Catfish Baits…

Flathead catfish are "finicky" when it comes to feeding.  Food habit studies from a number of different states indicate flatheads prefer "live" food.  Black crappie, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, crayfish, and shiners are among the preferred.
Blue, channel, and white catfish eat mostly fish as they get older, but are known to bite on a variety of cut baits, mussels, and worms.  Channels and whites also like to bite cheese, chicken gizzards, beef and chicken heart and liver, dough balls, soap, and hot dogs.  Channels have been known to have a "sweet tooth."  They can be caught on marshmallows.  In the fall, winter, and early spring channels are caught on trot lines baited with tin foil, sequins, and even shiny bare hooks.

Brown and yellow bullheads are even less selective in what they bite. If it is dead and smells, they will bite it.

Catfish Now Included in Line Record Books
The International Game Fish Association now includes blue and flathead catfish in its line records, but for some reason decided to slight channel cats.
The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame also has line records for catfish, but slights nobody.  The NFWFHF has records established for blue, channel, and flathead catfish for all tackle and line weights 2 to 80 pound test.  Move over Muskies and Tarpon!!  The catfish are coming!!
The current world record for blue catfish is 111 pounds and was landed on 25 pound test line.  The current record flathead is 123 pounds and was caught on 14 pound test line.  The current record channel cat is 58 pounds, but the line weight was not mentioned.

Tired of those same old bass articles?
Try reading the In-Fisherman…

In-Fisherman has a least one catfish story every issue, and publishes a Catfish Annual each year with nothing but catfish stuff.

30- Y'all…
(That's writer talk for " That's All Folks."
Send me your comments on the news letter.
~Joe