Catfishing

Catfishing is different than most other kinds of fishing and requires a completely different method of fishing. A lot of catfishing is done at night. This is not required but the catfish seem to be a little more active at night.

Catfish are bottom dwelling fish that rarely come to the surface of a lake or river. They have no teeth and use suction and gulping to eat their food. Since they stay on the bottom of a lake their eyesight is horrible. Instead they use their "whiskers" to feel and detect food; they also use a highly developed sense of smell. The whiskers, along with their bony fins, can be used as a defensive system when they feel threatened. They stick out their fins and lock them into place causing them to be sharp spikes that can cause a lot of damage. Some of the catfish species are even poisonous and can cause hospitalization or death with their sting.

Fishermen often use "stink bait" when catfishing. This is used so that catfish are able to find the bait more quickly. Most avid catfishers have personal "secret recipes" for their bait. Most are homemade and most smell awful!

It is not uncommon for a catfish to weigh over 20 pounds. This makes it imperative to use high strength line and a sturdy pole when catfishing. There have been occasions where fishermen have caught catfish that weigh in excess of 100 pounds!

When catfishing make sure that you bring the proper equipment. It is also important to make sure to be careful and watch for the catfish's spikes and whiskers to avoid injury. Learning the proper place, bait, and methods are a personal choice that must be learned with experience.