How to Attract Catfish at Night
- 1). Choose the right bait to catch the catfish. Live or freshly cut bait attracts them the most. Suckers, chubs and bullheads work well, but check the local fishing regulations for legal restrictions. Night crawlers also work well, if the smaller fish do not steal them from your hook. If you use minnows for bait, keep them in an insulated bucket filled with cool water. Keep bait that is not alive in a cooler filled with ice. If you have no luck with the bait you are using, try experimenting with different kinds of baits. The water is not always the same, and certain baits work better in various temperatures. Artificial baits are an option, but not if you want to catch a trophy fish.
- 2). Talk to the people who work at your local bait shops, as they often give valuable advice on where the catfish are biting in your area. Buy a map that shows the layout of the fishery, and ask the expert to circle the areas populated with catfish. See if he will help you with determining the water's depth at the markings on the map. Scout the area out before fishing at night.
- 3). Turn the boat in a perpendicular position to the shore. Find a distance from the shoreline where the boat drifts well. This distance should start at about 100 yards from the shore. While your boat is drifting, cast the poles in the opposite direction of the drift. Test the setup of your poles and see what position is catching the most catfish.
- 4). Shine plenty of light when fishing at night, as catfish are attracted to brightness. They generally look for food in black water, so light the area up well. Submerge a waterproof light under the water, and wait for the baitfish to school close to your boat. Be ready for plenty of catfish to arrive by your boat soon. Make sure you have at least three poles prepared to catch the incoming fish.
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