Channel Cat Fishing

Like carp, channel cats vary widely in size depending on their age and habitat, so again the possibility of tying into a lunker is always present. But cats of almost every size put up such a commendable fight that smart anglers insist on using the standard light to medium spinning gear which allows them to play their catch with maximum control and entertainment. And like all coarse fish, catfish are predominantly scavengers that require bait presentations right on bottom. But because ultralight line seems to do little for the fish, you can get away with rigging a somewhat easier set-up than for carp. Simply add enough weight to keep your bait on bottom about 18 to 24 inches above a size six or eight hook and cast to likely-looking areas.

If you want to leave your rod standing on shore in order to stretch your legs awhile, strip about eight or ten extra feet of line into a loose pile on the ground below your reel. This will allow a cat to take your bait without feeling any undue resistance until you've had time to pick up the rod again and prepare for the fight.

If you prefer, you can troll your lure slowly along the bottom, much like in walleye fishing. Many of the walleye spinner rigs that you'd hook up with a worm or minnow will work quite well for channel cat. The simplest is the standard spinner with a rather round blade that revolves at slow speed.

At night you can try traditional scent bait fishing. Stick to live or dead minnows, dead smelt, or large worms on the egg sinker and sliding rig used in carp fishing. There are those, however, who claim the best night bait is a rotten piece of chicken, congealed blood, or chicken entrails held on a hook in a bit of nylon stocking since the cat is generally limited to its sense of smell in darkness.

The Wolf River rig is popular because of its walking action and because it doesn't get held up on bottom in water with heavy structure. Attached to your main line is a three-way swivel. To one of the remaining eyes attach a chopper line weighted with a heavy pyramid or bell-shaped sinker; to the other eye, one to three feet of leader and a hook with a live minnow. If the catfish are active, drop a long line, but if they're not, shorten your line a bit and get it right down on the bottom, allowing the minnow to swim around naturally. When fishing extremely heavy cover, such as farm ponds or small rivers, you can use a long, very stiff flippin' stick, the kind associated with largemouth bass. Since you'll be fishing structures like submerged timber or big rocks, you'll need much heavier tackle to horse out those fish. You can also use this heavier tackle (15 or 20 pound-test) in the deeper river mouth areas around the Great Lakes where 25- and 30-pound channel cats are quite a possibility. You'll be using up to a one-ounce sinker since you may be working in as deep as 25 feet of moving water.

Though still-fishing methods remain the most popular, there are other techniques you can use on channel cats with varying degrees of success. Their unique ability among coarse fish to use their sense of sight in search of food is particularly enhanced in clearer water habitats. So don't hesitate to bump a tiny jig or to drag a shiny spoon ever so slowly along a muddy or sandy bottom. Sometimes, even crank baits retrieved so they bump in and out of the silt or sand can grab a channel cat's attention.

Click to Listen!