Fishing for catfish

[kevin.snow]

I am planning my first catfish session at the end Of March at Linear Fisheries near Oxford.

As this will be my first attempt for catfish,I am looking for any help regarding tackle setups / bait / tips etc.

I plan to fish for carp during the day fish for the elusive cats during the night.

Thankyou all in advance

 

Tight lines

 

Kevin

[cliffy]

hi mate--a few tips for you:

float fish for your livebaits in the day-check to see what you catch the most(roach,skimmers etc)

whichever is most common thats probably what they feed on most.

8-12oz fish are best for uk waters--12oz-11/2lb abroad(france).

fish livebait about a foot from surface(cats feed most here)ie:8ft swim--7 foot hooklink.

semi fix your lead as if you have it free running your bait tends to set off alarms while swimming about!

use size 1/0 catfish hooks(________s do great ones)

put a polyball on at least a 3 inch hair--tip------try a small kinder egg as a poly,put a few little bb shot in and the rattle sure does attract those cats.

make sure hooklink is abrasion resistent as cats have a very rough mouth .

and most of all--HANG ON-they fight like demons.

tight lines mate,hope i've been of help

[Vagabond]

quote:

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Originally posted by cliffy:

[QBs.

make sure hooklink is abrasion resistent as cats have a very rough mouth .

and most of all--HANG ON-they fight like demons.

[/QB]

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Yes - Quicksilver 45 lb braid is one good material for hooklink - and make sure your mainline is strong enough!

 

Good luck

[kevin.snow]

quote:

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make sure your mainline is strong enough

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What main line do you think I need, It was recommended that I use 20lb line

 

Kevin

[Newt]

20lb would be fine if the kitties are small and the water is open and your rods are limber and the line is stretchy.

 

FWIW - I use a minimum of 30lb (for the conditions as noted above except that the line doesn't stretch) and more often 50lb.

 

OTOH - my condititions may be very different than yours.

[peter mccue]

It'll be a different cat as well won't it Newt?

[boilies]

hiya,

this rig and bait will get the cats climbing up your rod to get at more... ledger 4-6 air injected lobworms and a pva bag full of salmon pellets soaked in pure red salmon oil.

 

----------------------------

 

tight lines!!!

boilies

[cliffy]

i only use 15ib line in the uk as there are not that many places that hold real biggies(legal)!!

if you ever go to one of the places that have those biggies in(love foriegn fish ) up to 20lbs is ok. go get em boy.

[Newt]

peter mccue:

It'll be a different cat as well won't it Newt?

Absolutely different peter unless it happens to be a water over there that has been stocked with channel cat and they survived.

 

However, our flathead catfish are very similar to the Wels. Large live baits by choice. Love areas with all sorts of cover and deep holes usually. Fight like a submarine. Only real difference I can see is the Wels gets larger since the largest flatty on recored is under 100lbs.

 

FWIW - it is difficult to catch flathead over here during the carp spawn as the bigguns will cruise the shallows at night and snack on carp so they are rarely hungry. A big one can easily slurp down a 5lb carp and probably bigger.

 

[ 17 February 2002, 09:31 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[David Johnson]

Following on from this, what would you do if you wanted to fish a venue for Cats with livebait but suspected the lake may contain a few Pike? The lake is full of small Rudd which I suspect the Cats feed on and worms just bring loads of tiny Perch.

 

I've read that wire traces can damage a Cat's mouth, but wouldn't want to risk leaving a trace in a Pike's mouth if one should pick up the livebait.

 

Cheers

 

Dave