Catfish aren’t line-shy, so you can use light or heavy fishing line as situations dictate. High-strength, small-diameter monofilaments testing 15 to 25 pounds are good inexpensive choices for all-round use, but when hunting the big boys, you may have to upgrade to 30-, 40-, even 80-pound-test.
What size weight should I use for catfish?
Standard Three-Way Rig
The three-way rig consists of a dropper line 6 to 24 inches long, anchored by a bell sinker of sufficient weight to keep the bait near bottom. A half-ounce sinker might be sufficient in still water, but 3 to 8 ounces are needed to drift around the tips of wing dams for blue and channel cats.
How many pounds of drag do you need for catfish?
The drag should slip at approximately 25 to 35 percent of the unknotted line strength for the fishing line. For a thirty-pound test fishing line, this would be 7.5 to 10 pounds.
Is braid or mono better for catfish?
There is no arguing with the pure power of braids in the 100- to 250-pound range. At the upper end of this range, these lines become difficult to break—even when you want to break it. Using mono of this breaking strength is impractical due to the bulk of monofilament and its memory.
Do you need a leader line for catfish?
Catfish leader line also serves as a “shock absorber” when a catfish strikes. This absorbs the force of aggressive strikes from big catfish. That shock absorption is important with mono and braid but due to the lack of stretch in braided fishing line you should always use a monofilament leader.
How old is a 20 pound blue catfish?
In the James River, they can grow up to 3 pounds in the first 8 years, while in 11 years, they can reach 20 pounds.
What size reel is best for catfish?
While spinning reels in size 10 or 20 can land big catfish in the hands of an experienced angler, most catmen prefer 30/300-size or larger.
Is 15 pound drag good?
Registered. A good rule of thumb is that the drag is set at 1/3 of the breaking strength of your line. With that said, 15 pounds of drag is alot. Try it by hooking a scale on your rod and have someone pull it to 15 pounds.
What kind of rod do you use for catfish?
A fast or moderate action fishing rod is going to be preferred for most catfishing applications with a moderate fast action being most popular among catfish anglers using circle hooks.
What size hook is best for catfish?
The optimal size for channel catfish is typically a 2/0 or 3/0 hook when using a Kahle hook. If you choose circle hooks for small to medium-sized channel catfish then a 5/0 or 6/0 size will usually work best.
What’s the best monofilament line for catfishing?
Best Mono – Berkley Trilene Big Game Line
There’s no such thing as a line that can “do it all.” However, if you’re looking for monofilament to use for catfishing—whether as a main line or as a leader—Trilene Big Game covers most of the bases.
How heavy should my sinker be?
In general, you should use a lighter weight sinker in shallower water, and deeper water requires heavier weight. For shallow water, a ⅛-ounce weight works well to create a slow-falling lure action. In deeper water that is up to 20 feet, it’s best to use between ¼ to ⅜-ounce sinker weights.
How far should you cast for catfish?
Casting 100 yards (300 feet) or more is typical for an experienced long-distance catter, achievable for most anglers with the right equipment, good guidance, and practice.
How long should a catfish rig be?
If you’re using a standard hair stop then the length should be 1.5 times the diameter of the baits. This way, the hair knot is in the middle of the top bait as shown and locks them together.
Should I use a bobber for catfish?
When catfishing with these techniques the sound of the float hitting the water helps draw in fish and gets them to strike. Using a streamlined float that doesn’t make a good “splash” in the water would actually work against you so the traditional bobber rig is preferred.
Why use heavier leader than Main Line?
When To Use A Leader Line Stronger Than Your Mainline? Most anglers tend to use a stronger leader than the mainline to prevent the line from being cut through. There are a bunch of different factors that can contribute to your line being cut off, such as: Fishing rubbing against a fish’s sharp teeth or body.
What weight leader line should I use?
What Weight of Leader Line to use? First and foremost, the rule is to use a leader line weight less than (weaker) the mainline. For example, if your using a 15# monofilament mainline, you’ll likely need a <= 12# leaderline.
How fast do catfish reproduce?
Channel catfish can be sexually differentiated at about 6 months of age and normally breed for the first time in their second or third year of life. Thereafter, catfish will usually spawn every year throughout their life time.
What is the biggest breed of catfish?
The Mekong giant catfish is the official freshwater heavyweight champion of the world. According to the Guinness Book of Records, a nine-foot-long individual caught in northern Thailand in 2005 weighted an astounding 646 pounds, making it the largest exclusively freshwater fish ever recorded.
How old is a 70 pound flathead catfish?
A 70 lb flat could be 40 or 50 years old, 123-pound fish could be older, but it could merely be in a fishery with more food. One common ingredient is good water quality seems to help the bigger ones grow.
What is a 2500 reel good for?
Reel size 2500 is also on the smaller end, and like the size 1000, it is best suited for light lure fishing tactics like drop shotting, spinning, or jagging. An increased number means that the spool and line capacity are slightly larger than the size 1000 spinning reel.