Catfish: Gimme the 101

[RiverShoes]

So we've been fishing for bass for a while, but my buddy and I are thinking of trying to catch some cat.

What's the

Best bait to use?
Best time to go?
Best place to look for them? (We're thinking of going on the Cumberland)
Other gear I'd need...

Tips!? :)

[jaseguy30]

Now, I've only been on here for a bit, but i've been fishing catfish for about 15 years, and on the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi River.

I fished around the Cheatham Dam most everyday for about 2 years and learned some things from the seasoned veterans up there.

Of course, every catfisherman has their own way, i've had the most success with Skipjack. Go out to swift running water by the walls of the dam and tie on a few white or chartreuse crappie jigs and pull em through the water pretty swiftly, close to the top. I caught 3 at a time a few different times when they are biting, all around a pound a piece one time (that's a fun fight on your ultralight gear).

Cut em up, use it all. It's a really oily fish that drives the cats wild. As for where to find em, I don't have the best tips there. In my experience, the best cats (flatheads and blues) came out during the late july- august parts of the year in deep channels or under submerged logs.

If you're fishing the Cumberland get the biggest Cat gear you can find, who knows you may hang the next record Blue. I've seen guys fishing with poles that look like saltwater gear. Mine is close to that. Buy big test monofilament, and buy steel leaders. I've had the best luck putting big sinkers down and letting the bait float about a foot from the sinker.

Early Morning and Late (sundown to night) has been my best time to catch them.

Again, alot of these guys could tell you alot more. But the skipjack has always worked great for me on the Cumberland.

[RiverShoes]

Sweet! That's good stuff..... Keep it coming guys! Help out a n00b!

[Travis C.]

I don't catfish very much anymore. But I do remember there were always articles on fishing for them at the mouth of the Stones River. Never tried for them there. We always went to Cumberland City to battle the big blues in Feb.

It was pretty much a carolina rig with big line, big sinkers, 8/0 circle hooks and fresh cut skipjack. We fished everything from laydowns to rock piles near the main channel. Also, we moved from place to place quite a bit and not much sitting on one spot waiting.