As a sport, it is probably the most common type of fishing in the country and throughout North America in general, as catfish are some of the most common and tastiest fish available to this part of the world.



Of course catfish fishing is not limited to freshwater, since there are several species of saltwater catfish, but fishing for these is less popular in general and returns a crop of what many consider to be a less succulent fish (though there are those who prefer the taste of the saltwater variety).

It's also a bit dangerous, as the saltwater species of catfish all tend to have very sharp spines that can cause serious injury if stuck into the hand.

Also, saltwater catfish are concentrated mostly along the Gulf Coast, with a few found along the southern Atlantic Coast, so the sport itself is limited based solely on the location and availability.

Freshwater catfish fishing is a little less specialized, with catfish available in almost every area of the United States. However, depending on where you live, you'll probably target different types of catfish, some varieties much larger than others. Among the smallest breeds of catfish are the yellow and brown bullhead and the white catfish.

These are also not the most commonly found, though they are quite frequently caught in lakes near the Rocky Mountains. These catfish are rarely larger than a couple of pounds. Use of small bait, such as small or medium sized night crawlers, are an excellent choice for catching these less sizeable catfish, unless you want to spend a lot of time chopping up fresh fish into small enough pieces.

Keep in mind that, while catfish are opportunistic feeders and are not picky about what they eat, they rarely bite on artificial bait.

Channel catfish fishing can be fruitful for an angler in almost any body of fresh water on the entire continent. Probably the most common catfish in North America, the channel cat is typically not over ten pounds, with an average size closer to three or four pounds.

However, the world record for such is over 50 pounds, so be prepared for anything. Again, night crawlers do the job well, with the smell luring the channel cats from far and wide. Your best bet is streams, rivers, and canals providing runoff or feeding lakes and ponds for channel cats.