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Cat Fishing Tactics on the Big French & European Rivers
Many catfish anglers are now travelling to the big European rivers such as
the Saone and the Ebro in search of catching a huge monster catfish.
These rivers hold some very big catfish to well over 100 pounds in weight,
and these massive creatures fight like no other fresh water fish! It’s no surprise
that fishing for catfish in Europe has become a popular pastime for many
carp anglers.
Catfish are incredible creatures with the ability to hunt down all sorts of
prey. They have been referred to as eating machines as they can, and do,
gobble up a massive quantity of food every day. They will eat almost
anything, from live fish or dead fish to boilies often used for carp
fishing!
How Catfish Catch Prey Using Their Sophisticated Senses
Catfish are a lovely colour with mottled markings along their flanks. These
distinctive markings can change colour depending the clarity of the
surrounding water. Maybe this is to reveal their moods, communication or for
the purpose of blending in with their surrounding during a hunt certain
prey, I’m not sure, but it could be a combination of these factors.
They have a large number of scent glands and vibration sensors all along their
body, with greater concentrations around the lateral lines. These may help
in detecting any vulnerable prey within their vicinity.
They have two long
whiskers positioned on the upper jaw. These can be used to track live prey
out in the flow of the river. They possess another four whiskers on the
bottom jaw, which are used to scavenge around the river beds to detect
smaller food items, such as crayfish, worms and leeches. Catfish do need
their strong senses and glands in order to survive because they have very
poor vision. Their eyes may just have enough focus to distinguish between
day and night!
Their scent glands are also quite strong, so it may be a good tactic to use very
smelly baits, such as squid and other strong, fishy smelling live baits.
Catfish have hundreds of very small, sharp teeth positioned in the upper and
lower jaws. They look a little like one side of a Velcro pad. These are used
to clamp down on prey during a hunt. The prey is then sucked into the back of
the mouth and throat where there are four crushing pads. These are used to
crush down prey and help pass it through to the stomach.
So how do we go about catching some huge catfish, and what are the best
tactics when fishing for catfish?
Here are some general tips when fishing for big cats on rivers:
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Catfish have poor vision so try to use highly smelling baits.
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Live baiting may produce more or maybe even the bigger catfish as they will
detect the bait better from the vibrations they give off.
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Try using a sliding ledger rig when fishing for catfish.
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Catfish can sometimes be located at the bottom of the drop-off features of
the big rivers in the boating channels.
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Try placing a catfish rig tight up against a drop-off at around 25 feet
deep.
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Try not to play catfish for too long. The longer they’re played, the more
chance of losing them due to the leader grating across their sharp teeth.
So, use heavy tackle and play them hard!
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Buy a catfish clonker to help attract big cats into the area where your
baits are positioned. Although, check with the authorities first as these
are banned in some countries, especially France!
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If other fishing methods are not producing the big cats, then try using a
catfish rig float to trot live baits down the river in the shallower waters,
or over drop-off points!
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Good baits to use when cat fishing are; squid, leeches, worms or eels.
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Always have other fishermen present when fishing for big catfish. They will
require 2 or more people to handle, especially if the hook has been taken
down the back of their throat. Placing your arm deep down inside a catfishes
mouth can cause injury – so be careful!
A Very Big Catfish Capture in France!
Another
Catfish Rig - The Float System
The
Sliding Ledger Rig for Catching Big Cats
The
Case for Quality Carp Bait
Fishing Tactics for Snags & Trees
Boilie Placement on the Hair rig
Different types of carp rigs to use
Attempting to Catch Wary Carp
Advice & Articles on How to Fish for Big Carp
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