And you, in turn are floating quietly above him - almost motionless in your boat; you have the finest catfishing gear that money can buy; you know how to attract them because you've done this many times – but this time, it's different. This time, you're going after the big one.
He's down there and you're up here. How are you going to coax him to approach your catfish lures? What will tempt him beyond his catfish senses? What are you going to use which will entice him and persuade him to explode out and take your catfish lures? If you've chosen an overcast day, following a rainstorm or spring thaw, you've chosen a good day. The water level will have risen and the flooding around newly submerged vegetation attracts all kinds of aquatic life and this means that catfish are out there in hordes, gorging themselves. And that monster cat may be among them.
And he's the one you want – the smaller ones can stay there, gorge and grow.
Let's take a moment and examine the different kinds of catfish lures used by anglers to get the big ones. The type of bait you use will decide which kind of catfish you'll attract. So, we need to make sure we're using the best catfish lures before going out. Many anglers believe that live bait is more effective than others – bluegill or shad, which you can catch with a casting net the day before and keep overnight. Those who know these things tell us that the big, mature flatheads and blue catfish are more likely to be tempted by live bait – place your hook either through the lower jaw up to the nostrils or in behind the dorsal fin. Another place is to hook it firmly, right at the end of the tail – a big live ten to twelve inch baitfish will drive that big cat crazy – and he will be yours.
You're an experienced angler – you already know that you need carefully selected gear when you use live catfish lures. You need a medium-heavy to heavy action rod rigged with a minimum twenty-pound test along with spider line with a minimum fifty-pound test line. He deserves to be honored with respect - and the best gear you can get. You'll also need twenty-pound test leaders and numbers two to six circle hooks for him. Make sure you attach a sinker at the end of the fishing line and use a top-quality swivel. Goliath may take it into his head to roll once you've got him and the cheaper brass swivels may not be able to handle him.
If you prefer to use the old, traditional "tried, tested and true" catfish lures then we need to make sure that it is smelly. Catfish love stinky smells and they're very effective. Consider using crawfish – catfish love them and it's one of the best catfish lures available. Remove the shell and put the crawfish right on the hook – catfishes love the tails. You can get crawfish from bait or tackle stores or you can catch your own if it's spring or fall; use a crawdad trap
No crawfish – no problem. Use shrimp because to a catfish they look and taste very similar. You can use whole shrimp as your catfish lures or shell them and cut them in half. Shrimp are great as catfish lures because they stay on your hooks, even in a stronger current or when you're casting or drift fishing.
But what if it's not spring or fall when you go catfishing? You can use clams if you're fishing in a lake and it seems that they're more attractive as catfish lures when frozen or processed. But you already know what the best catfish lures are – shad, perch, small frogs, chicken livers, night crawlers, worms – and anything which smells awful to you is heaven to a catfish.
You don't need any help from me – you've got the necessary gear, catfish are biting, your catfish lures are the best.
All you want to do is land that monster catfish, take a picture and release him so that he can gorge himself until next time – when he'll be even bigger!
(ArticlesBase SC #4791133
