How to catch carp/catfish

[nighthawk25]

I'm looking for some advice on how to catch these species, preferably with the same bait and location. I fish in natural lakes where there are lots of carp and channel cats. I'm thinking corn or hot dogs would catch both?

 

Also, where do you start looking for channel cats in lakes? Dropoffs, flats, points??

[TnRiver46]

They have  a completely different diet so that would be tricky. Live worms would be my first choice to attempt catching both on the same bait. Corn, bread, and sweet stuff like mulberry paste or oatmeal is what carp like. They are one of the few fish in America that routinely eat carbohydrates. Catfish are predators and eat mostly other fish but have been known to take anything. I catch most of my catfish with small shad, cut up herring, or bluegill in any capacity. Where to find catfish depends on time of year, although shallow water is pretty good where I live year round. If there are schools of shad around, there are catfish near by. Lately I have caught them on 6-10 feet deep mud flats as well as suspended over 50 feet of water near bridge posts 

[nighthawk25]

The lake I'll be fishing this weekend doesn't have shad, but lots of bluegill. How do you fish with bluegill?

Thanks

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, nighthawk25 said:

The lake I'll be fishing this weekend doesn't have shad, but lots of bluegill. How do you fish with bluegill?

Thanks

I just hook em and throw them out there after a slight bop on the head (man I’m messed up! Haha). They always run me into brushpiles if they are lively 

[JustJames]

You can try a few pieces of corn on your hook (make sure it’s legal where you live)

[mrpao]

Check out Cats and Carp on YouTube.

Luke will give you all the info you are looking for.

 

[Bluebasser86]

Nightcrawlers on a slipsinker rig is a good option if you're wanting one bait to catch both.

[FrankN209]

Corn and punchbait..

[nighthawk25]

On 8/28/2019 at 2:37 PM, TnRiver46 said:

I just hook em and throw them out there after a slight bop on the head (man I’m messed up! Haha). They always run me into brushpiles if they are lively 

Do you use weight or bobber? Or just freeline it?

[TnRiver46]

30 minutes ago, nighthawk25 said:

Do you use weight or bobber? Or just freeline it?

Freeline in slow water, sinker in fast water 

[Jleebesaw]

I fish for channel cats a couple of times every spring on lake ontario. We use live bluegills or bullheads as bait. Both seem to work well, but bullheads get the nod most of the time. I think the swarms of bullhead in the shallows make for easy meals for big cats that time of year. That's for big cats of course. If you want eating sized cats, you may want smaller bait, I'm not very well versed in cat fishing.