Catching big catfish is not a matter of luck so much as persistence. You have to go fishing with the right baits and rigs, and then you have to put the time in.
Catfish do not offer as quick or as thrilling sport as largemouth bass or striped bass, but if you get into fishing for big catfish you might find yourself hooked-it can be a very rewarding type of angling.
If you are interested in cooking catfish (and big catfish do taste good if you know how to cook them) then check out my article Southern Catfish Recipes.
Big catfish are caught on big baits. One of the best baits is live bream. You can catch little bream at along the shoreline of any lake or river and use them for catfish bait.
Bream are a wonderful bait because that is what big blue and flathead catfish are eating anyway. Catfish love to sneak into shallow water, especially at night, and gobble up bream. Chuck your bream out there on a fishfinder rig and leave it for awhile. Let it swim around and a catfish will find it.
Other live fish make good big catfish baits. On some rivers and lakes shad are a big forage fish for catfish, and small live shad can be deadly on big cats. You can also use big live minnows on the bottom to catch big catfish.
One trick when fishing big live fish like bream, shad, or minnows for catfish is to wound the baitfish slightly. Clip off the top fin with a pair of scissors or make a cut along the back with your bait knife. This simple trick is actually very effective, since catfish hone in on wounded baitfish naturally and the baitfish will leak out blood and juices that stir catfish up.
Another good but seldom used big catfish bait is bloodworms. Most freshwater anglers don’t use bloodworms and they aren’t available everywhere. Fishermen in the Carolinas, however, have been using them for striped bass and saltwater panfish like spot for a long time.
Bloodworms come from Maine and are shipped down into the Atlantic States. If you can get some they make a great bottom bait for big catfish, much better than just plain earthworms.
If you can’t find real bloodworms there are now artificial bloodworms marketed by brands like Berkley and Fishbites (usually sold as saltwater baits) that work just as well and that big catfish will hit. You can buy them online as well. Check them out here: Fishbites and Berkely Gulp.
For big catfish you probably want to use a simple fishfinder rig. Just slide on an egg sinker with enough weight to get to the bottom (I usually use one ounce or more), then tie on a swivel and use about 16 to 18 inches of 20 lb mono test line as a leader.
The best fishing for big catfish is always at night, but they can be caught during the day. Just try big live baits or bloodworms and you’ll hook that trophy catfish sooner than you think.
