Best Time For Cats

[clayton86]

What's the best time to go for catfish I'm itching to get out and do some night catfishing. I don't have many waters with large cats most in the 5 to 10lb range and that's out of the erie canal. Is there a certain time or weather pattern that turns the cat bite on.

[Bluebasser86]

Stable conditons and prefrontal conditions seem to be good for me. I haven't noticed a big difference in moon phase or anything. Time makes a difference though. Seems like about 8-midnight is good and then it drops off until about 3 or 4am when it picks back up again until the sun comes up. Most of my night fishing is for flatheads and blues but channels should react about the same I would guess.

[clayton86]

Iv only ever caught channels that's all there is I think its a new hobby I picked up a few years back case of big boy pops bucket of liver and lots of bug spray.

[heyitskirby]

I'm not sure what the timing is where you are, but here Cats are on the second half of their spawn. The bite won't really turn back on for another couple of weeks.

[Hyrule Bass]

i think about 7:30pm is a good time to start, i usually get a good bite starting around that time. plus you can set up everything you want in the daylight. chairs, rod holders, cooler, radio, bait, whatever. ill usually fish from then until the bite slows down. i do a lot of night fishing off a dock at smith mountain lake, if youre using nightcrawlers you can get some bonus fish too, especially just before sunset. you can get bonus fish on them bucket of livers too, i caught a striper on them before. minnows work good too. but i prefer from like 730 till the bite slows down and early morning before sunrise can be good also.

[bass or bass ?]

Channels and blues can be caught any time of the day. Flatheads will only be active from dusk to dawn. If legal where you live, use live bluegill for flathead bait, cut bluegill for channel cat bait. Otherwise, go with frozen squid purchased from any Asian supermarket for channels. Squid is very tough and difficult for fish to steal off the hook. I use Gamakatsu Octopus circle hooks, 3/0 for channels, 8/0 for flatheads. Rig up like a heavy Carolina rig. Have fun and happy cat fishing!

[clayton86]

Thanks for the squid idea iv never thought of that ill give it a try but I usually rig up a massive crig for cats 1oz or bigger barrel then swivel then leader to a gammy octopus hook

[Hyrule Bass]

i use a slip rig and leave my line slack and use octopus hooks. this year ive had some good bites on raw shrimp, the frozen ones in a bag work and not as messy or nasty as handling chicken livers.

bass or bass gives some great advice for targetting large catfish. blues will also love the cut bait

[clayton86]

My plan is to go out Friday night with my nephew and his gf I'm gonna try it all squid, liver, giant shiners(bonus walleye) and shrimp

[Hyrule Bass]

if the bite is slow, my fall back is a nightcrawler on a drop shot with an abeerdeen hook...if nothing else i get some decent bonus fish that way

[clayton86]

I hate nightcrawlers the sunfish and gobies rob me to much with them things. Hopefully Friday night isn't a rainy night and I can get out I just remembered my nephews graduation is Friday so that may speed bump in my plans but maybe not

[dave]

Well? How'd you do?

[clayton86]

We went saterday for 4 hours or so 8 to 1230ish I didn't get a nibble all night. My nephew said he got a few hits but I think it was the wind because the rod tip was just shimming a little bit not bowing. He was using a uglystick ML so its not the stiffest rod out there and the slightest breeze made his pole go nuts. So we didn't catch anything not even a cold

[Hyrule Bass]

shoulda took some nightcrawlers

[clayton86]

shoulda took some nightcrawlers

I did I had one pole with liver one with crawlers neither got hit the gobys didn't even steal my worms that's just un heard of

[bass or bass ?]

Sometimes the fish just don't catch any people!