To move past the basics of fishing for channel catfish, and blue catfish you need to understand good catfish structure, and realize what edge effects are and what they do. You can be an expert at creating catfish baits but if you can’t find the channel catfish with any consistency you are just going to be hit and miss on whether you have a good catch of channel catfish. Understanding channel catfish, and blue catfish location is a key component of moving past the basics of fishing for catfish.
The definition of what is know as the “edge effect” is as follows: “The increased concentration of animals that sometimes appear when to habitats meet” Lets take this definition and relate it to fishing for channel catfish and blue catfish. Edges are very important to catfish fishing because both channel catfish, blue catfish will concentrate at certain edge lines within known catfish structure areas. If you can learn to read edge line you can save yourself a lot of time when you are on the water. Lets take for example you locate you are out fishing on a large reservoir and you locate a large school of gizzard shad but when you cast into the school you get nothing. Then you decide to move farther back from the school and just fish the edges. Wham! You get a hit and catch a 15lb blue catfish! Guess what you just used the edge effect!
The face of fishing structure for channel catfish , and blue catfish and flathead catfish has changed considerably in recent years. The this day and age you need more then just identifying where catfish structure is located. You need to understand where within that structure will the catfish be holding, and feeding. You still have to identify physical bottom changes, bottom debris locations and humps and depth changes but you also need to understand seasonal migrations and where and when channel catfish and blue catfish will be holding there. If you can get a good grasp of this concept you will be well on your way to being a very successful catfish angler.
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Typically catfish thrive in food rich and fertile waters such as in eutrophic lakes that are not in their final stages of eutrophication. You can use the following lake aging process as a guideline to find productive channel catfish, blue catfish,and flathead catfish waters to go bait fishing in.
During the early stages of eutrophication there are no catfish present.During the midstage of eutrophication there are no catfish present. During the late stage of eutrophication there are no catfish present.
MesotrophicLakes: (mid-stage water changing from cold to warmer)
During the early stages of eutrophication there are no catfish present.During the midstage of eutrophication there could be some stocked channel catfish present.During the late stage of eutrophication channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish start to thrive.
EutrophicLakes: (Late stage lakes have changed to warm water )
During the early stages of eutrophication ideal for channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish to thrive. During the midstage of eutrophication channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish are still thriving. During the late stage of eutrophication channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish could still thrive under certain conditions.
From the chart above you can eliminate a lot of of fishing waters if you are targeting just channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. Catfish will thrive in mesotrophic lakes in their final stages of their aging process and eutrophic lakes in all stages of aging. The main reason catfish thrive in mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes is because of the much warmer water temperatures. All catfish need water temperatures of 75 degrees to spawn and the water in oligotrophic lakes all aging stages, and mesotrophic lakes in the early stages of the aging process have water temperatures way below what is needed for catfish to thrive and reproduce.
Also there is a abundance of bait fish and vegetation in mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes both needed to fuel the metabolism of channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish. You can use this information to your advantage when you are going to go bait fishing for catfish. Once you have identified what type of lakes are going to be productive for catfish you can concentrate on there locations and what catfish bait types to use at during the different seasons of the year.
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Channel cats are the most studied species of catfish, but compared to other game fish studies the amount of data available is minimal. Most of the data that is available about channel catfish’s seasonal movement is based on just a few rivers, lakes and reservoirs that have been watched closely.
One factor that remains constant when you are talking about seasonal movements of catfish is the fact that the length of daylight effects all species of catfish. Some species such as the channel catfish are effected more then other species such as the blue catfish and flat head catfish. Actually the length of day effects small organisms and all animals up the food chain to include game fish. The intensity and length of light effects drives the yearly migration and spawning and feeding patterns of channel catfish, blue catfish, and flat head catfish. If you can learn these patterns you will enjoy more productive channel catfish bait fishing trips on a regular basis.
The channel catfish’s movements can be analyzed by using a very good the catfish calendar that the In – Fisherman developed. This calendar can be obtained by purchasing their book In – Fisherman Critical Concepts. Basically the calendar divides North America into the Southern range, The Midrange, and the Northern Range. The calendar has ten periods which include catfish pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn, pre-summer, summer peak, summer, post-summer, fall turnover, coldwater, winter. Each of these periods is posted on the calendar through all months of the yearin all ranges, so you can predict where catfish will be and what kind of catfish bait you can use in your local area. Or if you are planning a trip to catch a mess of catfish out of state you can use the calendar to pick the best time of year.
