Catfishing Tackle and Gear

Choosing catfishing tackle depends strongly on the time of year you intend to fish, as well as what variety of catfish you intend to target. In most circumstances, catfish fishing doesn't require a lot of specialized gear. In fact, you can be a little lazy and still land a small catch or two with these creatures.

They are opportunistic feeders and will bite on just about anything with a pungent smell that excites their senses. After all, most catfish find food based on their sense of smell as opposed to sight, so this is the most important part of choosing your bait.

Currently in the United States, only two types of fish are more popular among anglers than cats - black bass and panfish. Therefore, the sport can be quite competitive. To assure yourself a good catch, be sure to know what type of catfishing tackle is going to produce the best results.

You can opt for a heavy 8-foot baitcasting outfit with 30-pound line for catching catfish weighing in excess of 40 pounds, or you can aim for a catfish in the range of three to fifteen pounds with a typical bass fishing rig using 10- or 20-pound test line.

This would be accomplished by either a baitcasting or spin rig on medium-sized rivers and lakes with bait or even lures (though these would not do as well as live bait). Also try light gear in the summer for smaller species, not weighing in excess of eight pounds.

This light catfishing tackle method can be accomplished often without a boat. In the heat of the summer, it can be enjoyable to cool off by wading out into the water (perhaps a small river, stream, or even a neighborhood pond) with some light spinning tackle. Your gear is limited, needing to fit into a shirt pocket or small shoulder bag that won't get in your way.

Use a light-action rod that is around six feet in length and a spinning reel spooled with 6- or 8-pound test line. Take a small box with No.1 to 4 hooks, a split shot, and a few bobbers. Just about any kind of bait can be used with this catfishing tackle - try crickets, grasshoppers, chicken livers, night crawlers, and minnows.

For ease of carriage, you may want to bring minnows in an aerated bucket floated from your belt, leaving your hands free to work. You may opt to use a small sinker weighing about an ounce with a snelled hook a foot or two above it as an alternate catfishing tackle for light days.