Are you a catfish fan? If you love to fish for catfish or if you are just starting out in this new sport and hobby, you need to know what types of catfish tackle to bring along on your next fishing trip. From catfish hooks to catfish baits, trotlines for trotline fishing, jug fishing and many other fishing tackle options, there is an abundance to choose from which makes it difficult to know which is best for you and your needs. Does it really matter what type of tackle you use? Will it make a difference in how many fish you catch or if you catch anything at all?



The tackle you choose for cat fishing is very important to your success with fishing. Catfish respond better to your lures, bait and other tackle more than many other fish. While it's true that if you catch the right catfish at the right place and time, they are literally jumping on your line no matter what you use, it's also true that good tackle can make it all the better. Here are some of our recommendations on how to be successful with catfish fishing.

First, you need to know the different types of tackle available to choose from.

Hooks

First, it is important to know that catfish are very respondent to their senses. They have a strong sense of smell and often choose their food based on this scent. This is why many catfish junkies have their favorite stinkbait recipes- the smellier, the better. Colorful jigs are pointless to a catfish as they can't really see them anyway. The same goes for fancy moving lures and attachments. Almost all catfish feed based on their sense of smell so you want to use this to your advantage.

When it comes to your lines, you need to remember that catfish tend to be large, especially if you are fishing in deep waters or for a large breed. You need reels and line that can support this. A heavy 8 footer baitcasting with 30-pound line is a common favorite for catfish that you expect to be over 40 pounds. If you will be catching lighter catfish (more like 3-15 pounds or so) then you can use 10 or 20 pound test line. The easiest ways to succeed with this is by bait-casting or use a spin rig in lakes and rivers of medium size. Some people try lures but they typically do not work as well as live bait for the catfish. Again, this goes back to their sense of smell so some scented lures may prove successful. You do not need heavy gear if you are fishing for lighter species or in smaller bodies of water.

If fishing in deeper waters, for heavier species or from a boat, you may need to compensate with larger tackle. Your cat fish will likely be larger and heavier and it will take more to bring them in. It's important that you use line strong enough to support the catch. Many people when fishing from a boat will also have a catfish net to help bring those extra large, heavy catches in with less strain on your rod and line.