Rod and Reels
I will start with the fishing rod and work my way
down. For kayak catfishing I like a short stout rod for a few different reasons. One of the benefits a long rod offers is the ability to cast much further than a shorter rod...... a benefit that I have found to be rather useless since you can
paddle to the exact spot you plan to fish in a kayak. Longer rods also have a better hook setting ability, which is needed when setting the hook on a fish that has taken your bait after a long cast.However, as I have mentioned above in a kayak I'm not making long casts, rather I make short 10-20 yard casts precisely where I want my bait to be. One thing that I have came to realize in the last year or so is that landing a fish with a short
rod is much easier than landing one with a long rod because it brings the fish closer to the kayak. For the above mentioned reasons I choose to use
6ft-8ft medium-heavy to heavy action rods when targeting catfish from a kayak.
As for reels, I prefer the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur series baitcasters. These reels are strong, smooth, and reliable reels. I have a couple Abu Garcia 6000's that I keep spooled with 20 pound Berkly Big Game that I just use for areas that I know hold larger channel cats and have the potential to hold flathead catfish. I consider this gear to be my "all around catfish gear". It will land fish up to 40lbs and still offer a battle with smaller channel cats.
When I don't feel that a flathead catfish is present I will often times downsize my gear and go toe to toe with channel cats. In these cases I often target channel catfish with medium action rods spooled with 6-12 pound monofilament, what most would consider bass gear. Any combo you use for bass should get the job done and provide some versatility in case another species catches your attention. There is noting quite like floating down a small stream and working a log jam or current break when you see that 18" smallmouth swimming around and all you have is your heavy catfish gear. With the use of bass gear I can make a quick switch from my catfish rig to a crankbait, jig, spinnerbait, etc. and see if I can fool the smallie into biting. I have recently started using braid (12-20 pound Crystal Fire-line and Spiderwire Invisabraid) on my bass rods which work well for channel cats and other game fish. The braid has very little stretch so it allows me to set a solid hookset and then steer the catfish away from cover. These lighter combos will add some excitement to any day of channel catting, as a channel catfish over 5lbs will take quite some time to land on 8lb test. Throw in a few fallen trees and some strong current and your in for quite the challenge.
As for reels, I prefer the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur series baitcasters. These reels are strong, smooth, and reliable reels. I have a couple Abu Garcia 6000's that I keep spooled with 20 pound Berkly Big Game that I just use for areas that I know hold larger channel cats and have the potential to hold flathead catfish. I consider this gear to be my "all around catfish gear". It will land fish up to 40lbs and still offer a battle with smaller channel cats.
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| Sean's channel cat rigs. |
When I don't feel that a flathead catfish is present I will often times downsize my gear and go toe to toe with channel cats. In these cases I often target channel catfish with medium action rods spooled with 6-12 pound monofilament, what most would consider bass gear. Any combo you use for bass should get the job done and provide some versatility in case another species catches your attention. There is noting quite like floating down a small stream and working a log jam or current break when you see that 18" smallmouth swimming around and all you have is your heavy catfish gear. With the use of bass gear I can make a quick switch from my catfish rig to a crankbait, jig, spinnerbait, etc. and see if I can fool the smallie into biting. I have recently started using braid (12-20 pound Crystal Fire-line and Spiderwire Invisabraid) on my bass rods which work well for channel cats and other game fish. The braid has very little stretch so it allows me to set a solid hookset and then steer the catfish away from cover. These lighter combos will add some excitement to any day of channel catting, as a channel catfish over 5lbs will take quite some time to land on 8lb test. Throw in a few fallen trees and some strong current and your in for quite the challenge.
If the current is strong or I am expecting fish above 10 pounds then I will use the above mentioned all around catfish gear. On big rivers with known "Big Fish Populations" I opt to use even heavier gear, Abu Garcia 7000's spooled with 30+lb test and heavy action rods. Heavy rigs give you the ability to really put the pressure on the fish and drag them out of thick cover such as log jams and rip rap. With that said keep in mind that you can only apply so much power from a kayak, where as from a boat or bank fishing you can stand firmly and really pour the power to the fish. In a kayak you can only exert a fraction of the force that you would on the bank or in a larger boat. This means not only is it harder for the fish to break your line but its also a lot harder for you to break your line. More often than not, fishing for cats requires you to fish the heaviest available cover, which often results in a lot of snags. In order to break your line safely, it may be a good idea to use a little lighter line. It takes a lot of force to break 20lb test from a kayak, when you add swift moving water and log jams into the equation you can quickly find yourself in unsafe conditions. If you do prefer heavier line, bring a knife along and have it where you can reach it. Sean often uses 40lb monofilament for flathead catfish, which gives him a lot of insurance around heavy cover when his line rubs a fallen tree or rock, but he has said on multiple occasions that he could not break his line when he has gotten hung up. This is just something to keep in mind when catfishing from a kayak.
