Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Fly Fishing & Other Fish Species Help me catch some of my Catfish

I need advice from some of the resident catfish experts. My pond is small (1/5 acre) and very low visibility green water (maybe 6-12 inches max). I should have catfish in there from 3 years ago and another batch from a year back. I've never seen one of these creatures except when I dumped them in, and I saw another dead on shore a few weeks back. I've never been able to catch one of the buggers. I've tried liver, but I ended up just having the crawfish all grab my line and walk with it. I think that's also part of my problem, I am loaded with forage. Crawfish, crawfish, and more crawfish. They don't seem to hit my feeder.

I could draw a map of the pond if it helps, because I'm clueless here on catching these things. I really can't figure out where they are hiding (deep water? shallow at night? dropping edges?). I need it all spelled out for me: method/bait, time, location, etc. Preferably in simple words.

Thanks.

What kind of catfish have you stocked? CC or BH? My old pond has quite a few BH in it, my favorite method is nightcrawlers on a hook 24 inches under a bobber. I tear the nightcrawlers in to 3 or 4 pieces so that there's no much extra hanging off the hook. I bait 3 rods at a time so I can stay busy. If a bobber moves a little on the top of the water then stays still, a GSF probably stole my bait so I bait it again. I fish in the evenings because that's when I have free time and in the shallow end of the pond because that's where my dock is.

As far as catching CC, there was a very good issue of PB magazine, March/April 2012, that covers lots of catfish topics. You can order it here: http://www.pondboss.com/back_issues.asp?p=3.

Chumming would be a good idea to get the CC in an eating mood. I haven't personally done it but you can make your own: half a 5 gallon bucket full of wheat or other grain, fill water so it's covered, put lid loosely on bucket and set in sun for several days. Dump the stuff in an area in the pond a fish a little while later. Again I haven't personally done this (my 4-6 inch CC have been in my pond only a month), so the experts out there can chime in with corrections.

Hope this helps!

Sorry, I *ass*umed it was obvious but these are CC. And they don't seem to like nightcrawlers at least not how I do it but I haven't done a ball of worm like that. I'll give it a try next night I have free.

Oh sorry, I meant I just use 1/4 of a worm at a time. My bait when I fish for BH gets stolen so frequently I try to make those cans of worms last. With CC, I bet chumming would help. When I was growing up, we had lots of success with cutbait - just cut up a sunfish into chunks and fish close to the bottom. I've read that CC are more active in the evening or nighttime. I've caught several BH on Mepps spinners, you might catch a CC on those if nothing else is in the pond. Throw close to cover (weeds or trees in the water) and reel in at a slow rate. Do you feed your fish? Maybe throwing out a net after feeding or chumming would help you land a fish.

I feed but there's no feeding frenzy. The only thing that gets it are some bluegills who nip away for 30 minutes after I feed. I think I have so much forage there isn't a ton of pressure at the feeder.

I've caught a ton of catfish over the years. Most will be active around dusk to full dark. Fish near or on the bottom. My standard bait is chicken livers, but they'll take lots of meaty/smelly things. They are wiley, don't jerk the line the minute you feel a bump or see the line wander. They can check things over and move it before actually swallowing. Can be shallow or deep depending on the pond profile, structure, temperatures, sun, etc. If you have a ton of forage, they may have plenty and just prefer to stay with live food. If that's the case, hook a BG and put him on the bottom with a hunk of lead a foot or two up. Course, he'd have to be of a size Mr Whiskers would eat. Can up your odds of setting the hook on livers if you use trebles, but I always try to keep most of the hook in the bait, they can sense pointy metal it seems.

I have 2 left out of 125 that I stocked 20 years ago. They are a lot smarter than me.

I use a 1/2 gallon milk jug with 20# mono line about 42" long tied on . Use a strong enough hook for the size cat you are after. Bait it with a BG hooked in the back behind the dorsal fin and chunk it in and wait for the jug to take off. Put out a few and they will hookup. If the catfish are small use a 1/2 liter coke bottle. You will catch some bass also

Try some shrimp if you cant find a catalpa worm

chicken liver, chicken liver, chicken liver. And did I mention chicken liver. Fish on bottom 8 to 15 feet out from shore right around dusk.

I know I tried a shrimp or 5 last year. Even hot dogs. I did put trebles in the chicken liver so maybe a circle is the way to go on that. Like I said though, the craws are all over it first I think moving it--or so I thought. Maybe it was the treble hooks scaring em away.

I'll haven't really tried bluegills yet just due to figuring out what size to use (small enough). I will try that soon I think.

Dave: I'm pretty sure all of these cats are smarter than me at this point (probably 20-30 of em), not just 2 of em.

I'm also pretty sure they're enjoying my 24 hour all you can eat crawdad farm.

Any idea on how big 3+ year old catfish will be (stocked at 8" I think)?

And thanks all, good info.

FWIW I would try chicken liver again but under a cork with the bait suspended 12 to 18 inches above the bottom to discourage the crawfish. Are you sure the CC are still in there?

I'm not positive how many are left. I found one on the shore this year dead. I'm guessing in the 14" range though it was pretty dead and hard to gauge. Other than that, I've never seen a floater. Since I saw the dead one this year, I think some are still alive (I *assume* most are). My water is so green and has such low visibility that I don't know much of anything and really don't see anything.

I've thrown a throw net many times and never got a cat.

Given the size and if you reside at the pond, a trotline might be a good option. You would be able to test different depths, baits and also when the best time to catch them would be. Obviously the latter would depend on how many times a day you could check it. Placing a bobber on each bait line would keep you from having to pull the line as often to check. Also, depending on the shape of the pond, you could target different areas with a single anchor point. Jug lines, as mentioned previously are good also. Just make sure you tie them off to the shore or have a way to chase them down. Don't ask why I would mention that

You might go back and look at some of my old threads. I continue to have a battle of wits with channel cats in two of my ponds. The pond again has a number CC over 30 inches.

Probably my most success is with 3-4 inch live river chubs. I catch them with hook and line in a creek using tiny trout hooks and worms. It take long to get a dozen or so.

I use saltwater "jetty" rods in PVC pipe rod holders at the edge of the pond. They tragically have 17# mono. Standard double hook rigs with 2/0 or 4/0 circle hooks and 3-4 oz., sinkers are used. I hook the minnows through the lips and only throw the rig out 10-20 feet from shore. The drag is set to allow line to go out without pulling the pole over or breaking the line. I NEVER PUT THE RIGS OUT BEFORE DARK. I don't go back before morning to check them.

I also keep my open for out of date shrimp at the supermarket. I cut the prices up into smaller pieces and this them in the area where my rigs are.

Good luck,
Ken