The early spring catfish bite has just started to pick up a couple of weeks ago. I decided to head out and film action video and tips on how to catch early spring catfish.
This morning I fished my clients called and cancelled their guided catfish trip. They were “afraid it was going to rain” but the weather was passing our area. I was already at the marina with the ProCat in the water. I already had fresh shad caught for bait so I decided to go out and film. I’m glad I did because I had a blast and this is one of my favorite times of the year to catch catfish.
After I fished the first two places I stopped and had one bite and one fish. Then I made another move and caught a TON of blue catfish. In total I ended up catching 24 blues in 43 minutes and a total of twenty five blues. This was all done fishing in shallow water anchored. The key to finding fish like this is learning to red the water and trusting your side imaging sonar.
In this video I cover some early spring catfishing tips (and show a bunch of action) This was filmed in shallow water and shows me catching a big mess of blue cats.
Since I posted this video I’ve had some requests for more details and information. I’ll cover some more in future videos and there’s a ton of information here on the website also that I’ll provide links to below. If you really want to get on the fast track using these techniques check out the Spring Blue Catfish Book and Transition Catfish Video or come fish with me.
Spring Catfish Tackle, Gear Baits and Rigs Used
You can find more information on the catfishing tackle and gear I used in this video here or through the links below.
Bait: Fresh threadfin and gizzard shad cut into small pieces but the best bait will be the primary forage fish in your waters. If you’re fishing this time of year stick with native natural baits!
Rods: MH Full Metal Jacket Rods. I’m primarily fishing for numbers of smaller blues when I’m targeting spring catfish so I like a little softer rod but still need the good backbone to horse in big fish when we catch them!
Reels: Abu Garcia 6500 Pro Rocket Black Edition, I was not using the line alarms this day but I use them often in the spring when targeting shallow water fish.
Fishing Line: WST Monofilament. Make sure you use high visibility fishing line this time of year. It helps a lot when fishing for spring catfish in shallow water.
Catfish Rigs: I was using “Santee Rig” variations, primarily the Ultra Chub and the XL Rattler rigged with a Versa Rattle.
Hooks: Triple Threat Catfish Hooks in size 6/0 (I downsize the size of my hooks and baits in the spring, especially after a cold front).
This is a longer format video than what I normally do so go down below and leave me a comment and let me know what your thoughts are on this still video.
You May Also Be Interested In:
Flood Water Catfish On Fox Sports Outdoors – Spring action catching catfish in flooded conditions.
Circle Hooks For Catfish, 3 Mistakes That Cost You Fish – Tips to increase your catch rates with circle hooks!
Catching Shad at Night – Tips for catching shad at night.
Should You Use Frozen Shad For Catfish Bait? – Tons of details on catching shad and using it for catfish bait.
How To Catch More Shad (Plus Stay Safe) – Tips for catching more shad with a cast net and staying safe in the process.
Shad For Catfish Bait, The Essential Guide For Catfishing – More on catching and fishing with shad!
Thoughts On This Spring Catfish Video?
This is a longer format video than what I normally do so go down below and leave me a comment and let me know what your thoughts are on this style video.
