a powerful multiplier reel. The optimal length of the blank should be nine to ten feet with a test of sixty to one hundred grams.
In this case, the fishing line used is braided or monofilament; its tensile strength should ensure that a possible trophy can be fished out; its strength should be thirty pounds or more.
As has already been said, not everyone succeeds in catching a trophy catfish, but small catfish, up to 3–5 kilograms, can be quite successfully caught using a spinning rod.
Rod
You won’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.
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.
Coil
Catching catfish with a spinning rod requires good quality and durable gear. Fishing rods for catfish are usually not very long, since good controllability of the tackle is required.
This series also includes the Zeck Pro-Cat short and soft 100 280 rod, 280 cm long.
The powerful Black Cat Extreme FD power reel will also contribute to success in catching and landing large catfish. This is a professional reel with a powerful aluminum rotor, an aluminum body and side plates, multi-layer corrosion protection, and a gear ratio of 4.4:1. The MegaDrag friction pack contains oversized carbon washers.
The reel can be wound with Catline XH-O braided line with a diameter of 0.55 mm, designed for catching large catfish. This line is capable of forced landing of trophy fish from the bottom in difficult terrain and difficult fishing conditions. Dense weave structure, high breaking load, good wear resistance.
Catfish tackle, as you already understand, should be as reliable as possible. She must be ready to withstand serious loads when fighting this truly serious fish!
Description of catfish fish
Methods of catching catfish
Catching catfish using kwok
Catching catfish using girders and hooks
Catfish bait
You can learn about other fishing methods on the All About Fishing website.
Good fishing online stores will allow you to purchase any fishing goods at competitive prices!
The fishing gear page will tell you about many popular gear and devices for fishing.
Fishing baits - we describe in detail live, plant, artificial and unusual ones.
In the bait article you will get acquainted with the main types, as well as tactics for using them.
The most preferred tackle for shore fishing is bottom tackle. This fish feeds at the bottom and rises to the surface of the reservoir only if some small animal or bird falls into the water.
Choosing gear depending on the type of fishing
Being the largest inhabitant of freshwater bodies, catfish can offer strong resistance when fishing. To get it out of the water onto the shore, you need to use strong tackle.
It must withstand not only the large weight of the predator, but also suppress its jerks. The choice of fishing tool depends on the type of fishing.
Gear requirements
When going to the store to buy tackle for catfish, you should choose reliable designs that are ready to cope with any load. There are also a number of requirements that need to be taken into account:
- Rod. It uses powerful fishing rods, adapted for a long fight with a large predator. The best option is a fiberglass model, about 3 m long (if you use longer models, this will complicate the process of controlling the jerks of the fish in the last minutes of fishing). The test load should be 100-300 g for live baits and 100-150 g for artificial products.
- Coil. For catfish fishing, use a reel with a 200 m spool made of durable materials. Experts recommend buying inertia-free models for sea fishing or multipliers. For the average catfish, they are made of metal.
- Hooks. You can catch catfish with both homemade and factory hooks. The main thing is that they are made of high quality steel. The type of hooks is determined by the size and weight of the bait. So for a large bait, use a large product numbered 8-10, and for meat shells, worms and light baits take a smaller hook (No. 5-6).
- Network. Catfish fishing is carried out using a thickness of 0.35−0.7 mm. Unlike classic fishing line, braided line can withstand loads of up to 30-60 kg. When catching small catfish, the use of fishing line is allowed. Its diameter should be at least 0.6−0.7 mm.
- Leash. It is advisable to use Kevlar models, which have increased flexibility and resistance to strong jerks. The breaking load indicator reaches 50−150 kg. Products made from this material bind well, are not afraid of stretching and are protected from being bitten. A good alternative for a Kevlar leash is a thick fishing line, at least 1 mm thick.
From the shore
You can catch catfish from the shore using either spinning or bottom gear. The second option is considered the most convenient, but does not belong to the category of sports. It involves installing a stationary structure on the shore and waiting for a bite.
When preparing equipment, it is necessary to take into account the specifics and location of fishing. If fishing is carried out in places with an abundance of snags, stumps and other bottom debris, it is better to use a strong fishing line with a reserve.
Single models with a long shank are used as a hook, since they are less likely to get caught on snags. The diameter of the fishing line for donkey is at least 0.6 mm. The optimal weight of the sinker is 200-300 g, and the shape is oval with a longitudinal hole.
The bottom tackle is equipped with a leash 1-1.5 mm long. A good bait for catfish is a live frog. The predator is also interested in the smell of spoiled tripe.
In open water, barbel is caught from early spring until late autumn. Sometimes winter fishing for catfish is allowed, provided that the reservoirs are not covered with ice. But it is difficult to predict how the catfish will behave in winter if its activity decreases greatly during the cold season.
From the boat
The principle of boat fishing is practically no different from shore fishing. At the same time, the presence of a swimming device allows you to change the casting location in the event of a lack of bite.
To attract a trophy, you can use a clever device - “kwok” - catching catfish using this device always brings a good catch. It creates a specific sound that attracts fish from a great distance. The bait used is live bait, frog or crawler.
