All You Need To Know About Catfishing

Protein is an essential class of food that provides various health benefits to the body, including the enhancement of muscle mass. This macronutrient can either be derived from nuts and legumes or animal products. The latter can be found in animals like cows, goats, aquaculture catfish, and many others. One of the ever-growing sources of protein in the United States is catfish. This ray-finned fish does not only promote a healthy lifestyle, but it also serves as a delicious source of seafood.

Catfish farming is a productive, agriculture-based business that provides flexibility and profitability for aquaculturists, and meets food market demands. This lucrative activity can be carried out on a suitable piece of property and meets family needs or commercial demands. The market is filled with different species of catfish; this means that fish farmers grow these species based on their target markets, among other factors like pond size, feeding capacity, and business plan.

It is interesting to know that these fresh water, bottom-feeding fish are resilient and prolific in nature, which makes it easy to grow and harvest them quickly without exerting much effort. They thrive in both small and large ponds. However, if you are in search of the ideal pond size for catfish farming, then think within a size range of 0.25 acres to 20 acres of farmland.

What Is Catfish Fishing?

Catfish fishing using catfish reels is becoming popular by the day in the United States. These top predator fish thrive on various healthy food sources, and consequently grow significantly. Unlike the aggressive panfish or feisty bass, the catfish is a river monster that does not react at first until the line begins to move and it starts to scream. There are three types of catfish:

• The channel catfish
• The blue catfish
• The flathead catfish

The most popular among these three is the channel catfish. They make for enjoyable, tasty meals; despite the good fight they give during fishing. Another thing worth noting is that they are smaller than their counterparts. Nevertheless, do not let their size fool you; these creatures are pound-for-pound the toughest fighting catfish. On the other hand, the blue catfish is the giant of them all. This fish weighs more than 100 lbs, making them worth the catch. The flathead catfish is a top river predator and highly territorial in its domain (river or lake). This catfish is known not to pass up a cut or live bait once it enters their territory.

Ideal Location For Catfishing

Catfish are available in the river or lake. However, their availability strongly depends on their migration season. They mostly congregate in areas with covers and structures, like rocky bottom, downed tree, a bridge, dock, and the rest. You can also find them around channel ledges, riprap, holes, dams, and outside riverbeds. Blue catfish are known to cruise the most in rivers, whereas flatheads stay within their territories and can attack when foreign bodies step into their domain.

Catfish are drawn to ideal currents in rivers or lakes. You can find more of them after a downpour or flood as they will move around in search of food. During such periods, lucky fishermen can score big catches while catfishing.

Catfish Fishing Tips

• Catfish Fishing Baits

One of the things you should know about catfish is that they are opportunists - they take advantage of food fragments, whether it be sunfish, bream, shad, minnows… you name it, catfish are ready to devour food natural to the pond, river, or lake. However, no catfish consumes the stinkiest bait than the channel catfish. Hence, anglers use stink baits, including chicken livers, to catch these fish. Blue catfish are drawn to cut bait; whereas flathead catfish prefer live bait.

• Catfish Fishing Tackle

The fishing tackle you will use actually depends on the size of the ray-finned fish you intend to catch. If you are thinking of what fishing gear to start with, then a medium action rod/reel combo (15 - 20 lb line) would be ideal. However, as you gather more experience fishing, you can opt for heavier rods and fishing lines. These features are great for larger catches. There are a range of different options for catfishing reels suiting all budgets. It's a good idea to pick a real you can grow into over time.

Best Catfishing Rods

• KastKing KastKat Catfish Rods

This brand is not a name that rings a bell, but do not let this become a deal breaker. This company contributes to the growth of the catfish fishing sector. They have come up with some notable pieces of fishing gear, known as the KastKat catfish rods. These line of rods are built with the aim of catching large trophy catfish and other water bodies wherever they can be found. They are designed using 100% linear S-Glass, which surpasses the E-Glass in terms of strength, lifting power, and performance.

You will find the “power trigger” feature in the casting models which helps fishermen secure bigger fish. It also features a butt with EVA handles that provide more control and a fluorescent orange tip that offers visibility on even the lightest takes.

• LurEra Catfish Casting Rods

The LurEra catfish rods have amazing aesthetics, when compared to most fishing rods in the market. Looks are not the only factor that counts with this brand, they have high-end functional features to back it up. To begin with, it features 30-ton carbon fibre blanks with intense strength and sensitivity 10 times more than graphite - fibreglass. With this, you can sense the lightest bites and position the hook perfectly without worrying about your fishing rod snapping.

These rods also feature ceramic inserts and stainless steel guides that prevent the surface from being marred, leading to breakages or snags. The butts are a combination of cork wood and EVA foam. However, the downside to this model is the presence of plastic reel sheets. Nevertheless, there have not been complaints about this feature.

• Ugly Stik Catfish Casting Rod

The Ugly Stik line of rods have stood the test of time, as they have always delivered beyond the expectations of fishermen. This is no different with the line of catfish rod. If you are on a tight budget, then this brand is an ideal choice. It provides durability beyond what you would typically expect. The Ugly Stik catfish rod is available in two options: the 7’0’’ 1-piece design or the 8’0’’ 2-piece design.

This casting rod is fortified with sufficient backbone and action to provide the comfort and force needed for catching fish. The guides are made of stainless steel, while the reel seats are made of plastic. There is also an EVA and a clear tip that provides visibility. For less than $50, you will purchase one of these “bad boys”. Enjoy your fishing expedition with the Ugly Stik catfish casting rod.