• ODT Gun Show & Swap Meet - May 4, 2024! - Click here for info

Catfishing tips

Gabrassfisher

Default rank <1500 posts
ODT Junkie!
133   0
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
1,377
Reaction score
1,788
Location
North Atlanta
Just getting into serious catfishing, and picked up a 10 foot jonboat an trolling motor so will have some mobility. I've caught catfish before, but not regularly or in numbers. Any tips, tricks would be greatly appreciated. Located metro Atlanta. Thanks!!
 
Chanel, blues, flatheads I would say use live baits. Live can also be cut baits. Chanels will readily eat worms. I used to like livers or other stinky concoctions for bullhead or butter cats. They are notorious bottom feeders but they feed on top too. Im not really a catfish fisherman, but i catch alot bass fishing. That is normally with a shad imitation. When I was younger, it was an all night affair. It didn’t matter if they bit all day.
 
buy the cheapest rice you can find,spread it out in a likely looking catfish spot.Come back in 30 minutes and fish dead shiners cut in half on bottom.Use to use like 15 20 lbs in an area
Never heard of this. Bookmarked :hungry: I have done the chopped chicken livers in stockings though, worked on the Etowah but it's been a long time .
 
I've caught many hundreds using a bait cage instead of a sinker about 12-18 inches up from the hook and bait the hook with a worm or firm dough bait. Whatever bait you are gonna use, out some very small pieces in your bait cage too. Works cut into very small pieces, little chunks of dough bait, liver chunks, makerel.....whatever you prefer. Here is a commercial bait basket link.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Promar-S...WTvVKE6rNgHvrG9KztHo6Itl5nPqeed0aAs3CEALw_wcB

I wouldn't use commercial, too expensive. Go to the home goods store and get a 1" schedule 40 PVC. That'll cost about $2 for 10 feet. Cut it into lengths about 2 to 2-1/2 inches and drill a bunch of holes in it donut looks like the commercial one. Doesn't need to be neat or any particular pattern. In one of the holes put a large fishing tackle snap swivel. That's what you'll use to rig it. On the end of your main line put a snap swivel. In that swivel hook on your basket and your leader and snap it closed. Pack your basket full of scent. There is commercial stuff that works great, creates a great scent cloud. You can just pack it with smelly, oily dough bait too though.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZZ8E3C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_iX97EbJDDSE89

You also don't need to worry about the end caps on the basket, just leave it open. You can add some rice in too if you like.....just have something smelly and oily in there.
 
Great tips guys! I've used a chum bucket but little success. Have my chicken breast, jello koolaid garlic powder concoction as well. Going to try the cage method and santee cooper rig as well!
 
I've caught many hundreds using a bait cage instead of a sinker about 12-18 inches up from the hook and bait the hook with a worm or firm dough bait. Whatever bait you are gonna use, out some very small pieces in your bait cage too. Works cut into very small pieces, little chunks of dough bait, liver chunks, makerel.....whatever you prefer. Here is a commercial bait basket link.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Promar-S...WTvVKE6rNgHvrG9KztHo6Itl5nPqeed0aAs3CEALw_wcB

I wouldn't use commercial, too expensive. Go to the home goods store and get a 1" schedule 40 PVC. That'll cost about $2 for 10 feet. Cut it into lengths about 2 to 2-1/2 inches and drill a bunch of holes in it donut looks like the commercial one. Doesn't need to be neat or any particular pattern. In one of the holes put a large fishing tackle snap swivel. That's what you'll use to rig it. On the end of your main line put a snap swivel. In that swivel hook on your basket and your leader and snap it closed. Pack your basket full of scent. There is commercial stuff that works great, creates a great scent cloud. You can just pack it with smelly, oily dough bait too though.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZZ8E3C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_iX97EbJDDSE89

You also don't need to worry about the end caps on the basket, just leave it open. You can add some rice in too if you like.....just have something smelly and oily in there.
Awesome stuff, where do you weight it? Or how?
 
If you use dough bait in the basket that's plenty of weight. If you use something that dissolves and disapates more quickly like that commercial chum you can either add a sliding egg sinker above your swivel or a weight with a brass eye onto the swivel. Unless you in fast current though the basket is usually enough.
 
Back
Top Bottom