having trouble catching catfish

[Jordanlee]

ive been fishing this year an havent caught a single catfish ive tryed rivers an ponds that ive caught cats before but no luck i usually use night crawlers but ive tryed shrimp an got hits but no catches ive also tryed some stink baits but not even a nibble i am thing mabe cut bait are live bream what do yall think any suggestions?
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[idahoron]

I know this sounds basic, but is there any catfish in the areas you are fishing? Our F&G here in Idaho plant cats. But to be honest the population is VERY poor and I don't even bother with them. When I want to go catfishing I go to Brownlee Res. It is a 4 hour drive but I know there are cats there. You might want to contact your local F&G dept and ask them if the spots your fishing have natural reproducing cats. After that you have to just start to hunt them down. I do like cut bait from the area I fish if I can't get that I use cut trout. Ron
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[Jordanlee]

theres a bunch arund here u can actually see them sum times but no luck when trying to catch em
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[gxtmfa]

Yeah, go ahead and try cut bait. Use a baitcasting net, a minnow trap or a road and reel. My favorite thing to do is grab a fat old carp from the river and cut the thing up. They're invasive, so it's encouraged that you don't practice catch and release with them. You can get a carp out of a river in just about any way possible-spear, bow-and-arrow, net, snagging, or sometimes with your bare hands. Hell, those suckers might even jump on the shore in front of you. Also, since it'll be a fresh kill, the blood will have that extra edge.
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[Jordanlee]

ill have to try tht sounds good
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[4poundonly]

If you dont mind me asking what state? I always do better with other fish like carp,minnows,etc but they love anchovies and sardines if ya can get em whole. Fish the bottom at night you should hook up.
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[fishgeek21]

I struggle with catfish all the time. ??? Tough fish for me.
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[johnnythomas]

i dont know about your state rules but you can get some range cubes from the feed store the kind with cotton seed in it and put in a sack. pillow sacks works best but throw it out and let them soak and they will draw cats in from far away. make sure you put a string on the pillow case so you can get it before you leave
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[jackherber]

OK, here goes. What kind of cats. The stink bait is only good for channel cats. Nothin' wrong with that. Cut bait and Wal Mart shrimp will pretty much entice all three (channels, flatheads and blues). Flatheads are really partial to live bait but blues will take it too. Depending on what state you are from and the laws regarding the number of rods (here in Georgia we have no limit on number of rods), you may want to try several different styles to find what is working that day. Another trick is to get the bait off the bottom. Let's say you have a 2 foot leader above your sinker. Place a float about 8 inches above your bait. This will hold the bait just a few inches off the bottom. You may have to use a larger sinker to compensate for the float and keep it down. Hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you want more detailed info.
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[Paulpro]

Well I live in miamiFL.and i've caught an 18p channel cat 13 p albino cat,a 4 pounder on half a hot dog.The 18on a live brim large brim 4 or 5 inches long I was going for bass what a surprise .The albino I saw him chilling . killed a tilapia and put it in his face . he swallowed it in 5 sec. had to cut the line then I relased him. Try live bait a big brim or to smaller live bait on one hook. hook one in the mouth,the other in the tail.the vibrations really gets the cats attention .I had something take my line with a half pound Mhyan cichlid.he ran with it for a while ,could'nt set the hook ,my fish was chewed from head to tail 5.00 pm or earlier.I got the 18p cat in the early afternoon also.good luck.P.S I speared a cat at night, 4 pounder , he had a bass for lunch. not bad for his last meal. also found a cat washed up dead with a big, big spotted tilapia stuck in his mouth
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[swinger20]

I do well on chicken livers that i usually set out in the sun for two days.. I know its good cat bait when im gaging putting it on the hook. I let them run with it for a bit then hammer em. Ive caught lots of big cats over 20lbs this way but im in PA so might be different but I doubt it!! Ive even caught nice ones with sweet corn while carp fishing at night. Send me a pm if you want some great chumming tricks!!
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