Catching Catfish In Rivers
Because catfish can be found in rivers throughout the United States most people don't have to travel very far for the opportunity to catch them. Some of these rivers even offer fishermen the opportunity to hook into fish big enough to break records! Knowing where to fish on a river can make catching your limit of catfish a little more likely.
Finding a location where a creek empties into a river is an excellent starting point. When the water level is higher than usual you can find catfish near the mouth of one of these creeks in search of baitfish and crayfish (crawdads) that are being washed from the stream into the larger body of water. This makes these areas a great place to fish after a major rainstorm. You may even try casting up stream in the smaller body of water and allowing your line to drift towards the river.
Wing dikes are also a great place to catch catfish. The area around wing dikes gives catfish the opportunity to get out of the main flow of the river. This allows them to grab a bite to eat while taking a break. Catfish will often make their way to these areas in search of baitfish that can be found hanging out in the ripples of the slower moving water.
Occasionally a river will form a pool between a wing dike and the shore line as shown in the picture above. Ledges or overhangs are sometimes cut out of the bank by the river near these pools giving catfish a great place to hide while waiting on a meal to pass by.
The above picture shows a log which has been submerged in the river. Fishing around these logs and other sunken objects can provide you with the opportunity to catch some big fish. These places provide great hiding spots for those catfish that prefer to hang out in tight spaces.
Fishing with heavy duty rods, reels and fishing line in rivers will enable you to better pull out of snags when your line gets stuck.
My three favorite baits for catching catfish on rivers are cut shad, goldfish and crawdads. These seem to bring in more fish than any of the other baits I have tried. Remember.....it is illegal to dump baitfish into the river or any other body of water for that matter so take them with you when you leave. You can always put them into a plastic bag and freeze them to use the next time you go fishing.
Take advantage of the hotspots mentioned above when you are fishing on a river and you just might find yourself catching bigger fish more often.
If you've enjoyed this post you might also like "Catfish Baits You Have To Try."
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