Can you use a regular hook to catch catfish?

What do you use to catch channel catfish?

• I've been fishing for channel catfish for several years now and I want to know how other people catch them. I am not asking how to fish for them because I know how and I can catch ...show more

• Answer:

  .........."by whomever has the most correct info"......? "Correct" to whom? You? Fishing is subjective and can change regionally and hourly. There is no "absolute's"..... With that said........ Are we talking trophy or eaters? What gear? - When I'm targeting Cats, I (typically) use my old Garcia 6500 C3 (with Clicker), 7' Ugly Stik Tiger Lite rod (H), 20 LB Berkley Big Game line with a 3-4 FT leader of 25-30LB (Seaguar) Fluro. I might go as high as 40LB for a leader if the structure I'm fishing requires it..... I can catch most Channel Cats with that set-up (here in MN). The average sized Channel in MN is around 5-12LB's with 15-20's caught regularly. Obviously, you can catch them with much lighter gear, but, up here on the Missi the line-catching structure and log-jams are thick. I hate to lose fish! And there are some BIG Flatheads up here- you never know when one might come around. Where and When??? Where?? - Mississippi River mostly. I've caught a few small ones on the St. Louis River. When??- I like the colder months personally- Fall. The rivers are usually down at this time and you can find them more easily at this time, (because they have to move to the holes). What I look for? Here in MN we have limited Channel Cat waters. We don't have 15 rivers that harbor good sized C-Cats. We have roughly 5. SO, I go to one of those. I typically fish around bridge abutments, the first or second bend in the river upstream from a Dam, and any place that's got depth (20 FT plus), slow water and tons of wood. Time of day??? - When I can GO, (and can get off work)! (lol) If I had a preference, I'd choose 5:00 PM - 11:30 PM. Evening to "dark-thirty" seems to work better than early morning for me. Bait??- Live Sucker or Shiner- 6-8". I've caught a few on my brined baits and prepared hotdogs too- but, they are usually very small. What rig??? Well, I've used a number of rigs, but, my favorite is a big Slip-bobber rig with a wounded 6" Sucker. (I'll slice the back tail of the Sucker to make it bleed and fish that presentation RIGHT smack dab in the middle of a log-jam or wood pile. It works!) Of course, the Slip-sinker rig (Carolina rig) is a must in fast flowing water. I use a Pyramid sinker instead of a barrel - it holds 100% better. (You gotta have a Sinker Slide for this presentation!) Circle hook- Heavy wire sharp 3/0-4/0. To be honest, I don't do much Catfishing now-a-days. In the last 7 years I've concentrated mainly on Bass, Pike, Walleye and Musky. (Hey, its MN! You gotta catch what you can catch where you are- right! lol) BUT, I'm moving HOME soon (to Fla) after a long stint in MN. The Pensacola area is teeming with Catfish (Blackwater River!)- and, most importantly, you can EAT them! (You can't eat any C-Cats that come out of the rivers in MN- unless you want to "glow" from mercury poisoning.) Understand, when I go Catfishing I like to EAT them.