fly fishing for catfish

[jeff78]

trying to find some information on fly fishng for catfish any help will be greatly appreciated

[RichardCullip]

Let's see ... I've caught exactly one catfish on a fly so I'm not sure I can be of much help



that was earlier this month up at Lake Isabella while float tubing. I got it on my 3wt by slow trolling a tan size 6 Piconi Prowler (an epoxied bodied surf fly) on a 9ft tapered leader (4X) and floating line in about 3-4ft of water. I was fishing a wide gently sloped bay/cove over a sandy bottom (not many weeds snagged). I knew there were catfish in the area because Brad, who I was fishing with, had landed two earlier in the morning. Mine came just a bit after noon on a nice still day. Water temperature was btwn 68-70 degF that day and the water was quite stained.

[jeff78]

so do you think if im fishing deeper i should use a sinking line and what about flies any big wooley buggers or any other ugly big flies

[Gary C.]

Like richard I've only caught one catfish on a fly and it was incidental. I'm sure there must be a way to target them but everyone I know(very few) that has caught one did so as a fluke.
Gary C.

[stanbery]

Since catfish feed mainly on the bottom, use sinking line so your fly is on the bottom or very close to the bottom. Buggers and leeches work very well.

Jon

[Flyjunkie]

My first Catfish, a 10 lb. Channel Cat, hit a white Marabou Streamer fished on a Floating line.. I was working some Impoundments near my Hometown in Alabama with My cousin Ricky for Bass.. and suddenly this Channel Cat ate the Marabou streamer.. what a Good fight on the 8wt...

Since then I've caught a number of Catfish on flies... about a 50/50 on using sinking lines verses Floating lines (thought all the Floating line catches where in water not over 5 feet deep)
Flies of Choice are BH Wool Buggers, Woolly Worms, Crawdad imitations & Minnow patterns in sizes #2 thru #6. I'm sure my #1 Carp fly, the Rusty Brown Clouser swimming Nymph, would produce Catfish as well.....

For patterns like Woolly worms, Crawdads and BH Woolly Buggers keeping the fly on the Bottom provides the most effective.. But remember Channel Cats will actively pursue Baitfish and have been caught by Bass Anglers on crank baits... so if there's baitfish nearby a faster retrieve oughta get their attention....

I'd go minimum a 7wt. on Catfish...because some of the local lakes can produce Big ones (besides if a Larger Bass eats your Catfish offering, you want to rip them out of cover). Fluorocarbon leaders and Tippets are best....

The Only time I've ever caught Catfish on Dryflies was years back, I took a Student of mine to Malibu Creek State park.. figured if they'd hook into some Bluegill they'd get more into the Flyfishing... Well we found the Bluegill where I expected they'd be.. But what came to the surface and grabbed Our Dryflies were not Bluegill but Bullhead Catfish?!?!?!?!???? It was soo weird to see them swim up off the bottom (About 2-3 feet deep in this area) and gently suck down the Adams or Black Gnat dries we were fishing.... They fought nicely on the 5wts. we were using..... This is the One & Only time I have ever caught Catfish on the Surface.... ( I talked with Ken Hanley about this episode recently and he said he's only had it happened a few times for him)...

Catfish for me have been predominately an incidental catch.. but often I think about focusing on trying nothing but catching them one day...

[jeff78]

thanks for all the replies guys i will diffanately give it a shot. the spots i fish for catfish are just farm canals so there dirty and fairly deep but there are big catfish out there so it doesnt hurt to try thanks again guys.

[briansII]

I have heard of catfish taking Clousers, fish on a sinking line. I caught one, using one of my bass streamers......I should say I hooked but never landed. I saw the brute, couldn't stop it, and when I put max pressure(it was towing me in my pontoon)on the fish to keep it out of the trees, it straightened the hook. I gotta do that again!

briansII

[nick562]

I have caught catfish more than several times,if you really want to give em a shot go with clear intermediate to get down below a bit small minnows in white are good even better after a rainfall or fish near any running water inlet funny thing is I was fishing for bass aggressively and there you go!! good luck out there man

[theokieangler]

I have caught catfish more than several times,if you really want to give em a shot go with clear intermediate to get down below aafter a rainfall or fish near any running water inlet bit small minnows in white are good even better funny thing is I was fishing for bass aggressively and there you go!! good luck out there man

I'm with you! My favorite time to catfish is after a nice heavy rain. Seems like if the water goes up a bit and muddies up some the fish will come in nice and shallow. Sometimes golf course and neighborhood ponds will be connected by various creeks (natural or thanks to a pump) and those inlets have been some of my favorite spots to target cats (and after a rain it's even better). If you have access to anything like that give it a shot! The golf courses can be tough to get on sometimes, but a little networking investment (getting in good with someone on the grounds crew? Asking permission from pres. of neighborhood association, etc) can have some fun fishing returns...

[gabe]

sweet kittys. can't wait to tick it off the list.
Ward, nice site, I just noticed it and scoped it out.

[theokieangler]

After being inspired by this thread, I tried to chase down some big cats after work yesterday... didn't run into anything really big, but found this one tailing on the bank like a carp.



He had his head buried underneath the overhang of the bank most of the time and made it pretty easy for me to get above him and highstick/dap a rusty orange headstand next to him.



Found him on the far side of the inlet..Not much water coming through yesterday, but enough to bring a fish or two in


I don't know where I'd be in life with out golf course ponds

[darrin terry]

I agree, nice site Ward. I dig the last shot of the carp with the rusty orange headstand in its gob.

[theokieangler]

Thanks Gabe and Darrin... definitely a beginner when it comes to putting together a website, but figured if nothing else it would be a skill that might help me later in life

[Papasequoia]

From a fishing report (not mine): The catfish bite at Hesperia Lake is excellent, and it's one of the few places where you can get out of this gloomy, coastal overcast. The lake is planted with 2,200 pounds of cats each week and some of the fish in each plant are whopper broodstock fish. In the past week there were three cats over 20 pounds caught and three others between 16 and 18 pounds. For an update, check with the tackle shop at 800-521-6332 or 760-244-5951.