Catching Catfish In Lakes
Throughout the U.S. there are numerous lakes which offer excellent opportunities to catch catfish. Many of these lakes have local legends of monster sized catfish living there. Are these stories true? I don't know, but I do know that you will never find out if you don't get out there and throw a line in the water.
Whenever possible, fishing below a dam is always a good choice. When this isn't a possibility try fishing beneath docks, or near a tree, log or other debris that is submerged in the water. Catfish will hang out in these areas looking for baitfish to pass by and offer up an easy meal. Throw your line in around cliff edges when fishing from a boat. These areas often provide underwater cutouts in which catfish can hide.
Most any rod and reel setup will work for catching catfish in a lake. Just be sure that you set your drag correctly so that a large fish isn't able to break your line.
To set the drag on your reel simply take out several feet of line and grip the loose end firmly (I don not recommend attempting this with a fish hook attached). Once you have a firm grip on the loose end of the line, begin pulling against the tip of your pole while adjusting your drag setting. When your drag is set properly the line should remain firm until your rod is bent under a good amount of pressure at which point your line will slowly begin to unspool. Having the drag set correctly will allow you to catch fish that are many times bigger than the test weight of your fishing line. This is a fun way to catch fish, but be ready for the fight of your life when you hook into a big one as it can take a long time to wear them down to the point at which they can be reeled in on light weight line.
The bait choices for catching catfish in lakes is almost endless. Some of my favorites include bluegill, hotdogs, shrimp, minnows, shad, spam, goldfish and even cubes of bar soap can do the trick! Another excellent choice is grasshoppers. If you are willing to invest a little time chasing these suckers down you will be surprised at just how well they work.
Next time you are going fishing for catfish at a lake go ahead and take your catfish pole with you. Just remember to bring along a lightweight fishing combo and give yourself the exciting challenge of catching a big ole catfish on a rod and reel that was made for reeling in a much smaller fish.
If you've enjoyed this post, check out "Catfishing In Rivers."
- Any day in the outdoors is a good day