With most everyone’s desire to own that piece of property on the water, it is getting more and more difficult to find that place to set up that comfy old chair, sit there with a cold drink in your hand, prop up that rod on a forked stick and wait for the catfish to start biting.

This is certainly true in Florida, but there are still some places left. Taking advantage of these spots requires the bank angler to take care when selecting his or her gear. You want an outfit that allows you to reach the cats wherever they might be, but sensitive enough to telegraph subtle messages between you and the bait about depth and bottom texture.

To me, the best rig is a fairly limber 7 to 8 foot rod, spinning or bait casting doesn’t really matter, with 15 to 30 pound test line. The thinner the line, the longer the casts and the better feel you have as the bait rests on or drags along the bottom. Be sure the reel has the line capacity to put the bait where the cats are.

This is what to look for:

Bridges and pilings- The concrete pilings serve a dual purpose. They absorb and radiate heat which attract food and fish (especially in the winter) and the algae buildup on the pilings holds tiny bugs and attract fish.

Culverts- Three things make culverts great– flowing water, usually a deep washout, and lots of bait. All three attract cats.

Points- Points having tree cover, brush, rocks, weeds, and abutting deep water all have the potential to attract catfish.

Riprap banks- Man-made banks where concrete filled bags and rocks and chunks of concrete are piled along shorelines or stream banks to prevent erosion. The nooks and crannies between the chunks are where food and the cats hang out.

Tailwaters- Tailwaters provide the best of all worlds. Running water attracts both bait and cats, the seawalls and riprap afford cover for the cats and attract food, and if it is a hydro electric site, fish killed as they pass through the turbines create chum that attracts the catfish.