Please select your home edition
Edition
Sea Sure 2025

Best tips for catching a catfish

by Robalo Boats 1 Sep 2018 15:06 BST
Catfish © Robalo Boats

Are you a cat person? No, we're not talking the age-old battle between "cat people" and "dog people." We're talking about anglers with a penchant for catfish—mud cats, polliwogs, chuckleheads.

Whatever you call them, catfish make for some seriously great catches—and today, in honor of National Catfish Month, we're taking a closer look at some of the best ways to land one of your own. Just read on!

Know where to go

Some anglers may be seeking out catfish specifically—and we can't blame them! Catfish are fun to catch and come with just a small learning curve, making them a top choice to fish for the entire family.

If you're one of those in search of some "mud cats," you will want to plan your trip accordingly by heading to a catfish-friendly spot. That typically includes rivers, reservoirs and other freshwater destinations located throughout much of the country. Even the Sunshine State of Florida, which is perhaps best known for its offshore scene, sees its fair share of catfish in spots like the St. Johns River!

Safe bets are destinations along the Mississippi River and throughout much of the South (there's a reason fried catfish is so often associated with Southern cooking, after all...), though more Midwestern states also boast their share of cats. Three of them—Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri—even claim catfish as their state fish, and the on-the-water action in these places does not disappoint.

As far as the water itself goes (when you're choosing between one site or another), the "perfect spot" depends on a few factors, including the time of day. During midday, the catfish—famous "bottom feeders"—are more likely to be found out in the depths of a lake or river, while their search for food come twilight will bring them closer to the shallows near shore. That makes lakes with meandering coves and crannies especially fruitful when everyone else is wrapping up for the day.

Finally, don't forget about river bends and spots where the water moves along easily—catfish like to go with the flow and, often, hide out a bit. So, spots with underwater holes or downed plants, logs, etc. caused by the moving water's erosion might be just what you are looking for.

The bottom line? Chances are, wherever you are, there's a catfish zone not too far away.

Know your cats

We all have expectations of our time on the water—including the kinds of fish we will catch! If you have your heart set on catching a cat that looks just like the one your friend recently caught, you'll want to brush up on the species distinctions so you can know what to look for.

Blue catfish will often be some of the biggest you spot on the water, and can grow beyond 100 pounds! The body is a clean, solid blue, blue/white or near navy—and as far as bait goes, fresh bait, whole or cut and always oily, is best. (Think skipjacks, for example.)

Channel catfish are typically gray or brown, and won't typically grow to the impressive blue's size—however, this is the most common catfish species, so if you're going for quantity, look out for channels!

Finally, you can tell flathead catfish apart by their brown, spotty coloring and absence of a forked tail, which both blues and channels have.

Opt for high-visibility line

Wondering when to use that bright, high-visibility line? When you're fishing for catfish! Since they love the muddy, murky water best, they can be hard to spot. The brighter line will help you notice movement as a cat bites or brushes by, letting you more easily guide your catch out of the depths.

Meet the slip-sinker, your new best friend

Have you ever heard of the slip-sinker rig—otherwise known as a Carolina rig? If not, get familiar with it, since this is a true best friend of the catfish angler.

The slip-sinker works with the catfish's natural behavior of sticking close to the bottom of the water. Like its name suggests, this rig sinks down to the bottom and stays there, settling in until a catfish (again, a fan of the water's floor) happens upon it. Just be ready with your rod, since the initial bite can take you by surprise! When it happens, you know you're in for a treat. There's no better feeling than landing a big, photo-worthy cat on your freshwater adventure.

With your Robalo and these key catfish tips, you're well on your way to success on the water! Whether you're fishing for fun or a delicious, fried Southern dinner, we hope you enjoy National Catfish Month to the fullest.

Related Articles

Meet the CYCA's Admiral's Cup Team
Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique. Posted today at 6:59 am
Topper Rooster Southern Travellers at Stokes Bay
The home club duo of Reuben Wealthy and Joel Keen took all four first places in the 4.2 fleet Saturday's planned training event may have fallen victim to strong winds in the Solent but thankfully the fleet and race team was greeted with more appropriate conditions on Sunday morning with twelve 5.3s and seventeen 4.2s boats tallied on and away. Posted today at 5:11 am
Who made the right call to get to the breeze?
And how technology is changing the Transpac Race to Hawaii Boats racing in the 2025 Transpac continue to reel in the offshore miles toward the finish line off Honolulu, Hawaii, in the 53rd edition of this historic 2,225-nautical-mile race. Posted today at 12:54 am
ORC DH Europeans Short Offshore Race
Racing opens in Helsinki with tight racing and shifting winds The 2025 Garmin ORC Double Handed European Championship got under way in Helsinki with the Short Offshore Race on Tuesday, July 8. This marked the official start of racing after days of measurement, safety checks, and a practice race. Posted on 8 Jul
OK Dinghy Europeans at Warnemünde day 3
Nick Craig fights back Canada's Ben Flower and Britain's Charlie Cumbley will go into Wednesday's final day at the 2025 OK Dinghy European Championship in Warnemünde, Germany, on equal points with two more races to sail. Posted on 8 Jul
IOM Ranking round 3 and 4 at Datchet
A useful test event for the Worlds next year Datchet Radio Sailing are hosting the IOM World Championships in 2026 so this ranking event would be the first test event to check the club logistics are in order. The organisers had put in a huge amount of effort getting ready. Posted on 8 Jul
British Classic Week Day 2
An early start for Classes 1-3 as they prepared to race around the Isle of Wight It was an early start for the British Classic Week fleet on day two, as Classes 1-3 prepared to race around the Isle of Wight. Posted on 8 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 3
The leaderboard tightens at the halfway mark after today's racing in a building breeze After a frustrating day of waiting ashore on Monday, Day 3 brought back the action in Aarhus Bay with spectacular foiling conditions and a full day of intense racing. Posted on 8 Jul
Solo Vintage Championship preview
Leigh-on-Sea has the biggest fleet in the world Leigh on Sea Sailing Club is home to the largest fleet of Vintage Solos in the World and on Sat 12th July will host the seventh running of the Vintage Championship. Posted on 8 Jul
Fleet advances to the last half of the AEGEAN 600
In contrast to yesterday's slow pace, the rate of progress has been much improved Most of the fleet of 59 Monohulls and Multihulls who are sailing in this year's AEGEAN 600 have either already entered the second half of the race at the island of Rhodes or are well on their way to reaching this important milestone. Posted on 8 Jul