Games of Knowledge | Sports and Exercise

Games Guy | February 6, 2010

Old School Catfish Fishing Family Secrets

Channel Catfish in reservoirs is not a natural occurrence. Although bait fishing for catfish in reservoirs is booming today because of original stocking and migrations of native river catfish into the reservoirs. Reservoir building during the 1950’s, and 1960’s and still today, has opened up a vast water areas for catfisherman. The original habitat of channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, and white catfish have always been in the river systems of the United States and they still thrive there today.

Reservoirs are water impoundments that get their water supply from rivers that have been dammed. These new water impoundments vary in shape, size, depth, water color, productivity, and potentially many other characteristics. The blue catfish populations as well as other species come from the migration of the species from tributary feeds, you can bait fish for catfish such as channel catfish, flathead catfish, and blue catfish in some reservoirs, but just about all the reservoirs in the USA hold very good populations of channel catfish.

Reservoirs have abundant structure in reservoirs so you need to do your home work to catch catifish in these catfish fisheries. To catch catfish you need to understand the reservoir you intend to fish. It important you get your self a Topographical maps of the reservoir. They can normally be obtained from The army core of engineers. Many times local bait shops also have maps. Also paying attention to the catfishes food chain is important. For example reservoirs almost always hold large populations of shad. If you can find the shad schools you will locate some blue catfish, and channel catfish. Normally flathead catfish don’t follow the shad schools. One key indicator there are shad near is multiple birds flying around. This a good way to locate shad schools for bait fishing for catfish. If you are looking for trophy catfish then reservoirs are where you need to fish. Blue catfish, channel catfish, and flathead catfish grow extremely large in reservoirs. Catching a blue catfish over 30lbs is not uncommon.

Another key factor to catch catfish in reservoirs in understanding where the original series of channels were located. Catfish will remain a river fish instinctively even in reservoirs even in reservoirs. There will be good populations of channel catfish, flathead catfish, and blue catfish living in structure that is close to the original creek and river channels.

To catch flatheads locate areas near the original river channel or original creek channels. Flathead catfish are not a roaming catfish like the blue catfish. If you intend to go bait fishing for flathead catfish you will need to find there location. These fish will not move far.

To catch blue catfish in reservoirs head to areas that have current flow, and to where the shad schools are located. Blue catfish do not hold as tight to the original channels as do flathead catfish, but the will still be located in these areas. If you are going bait fishing for blue catfish you can use live catfish bait or dead cut bait, the blues like either. Their favorite food sources are oily schooling fish such as threadfin shad, gizzard shad, and skipjack herring. If you can locate the shad schools in reservoirs you could have a outstanding day of fishing.

To catch channel catfish in reservoirs you can fish anywhere in the reservoir where there is adequate catfish habitat. If there is a better spot for channel catfish on a reservoir it would be far up small tributaries adjacent to the main reservoir. They are like the blue catfish and they will feed on live baits such as shad and crayfish, mussels or cut bait. If you plan to bait fish for channel catfish through line just outside the current in structure areas channel catfish are like flathead catfish and do not prefer to stay in current.

I have had a great time writing this article we hope you enjoyed our information about Bait Fishing. Have a great day and the the best of luck to you on your next fishing trip

>Check out Mark’s website to get more details on: Bait Fishing For Catfish

Click Here To See Old School Catfish Fishing Secrets From 12 Backcountry Catfishing Masters!

Category: games of sport | No Comments »
Tags: Army Core Of Engineers, Bait Fish, bait fishing, bait fishing for catfish, Bait Shops, Blue Catfish, catch catfish, catching blue catfish, catfish bait, Catfish Fishing, channel catfish, Core Of Engineers, cutbait, Family Secrets, Fishing For Catfish, flathead catfish, live bait, Natural Occurrence, New Water, Reservoirs, river catfish, shad, Shape Size, Topographical Maps, trophy catfish, Water Areas, Water Color, Water Impoundments

Games Guy | February 4, 2010

No Exit Popup Old School Catfish Course Link

Most cat fishing anglers assume that catfish live primarily in lakes and rivers, but they also populate your local farm ponds. It is true that if you live to bait fishing for catfish you will find good populations in lakes, reservoirs, and rivers but don’t overlook ponds you may be surprised at the catfish fishing action in ponds.

Actually statistics show there is more opportunity to bait fish for catfish in ponds then any other freshwater location. In 1936 the U.S. Agriculture Conservation Program give farmers subsidies to build ponds. In a time period over twenty five years The number of farm ponds in the untied states exploded. Ponds are still being built today by land owners at a healthy rate, but it was this early legislation that really made a huge difference for fisherman. My point is, do not overlook ponds as a reliable water area to bait fish for catfish.

Lets talk about the different types of ponds you can catch catfish. There are three basic pond types that you can catch catfish in, such as dug ponds, built ponds, and dammed creek ponds. A pond can be a body of water as small as 1 acre or as large as 50 acres. The pond size will determine the size of the catfish you can catch, and also the type. The ponds construction will determine how many catfish will be living there, and the area of the pond they will be located during the different seasons of the year.

Dug ponds are typically dug with earth moving machines. The pond is kept full from rain run off from the surrounding land. Sometimes water pumps are installed to keep them full during dry periods of the year. The typical dug pond is rarely over 5 acres in size. Dug ponds will normally hold populations of channel catfish. If the pond is managed correctly. If you are bait fishing a dug pond in a dry period and the pond has a active pump moving water into the pond then cast your line near the moving water close to the pump. Any channel catfish in the pond will likely be attracted to the moving water. If there is no well pump or if you are fishing during a wet period of the year active channel catfish will roam the shallow banks and hold near any pond structure such as submerged logs, large rocks, docks, or weed beds.

Built ponds are created by building a dam across a low area that has a agreeable water shed , and soil type. A dam can back up large areas of water sometimes as large as 100 acres, the size of a small lake. The deepest spot in a built pond will be near the dam area. You will be able to bait fish for catfish in the late fall and winter near the dam area. When the water warms in the spring the catfish head to shallow structure areas of the pond. In the spring fish for catfish close to known structure points, and flat hard pan areas where cats love to roam.

Ponds that are dammed at a creek are typically done so to be used for irrigation and bait fishing. You will want to concentrate your bait fishing efforts for channel catfish and bullhead catfish in or near the old creek bed channel. If you can locate structure on the edge of the old creek channel you should have some good luck catching catfish. Catfish will always be located in what is left of the old creek channel when you catch catfish in dammed ponds Many times there will be very little fishing pressure at dammed creek ponds which open up to the opportunity to catch some good catfish table fare.

We hope the information in this article about Catch Catfish. We wish you the best of luck on your next fishing trip!

Click The Following Link To Get More Details On: Catching Catfish In Ponds

Old School Catfish Fishing Family Secrets Sign Up To Get Free Fishing Information

Category: sports games | 2 Comments »
Tags: Agriculture Conservation, Bait Fish, bait fishing, bullhead catfish, catch catfish, catching catfish in ponds, Catfish Fishing, Catfish Ponds, channel catfish, Conservation Program, Different Seasons, Dry Period, Dry Periods, Exit Popup, Farm Ponds, Fish Ponds, Fishing For Catfish, Fishing Ponds, Lakes And Rivers, Lakes Reservoirs, Local Farm, pond catfish fishing, Seasons Of The Year, Twenty Five Years, Water Pumps