Catfishing tips in central KY???

While my lovely wife and I were looking at Crappie.com on Friday, she totally surprises me by saying, "I want to catch a big catfish and cook it. Where do we get catfish tips and info?"

We search around for the catfish equivalent of Crappie.com, but didn't find anything that looked as good and helpful (further confirming my opinion that this is one of the best boards on the internet).

If you had to offer up a few tips on catching catfish, what would you say? Remember, she's going to read your tips, too, and the next catfish that she catches will be her first, so any help you can provide--locations, baits, techniques, equipment, etc.-- is great!

Teq,

I have had decent luck catching channel cats this past week while crappie fishing. Most of them were in the 2-5 lb range. They were biting minnows fished about 4 ft deep under a bobber in fairly shallow water(5-6 ft). Most were around a stump or sum brush. Caught em in tributaries off the ohio river. Fun to catch on an 11 ft rod w/ 4lb line!! Hope this helps. Where do u plan on fishing? I saw where you were from E.ky and I mite be able 2 help.

Go to the grocery store and find some shrimp that is marked down or out of date. Fish a chunk of shrimp under a slip bobber on a circle hook about 6 to 8 foot deep up against a bank. Should catch you some channels and you won't have much mess to deal with. Cubes of old cheese works too but is harder to keep on the hook. Chicken livers work well too just harder to keep on the hook.

Besides the baits already mentioned: red worms, nightcrawlers, various cut bait, live bluegill, commercial paste catfish bait. Fish them under corks or right on the bottom.

They are not very picky.

I would suggest gear with enough backbone to handle up to a 15 pound fish. Channel cats rarely run over 10lbs but you never know when you might hook into the odd blue or flathead. While there is always a chance at hooking into a really good fish over 15 lbs, it rarely happens unless you are primarily targeting large fish.

This time of the year, look for isolated gravel, chunk rock or riprap. They are getting into spawn mode and will seek out the rocks.

Thanks for the tips, guys. My wife was glad to hear that we don't have to use nightcrawlers, and she even volunteered to put the liver on the hooks. Shrimp sounds easiest and cleanest, and it seems like it should hold on the hooks pretty well.

What do you guys think of circle hooks vs. treble hooks vs. regular hooks? I was figuring on using treble hooks, but then Smshdn mentioned using circle hooks. I've used them at the coast for drum/spot tail, but never thought about using them in freshwater. Is it still the same principle of letting the fish take off with the bait, then gradually applying tension without the classic "set the hook" motion?

Hey EkySlabber, we live in Richmond, 30 mins south of Lexington. We mostly fish the local ponds just because it's so convenient, but we're always up for exploring new places. (I was bummed that both of the meet-ups got rained out this spring--it would have been fun to check out Taylorsville and Green River and meet a few people from the board.) Where are you located? I figured you'd be much further north if you're fishing the OH River.

Thanks again for the pointers!

Teq,

Have you tried wilgreen before. There are some decent crappie and I'm sure catfish to boot in there. Even some green carp if thats ur thing. The Ky River should have some catfish biting as well, around high-bridge mite be a good place to try. I lived in Lex throughout college and used to fish around there pretty often. I lived on the municipal lakes for a few years on richmond rd. in Lex and there is some AWESOME fishing there, especially big bass and boatloads of 8-10 in crappie. If it is still the same as it was you have to live one the lakes or have a pass though. Jacobson park mite have sum cats in it also. Hope this helps a lil....

just down the road from you, aways ... you might want to give Cedar Creek Lake a looksee. Warm weekends it can be a madhouse, but during the week you could be one of few. Channel Cats are in there, and aren't fished for to any great degree ... so they should be plentiful, and good eating size. (12" minimum size limit )

Taylorsville has good sized Channel Cats, and also Blue's. Best bait I've ever used there, for Cats, is cut Shad (3-4" Shad cut in half). I use a cast net to catch the Shad, then cut 'em & hook'em up ... fished under a float, about 2-3 foot deep, around the stumps & timber in the main lake pockets.

I've also been known to catch a small Bluegill/sunfish and cut the meat off, and use that, too ;)

Equipment depends on what size Catfish you're really looking to catch :D ... I've caught them on 4-17lb line, throwing jigs, plastic worms, & crankbaits. They even seem to like Roadrunners, too :eek: :p I'd suggest at least 8lb test line, and a med to med/hvy rod of about 6ft length ... and a landing net !! Might not be a bad idea to have a pair of long nose pliers handy, too .. for hook removal. And BEWARE of the side fins & dorsal fin ... they're pointed & barbed, and they can puncture your skin in a flash. I always turn them upside down (seems to calm them some) and grab them across the belly (palm of hand against belly) ... with the side fins between thumb/trigger finger & pinky/ring finger.

OH !! and have a old towel handy, too ... to wipe the slime off your hands, line, clothes, boat, whatever ;)

... cp :cool:

Circle hooks work well for me for eating size cats. They are a little small, even the big ones, to put the size of bait on that you need to catch a big one. Have yet to have one on a circle hook swallow the hook.

Shrimp is the easiest that I have found. Liver works well, but you will spend more time re-baiting then catching. We add garlic salt to the liver and a friend of mine has turned me onto adding anise oil to it.

I would stay away from treble hooks. Catfish tend to flop and spin and roll alot and since they are already sporting sharp fins I wouldn't add anything else that would stick you.

I grab them across the fishes left side (I am right handed) with the top spine between my ring and middle finger and the side spine between my thumb and index finger. Pliers are a very good idea because the lips on catfish or tough and once a hook gets into them it is difficult to get out with just your fingers.

Catfish 1, otherwise reffered to as brotherhood of catfishermen. Go there and you will find alot of info.Brotherhood Of Catfishermen