Sinkers
Before I get into rigging, I'd like to cover the different styles of sinkers I use for catfishing. Here's an article that Sean wrote a couple years ago on various sinker styles. It pretty much sums up everything that can be said. It is important to note that this article was written for all styles of sinkers, and for all species of catfish. For 90 percent of my catfishing needs I prefer to use egg sinkers, split shots, and no roll sinkers.
Over the last decade we have learned that certain applications call for different sinkers, weights, and styles. Sinkers are as diverse as each application, they come in hundreds of sizes and shapes. They range from sizes of a fraction of an ounce to several dozen ounces. In the past several years we have experimented with dozens of different types and sizes, and we have learned quite a bit about each. As mentioned before, we aren't experts.....just fisherman with a passion for the sport.
Over the last decade we have learned that certain applications call for different sinkers, weights, and styles. Sinkers are as diverse as each application, they come in hundreds of sizes and shapes. They range from sizes of a fraction of an ounce to several dozen ounces. In the past several years we have experimented with dozens of different types and sizes, and we have learned quite a bit about each. As mentioned before, we aren't experts.....just fisherman with a passion for the sport.
Sinkers
can be used for many reasons. They can be used to add distance to ones
cast, to make a float stand correctly, keep a bait on bottom, or to
increase the rate of sinking of a somewhat buoyant bait.
Some
of the most common sinkers we use include: split shots, egg sinkers,
coin sinkers (and hybrids), pyramid sinkers, bank sinkers, and no rolls.
Each sinker was tailored for a specific type of fishing, or type of
application. By far the most commonly used sinker would be the split
shot. These are the smallest sinkers made, and the easiest to use. Some
models have wedges or tails near the back that allow one to open and
close the split shot to easily apply to a line. With that being said,
they have been known to cause line failures. By pinching the split shot
onto your line, you are actually crimping the line, thus weakening it.
It is important to note here that throughout our fishing experience we
have found that knots are by far the weakest link of all fishing rigs.
That is to say that we have broken off more often at the knot that ties
the hook onto our line, than we have at our split shots. Applications of
split shots vary greatly. The most common applications include the use
of a float (slip or spring), some split shots, and a hook. Pictured to
the right.
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| Slip float rig with split shots. |
Other applications include a simple hook and split shot, artificial and split shot, etc.
Probably
the second most common sinker we use is the egg sinker. The egg sinker
ranges from one quarter of an ounce to several ounces. The main benefit
of using an egg sinker is the ability of the sinker to slide on your
main line. When fishing on the bottom the fish can take the bait, while
the sinker stays in one spot on the bottom, thus not feeling the weight
of the sinker. This rig is commonly referred to as the slip sinker rig.
The problem with egg sinkers is that they tend to roll on bottom when
used in settings with high current or used in area of high slope, such
as a ledge. Egg sinkers can also be used on float rigs, used to suspend
baits off of bottom. They can be used when fishing artificial baits and
lures, often times called the Carolina rig. Once again the idea is to
have the fish take the bait while feeling minimal resistance.
Pyramid
sinkers have to rank among one of our favorite sinkers for large
baits. They range in sizes of less than a half an ounce to over a dozen
ounces. They
are one of the best sinkers to use in areas of heavy current where other
sinkers fail to hold the bottom. The shape of the pyramid allows it to
settle along bottom, often times sinking part way into the sand or
mud bottom, and anchoring your bait. When used on soft bottoms, the
sinker will actually bury itself in the bottom, however when it doesn't
bury the corners of the sinker will catch the bottom as it is being drug
in the current. With that being said, there are drawbacks to using such
sinkers. The edges tend to hold onto things too well and often times
find snags. Pyramids are often noted of
falling into rock crevices as well. The geometry of the pyramid makes it
prone to snagging when reeling in. The flat top tends to plane
the sinker toward the bottom, thus coming into contact with more snags.
