Catching Catfish (and Everything You'll Need)
If you haven't fished for catfish yet, we'd implore you to give it a try. Not only is catfish season any season, but they're seemingly always eager to take the bait and you can catch them from the shore just as well as you can from a boat in the open water. They're also a fun fish to reel in because they often put up a nice fight, and they taste great for a meal to boot. As we said, it's fun fishing for catfish, and in this post, we'll cover a few popular accessories - like catfish fish attractant - to help you increase your catch. Here's a closer look at how to make your next catfish fishing excursion a successful one:
Catfish Fish Attractant and Other Fishing Accessories You'll Need
Here's a look at what you'll want to have on hand for your next catfish angling excursion:
Catfish Fish Attractant
Let's get down to business right away. While the right rod and tackle is essential, one great way to improve your chances of reeling in a keeper catfish is by using a catfish attractant. Catfish have a heightened sense of smell, so enticing them with some attractant often presents an ideal way to get more of them to bite. Nighttime is often the best time to fish for several species of fish, including catfish. It tends to be when waters are calm and catfish go searching for food, so get some bait, attractant, and get ready to cast your rod as the sunsets.
The Right Rod
You can't fish without the right type of rod, and being that catfish aren't known to go down without a fight, it's imperative that whatever you're using won't break after you hook one. We recommend at least a 6-foot rod and at least a 14-pound monofilament to ensure it won't give way or the line snaps when you're reeling one in.
Hooks
Just like you need the right type of rod to reel in a catch, you'll also need the right type of hook to capture them on. We suggest Octopus Circle Hooks size 3/0 at a minimum. Use at least No. 7 swivels along with them. This should enhance stability.
Other Tools/Accessories
Finally, you'll want to make sure you have some other key accessories at your disposal. Like we've mentioned, catfish tend to fight after you've hooked them, so it's always a good idea to have a net nearby to help capture them when they get close enough to you, thereby further minimizing the chance that they'll get off the hook. It's also a good idea to have a rod holder installed on your boat or dock, or staked into the shore. You can place your rod in these holders as you eye the bobber for bites. And finally, we'd suggest keeping a pair of pliers in your tackle box to help remove the hook from your catch.