The winter period includes the coldwater and winter periods. The coldwater period is considered a long period of time when the water temperature stays below the norm for catfish. Channel catfish will continue to feed during this period but they won’t be as active when compared to other times of the year. If you plan on going bait fishing to catch some channel catfish at this time of your look for deep water holes that is where they will be holding for the winter. Temperature ranges in the winter average from 32 degrees to 39 degrees in Manitoba to 40 degrees to 50 degrees in Florida.
The spring coldwater period arrives right after ice-out in the north and when the water temperatures in the south start to rise. Channel catfish will still be located in deep holes. Unlike walleyes, pike, and sauger, who move quickly into their spawning period, channel catfish, blue catfish, and flat head catfish do not spawn for tow three more months away when water temperatures rise to 75 degrees. When water temperatures rise above 50 degrees channel catfish, blue catfish and flathead catfish will begin to move out of there deep holes looking for the years winter fish kill. This is an ideal time to use gizzard shad and skip jack herring as your catfish bait. All catfish species will be aggressively eating the deed fish kill, even the flat head catfish who normally feeds primarily on live bait fish, such as bluegill, perch, and other catfish and forage fish.
The pre-spawn period is when the channel catfish will start it’s migration to smaller rivers, and tributaries to look for food and to find good spawning areas. In lakes or reservoirs this migration may be to the mouth of any incoming creeks or rivers into the lake or reservoir. This time of you’re a good catfish bait would fresh mussels and large live creek chubs and large shiners. The main difference between the pre-spawn and early spring period is that the channel catfish’s metabolism is increasing and they are becoming more active so they are aggressively looking for catfish bait.
As the water temperatures rise to 75 degrees catfish such as the channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish enter the spawning period. Channel catfish will spawn for over a month so bait fishing efforts will not be effected. Channel catfish are extremely active and aggressive during the spawning period. A good catfish bait would be cut baits such as gizzard shad, soured mussels, or creek chubs.
The settling period includes the post spawn and the pre-summer periods when water temperatures rise to about 80 degrees and above. The channel catfish has the same activity level and feeding patterns during the summer as they do during the spawn period and your bait fishing methods and catfish bait can remain the same. As the water levels start to drop the channel catfish will start their move to deep water areas down stream or deeper areas on a lake or reservoir. They will still feed aggressively during the night hours in shallows but move deeper during the daylight hours.
The summer period which includes summer peak , summer and post summer periods occurs when the water temperatures rise to 80 degrees and above. The summer period includes much of July, August, and September. Summer is the prime time to fish for channel catfish because they are predicable and actively feeding. You can continue to catch channel catfish while bait fishing using cut bait for your catfish bait selection. Some common bait fish to use for cut bait are gizzard shad , skipjack herring, shiners and creek chubs.
As the cooling period starts channel catfish and blue catfish will head for deeper holes in rivers and lakes. And will be less active as the whole cycle of life starts over again.
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Shallow lakes and reservoirs often have featureless basins and shallow shorelines. You can catch channel catfish by drift fishing the large basins using cut baits such as gizzard shad, creek chubs, and shiners as you catfish bait selection. A good bait fishing catfish rig for drift fishing would be a three way swivel rig. Use a sinker large enough to stay on the bottom and a 5/0 to 7/0 hook.
To fish shallow reservoirs and lakes at night head to the shallow shorelines because bait fish will concentrate at night there. If you are fishing in a boat locate edge lines where soft pan bottom turns into sand or rock. Drop anchor here and cast your catfish bait towards the shore line. You can also attract channel catfish to your area by dropping a underwater fishing light and chumming the area. You can catch channel catfish while your bait fishing with a simple slip bobber rig, or by fishing tight line.
Cover edges in shallow water are also excellent areas to catch channel catfish because the channel cats are attracted to abundant numbers of bait fish such as shad , minnows moving in and out of the cover. They are also attracted to shallow flat areas adjacent to cover that are sandy and have a good population of mussels. These areas are extremely good under winding conditions. Use bait fish such as gizzard shad cut into pieces for your catfish bait. Or if you find a adjacent flat that has a population of mussels use the mussels as bait. You can also use soiled mussels by extracting the mussel meat and let it soak in sour milk for about two day prior to your fishing trip. Just a note, channel catfish love mussels so do not overlook them as a catfish bait.
If you are going to target roaming channel catfish on large featureless flats, try to fish with a three way swivel rig fishing rig, while drift fishing because your catfish bait will be suspended slightly off the bottom. Use live bait such as creek chubs or shiners, or cut bait such as gizzard shad as your catfish bait selection. Make sure your sinker selection is large enough that it constantly bumps bottom as you are drifting. To locate a good drift fishing starting point on these flats look for a slight look for points that have a slight depth change.
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