Coin
sinkers and hybrids are probably our least used sinker, simply because
we are new to using them. The coin sinker has many types but are for the
most part, often rounded with a brass eye. The main advantage of these
sinkers is the fact that they plane upward when retrieving your bait.
The sinker actually rises in the water column with increased
resistance. When using these style sinkers one can use the current to
bounce his/her bait down stream when fishing directly down current. This makes
these sinkers great for anyone who is trolling or drifting for fish.
No
roll sinkers are probably our most commonly used sinkers in our arsenal. The flat shape of the no roll allows
it to lay flat on bottom, thus catching less current. The flat sides of
the no roll also eliminate any roll that might occur when fishing steep
bottoms such as ledges. When retrieving the no roll sinker it tends to
plane upward, avoiding most major snags. The only disadvantage of a no
roll that I have found is that it takes slightly more weight to keep a
bait down in heavy current. The drag caused by a large piece of bait
will sometimes drag a bait with let's say a 1oz no roll that wouldn't
otherwise drag a 1oz pyramid.
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| Bank sinker led molded eye. |
The
final type of sinker that we commonly use is the bank sinker. Its
rounded shape allows for a more aerodynamic design, resulting in further
casts. The rounded edges of the bank sinker also reduce the amount of
snags they tend to catch when shifting in the current or when being
trolled or drifted. It's tall and slender design causes the bank to move
significantly more in current, thus anchoring a bait less than a
pyramid or no roll. The major design flaw of the bank sinker is the eye
in which you attach the line to the sinker. The bank sinker was designed
with a led eye rather than a brass eye. When attached directly to one's
line it tends to rub, fray, and weaken the main line; causing line
failure. Which brings me to the next point.
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| Aquarium tubing, sinker slide, and a bead. |
Sinker
slides, beads, and aquarium tubing are all often used to reduce the
negative effects that sinkers have on knots and the main line. Sinkers
that are allowed to sit on the knot of a swivel or hook can often times
cause damage from casting and being in constant contact from lively
baits, or rubbing caused from current. As mentioned above, not all
sinkers have brass eyes that slide freely on your main line, so a sinker
slide is pertinent to attach heavy sinkers to your main line. I even
use the sinker slide for attaching sinkers with brass eyes, for the
simple fact that the weight of the led sinker is spread over a larger
area instead of just the thin brass eye.
Sinker
slides are really handy to have. The snap swivel allows you to add and
remove weight as needed. They allow you to tie rigs in advance such as
sinker slide/bead/swivel/leader/hook, and add the weight as you find out
where you will be fishing. Shown below. It's also great to be able to
remove your sinker when carrying your rods from your vehicle to the
water. This will prevent the chipping of your gloss and paint on your
rod that is caused by sinkers coming into contact with it.
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Rigging
I have three rigging styles that I use forcats from the kayak. The first technique I use is to tight line a slip rig using a (1/2 -2 oz) egg/slip sinker above a barrel swivel followed by a 6-12 inch monofilament
leader to the hook. Sinker type is determined by several factors such as the size of my bait, type of bottom composition, strength of current, slope of the bottom, etc. Generally speaking I typically throw either a no roll or egg style sinker for catfish. I use an egg sinker when I don't have to worry about current rolling my bait around on bottom, and I use a no roll when I fish heavy current. My leader length is often determined by two factors current and cover. If I am fishing right on a log jam I will shorten my leader to reduce the chance of my bait and hook finding a snag. If I'm fishing open water I often lengthen my leader since I don't have to worry about snagging up as often. When heavy current becomes an issue I reduce my leader length, sometimes even eliminating the use of a leader all together by simply running my sinker all the way down to my hook or by using a lead head jig.
My second rigging technique is used when I'm faced with calm water and heavy cover. In these cases I will use a jig head or even a
weightless hook to pitch my bait into thick cover. This
works well in calm quiet water where the loud splash of a sinker may
frighten fish away. This is a much faster technique than the slip rig mentioned above. The slip rig requires you to be anchored and to patiently wait for a bite. This technique doesn't require an anchor as long as you are somewhat stationary, and often times yields a bite within less than a minute. Think of it like fishing a weightless plastic for bass, pitch your bait into cover, move it a few times, and re cast. More often than not, if you don't get an immediate bite you won't get a bite at all.
