Beginners catfish tips

[timenock]

I've been told there is catfish in a lake a fish, how would be best to find these buggers? Can I use my normal deadbaiting set up?

[catfish 1]

[quote="timenock"]I've been told there is catfish in a lake a fish, how would be best to find these buggers? Can I use my normal deadbaiting set up?

Go to ' Catfish Conservation Group ' website & you will find all the info. there..

[timenock]

Thank you :)

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

I think a lot for me would be if there are any pike and zander in the lake because of rigs etc
Deadbaits will be selective in one way, and boilies/ pellets will be selective in another way.
Personally I would use the large soft catfish pellets like these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DYNAMITE-BAIT ... SwT5tWL870 should avoid some of the smaller tench and bream etc and the catfish just luuurve pellets
Fish a couple of these on a hair with a few freebies scattered round over a bed of small pellets.
Pellets are so convenient for rigging, baiting/prebaiting etc
What size do the cats go to and what rods/reels/line have you got?

Cheers Alan

[timenock]

There are like there that's why I'm there ;)

I've heard on the grapevine that they may go to 20lb the cats but I'm yet to see proof of any at all. I've got some leeda predators of which I can't remember the t\c but they handle all my piking needs well. (Probably s***e but they have done the job ) and I use shimano baitrunneera s with 18lb mono on them at the moment (if I remember correctly) am I under gunned?

[pikin]

For fish upto 20lb you are fine with the gear you own.

A sprinkling of pellet and a big pellet hook will catch for sure. Do not ignore deads though and I struggled for years with Catfish until I realised that they feed mostly midwater to the surface. Their mouths are underslung like a Rudd.

Popped up Squid, surface fished livebaits work well also. I took 75 Catfish in 3 years from one lake and 90% were caught in the upper levels of the water.

[timenock]

Sounds good then, I float fish deads alot will that catch a cat?

[pikin]

Sounds good then, I float fish deads alot will that catch a cat?

Yup done that it does work. What I did was every hour banged a small patch of pellet around the bait.

Think about how many Catfish you may be fishing for though? Blanks are part and parcel of fishing for them if they are not feeding. How many fish could there be?

[timenock]

Sounds like I'll give it a go, there's,apparently a few and it's a small lake so I don't mind a blank or two if it ends with a cat . there's plenty of Pike in there too .

[pikin]

You may want to consider your hooklink material then as if there is a good chance of picking up a Pike you need something that will not get bitten through and be ok across a Catfishes mouth? Catfish Pro do something called Pikesafe thats cheap enough.
http://montonbaitandtackle.co.uk/index. ... ct_id=1532

[timenock]

Could I shrink wrap the trace wire? Or would it no be supple enough?

[pikin]

Catfish although they have a tough front and top mouth in the center have soft fleshy edge parts. Wire would slice it. I think shrinkwrapped wire would be too tough.

[timenock]

The pikesafe stuff is just PVC coated wire tho?!?

[pikin]

You can tie the Pikesafe into loops and knots. Try that with your shrink wrapped wire. If you think it will not be an issue go for it?

[timenock]

Ahh good shout, wasn't thinking of that!!

[Polyball]

Please don't use Wire or trebles

A decent cat hook, a 2/0 will suit most bottom bait worl, upto a 6/0 for livies

At that size of fish a nice 4" rudd fished under a polyball will see you right

[timenock]

I'm worries about a Pike taking the bait if it's a deadbait so probably will stick to Pike fishing to negate the chances of damaging a fish. Unless the pikesafe cat wire isnt going to harm a cat??

[pikin]

This is a brilliant very soft and supple PVC coated wire.
Pikesafe is ideal for Catfish hooklinks if you are fishing a water with a very high Pike population or at a venue where fishery rules dictate the use of wire traces with live baits. Being very easy to make traces simply twist the wire and heat with a lighter to seal or you can even Knot it. Also ideal for Pike and Zander fishing where you want a soft wire.
Pikesafe is rated at 25lb strain and is available in 15 meter spools.

Cut and pasted this from the link in an earlier post. You can not fish anything too fishy in a venue with Pike in it for Catfish without thinking about Pike welfare. Pikesafe is a material that I would use and have used and had no issues.

[timenock]

Sounds like I'll be investing in some of that then! I'd love a catfish

[Mark Phillips]

If you are allowed/can and jack pike aren't too much of a problem - fish lives... pretty much the 'go to' method. Else, I wouldn't bother with dead baits, based on my experience anyway. Not in any order... big pellets, squid, meat/sausage, worms and maggots (yes, they're awesome for cats) are the baits I would use in the absence of lives. This time of year (spring) squid is usually very effective as an early season bait - I've already had a couple of sleepy 40's on it this last week.

[Kevin O'Keeffe]

Funny stuff squid... don't smell or taste of much but catches fish of all sorts. Amino attraction of some sort.

I noted Dave muttons advertising article in P&P this month of low fat pellets for cats. Big chunks of processed meat like luncheon meat and bacon grill also work well. Big lobs in a buoyant bunch can be irresistible but also picks up numerous Pike in my experience.

[suffolk si]

Just come back from a good session,zigged lives are giving me about four runs to every one on pellet/boilie,definitely seems to be the going method on waters i fish Was playing one for ten minutes at two o clock this morning, the fights from them are awesome!