The third option is to use a float. With a float
you can easily identify bites when it is hard to keep a kayak still
enough to tight line a slip rig on the bottom. A float also gives you the option of
drifting to seek out actively feeding fish outside of cover. A slip or spring clip float can be
added to either of the other mentioned rigs above with the appropriate weight to ensure the float sets upright. A spring
style float makes it easy to switch between tight lining on bottom with a slip rig and then switching to a float to cover water in between cover. I often do this out of convenience but spring/clip style floats can also
compromise the strength of your line. If possible, I bring a separate rod along with a slip float already set up and ready for action.
Hooks
In the world of cat-fishing there are multiple options when it comes to hooks;
circle, bait holder, kahle, octopus, octopus circle, etc. The two most common styles of hooks we use for channel cats are octopus and octopus circle hooks. I mostly use Gamakatsu
Octopus hooks because they are strong and extremely sharp. They are a modified j-hook, with an offset shank and bent eye-lit. The major difference between a j-hook and a circle hook is that a j-hook often requires the angler to set the hook, however with a circle hook the angler actually has to apply slow and steady pressure as the fish swims off. The design of a circle hook is such that as steady pressure is applied the hook maneuvers into the corner of a fishes mouth. As the fish continues to move off the hook buries itself into the fishes flesh. Once an angler has perfected the use of a circle hook, the mortality rate from gut hooking a fish almost completely disappears. Nine times out of ten the circle hook finds corner of the cats mouth where it stays until the end of the fight. This style of fishing is really suited to the use of a rod holder, in which an angler casts out his slip rig with a circle hook and sets his rod in a rod holder. As the fish picks up the bait and moves off the rod begins to bend, at this point things become tricky. As the rod bends you will see 2 stages, (1) as the fish casually swims off the rod slowly bends, and (2) as the circle hook finds its mark and the fish realizes its hooked the rod begins to violently bend and rip drag off of the reel. The key to the successful use of circle hooks is determining when to pick up the rod and begin to battle the fish, if you pick up the rod too early and begin fighting the fish you may pull the bait out of the fishes mouth before the circle hook had found its mark. Patience is key, its better to wait too long, than to not wait long enough. Sean said at one point he spent nearly 3 months perfecting the use of circle hooks, missing dozens of fish along the way. Now he says that he hooks 9 out of 10 fish that bite. Its a steep learning curve, one that I'm not willing to commit to just yet.
A third hook style, one that many of
us started out using for panfish, is bait holder style hook. A bait holder is a plain J hook with barbs along its shank that keep your bait from sliding off of your hook shank. I'll use hooks from size 4 all the way up to a 4/0 depending on bait size
and the size of the fish I am expecting to catch. Bait such
as shrimp or liver will attract fish of all sizes and species, so you
will have to decide on the size of bait and hook required for what you want to catch. Smaller hooks and small pieces of bait will bring more fish into your yak, but a larger hook and bait has the potential to attract larger fish. Sometimes when I have a large chunk of bait out and its getting bumped but not eaten, I'll switch to a
smaller hook and bait to identify what is nibbling at the end of the other
line. Larger hooks will be required when using larger bait such as cut
bluegill or shad. These larger cut baits will also increase the
likelihood of attracting larger catfish.
Bait
Even though I did catch multiple channel cats on
spinnerbaits last year, I usually go with something natural. Smell is always important when targeting catfish. Scents
like garlic, anise, and cheese are popular additives among channel catfisherman. In my opinion blood is the best option available. Any predator, whether it be on land or in water, is attracted to the scent of blood. This is a good reason why liver and fresh cut fish are
two of the most popular catfish baits. Smaller cats seem to be more
opportunistic feeders and often go after anything that catches
their attention.....store bought baits, homemade concoctions, rotten meat, etc . On the other hand, I believe that larger mature cats are more selective in their food preference. I believe they look for larger meals composed of native forage fish such as sunfish, creek chubs, shad, and skipjack herring. These types of baits
are my favorite for almost every species of catfish. Gathering these
baits typically consume more time than i'd like, but it gives me an opportunity to
fish with my children who are too
young for kayaking. After I gather my baitfish for catfishing I
immediately put them on ice to preserve them or into a bait tank. If I were fishing for
flathead I would rather keep them alive so I put them into a bait tank, often times a large cooler with an 110volt aerator will suffice. When freezing bait I typically I throw 8 to 10 fish in a freezer style
ziplock bag and place them in the freezer. (If you don't have
permission from your wife you better hide them in a brown bag and bury
them in the back of the freezer.) If you have a food sealer you can use
it to prolong the freezer life of your bait.
Anchoring
As I mentioned before tight lining from a kayak can
prove to be a difficult task. Wind, current, or a combination of both will cause your
kayak to spin, sway, and drift. Keeping slack out of your lines or
stopping your bait from getting pulled across the bottom can sometimes
be impossible. An anchor trolley can help but it does not always fix
the problem. Sometimes bottoming out the kayak close to shore or tying
off against a log are your only stable options. I regularly take two anchors
with me while catfishing. By disconnecting the D-ring clip in the
middle of the trolley line I can attach anchors to the front and back of
the kayak. Wind may still move the kayak but this keeps me facing the
direction of my lines. To help with this issue I recently made a stake
out pole, which I drive into the river bottom after my kayak has drifted into position after dropping my first anchor. If the bottom is soft enough you could drive your paddle into the bottom like Sean......just make sure to have it on a leash in case it comes loose. Anchoring a kayak in swift water can be dangerous so be cautious at all times.
Location
Luckily finding catfish is fairly easy since catfish are one of the most wide spread and abundant fish
in Ohio. They inhabit most streams and lakes all across Ohio, and the ODNR regularly stocks channel catfish in state lakes.
The good thing about catfish is that you can toss a bait out and eventually
one will find it by following the scent trail. The advantage of a kayak however, is that you don't
have to wait for that to happen, instead you can find the fish. Just like multiple other fish
species, the key to finding catfish is structure/cover.......
especially in moving water.
When it comes to catfish (especially channels and flathead), trees in 3-10
foot of water are hard to beat. In moving water I find the cover to
be much more important than depth. I usually start at the upstream
side of a tree and work my way down stream. Here I cast one bait out just past the end of the
structure in the deepest portion of the cover, and then I will put another bait half way to the bank just at the
edge of the three. With a single tree it usually does not take long for
any fish hiding there to follow the scent upstream. If it is a large
log jam or if there is a large washout on the down stream side then I
will spend time on both sides of the cover (logjam, riprap, etc.) On the right stream you can work your
way from tree to tree hitting the most concentrated pockets of fish. If
there is no structure around, then drifting a bait along various sections
of the stream is a good way locate feeding cats. While I usually drift
weightless rigs or float baits on slow moving water, Sean has landed
multiple nice channels and blues this winter by drifting both jigheads
and floats in strong current.
If the only structure available is small and spread out, then pitching baits to these spots while you drift can also be effective. In clear streams below riffles I have seen channels resting under small logs hardly larger than themselves. A riffle in the middle of the summer is like a refrigerator......when fish get hungry that's where they go to get a bite to eat. The highly oxygenated water attracts minnows, crawdads, and smaller fish which the attracts larger predators such as the catfish. Remember this is not sitting on the bank all night waiting for the fish to come to you. You are out looking for the fish so the pace will be much faster. Although I may spend an hour in one spot if I am getting bites and catching fish, I will not hesitate to move on after twenty minutes without a bite.
One final note to end on is that timing is key. Spawning catfish can be difficult, if not impossible to catch. At any given point during the spawn at least one sex of catfish is not feeding....either the male guarding the nest or the female laying eggs. In theory this cuts your success rate in half. Now with that said, you can still catch fish so don't completely rule out fishing during spawn. Another important aspect of timing is peak feeding times. Catfish are notorious for being night time prowlers, feeding primarily at night. With that in mind, the typical spots you target catfish during the day may not be the best spots to find catfish at night. You can still catch fish at log jams during the night, but these may be the inactive fish. Don't be afraid to target areas below riffles, sand bars, islands, etc....especially if there is a log jam or deep water nearby. Consider the cover as their home and the riffle as the local buffet. Midnight to them might as well be noon for us, If you go knocking on their doors (log jam) at lunch time (midnight) they may or may not be home. However, if you go visit the local buffet (riffle) at lunch time (midnight) your bound to find more than one catfish willing to eat.
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| A perfect spot for channel cats. Trees sitting in 5-8 feet. |
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| Chartreuse jig head drifted with a chunk of liver |
If the only structure available is small and spread out, then pitching baits to these spots while you drift can also be effective. In clear streams below riffles I have seen channels resting under small logs hardly larger than themselves. A riffle in the middle of the summer is like a refrigerator......when fish get hungry that's where they go to get a bite to eat. The highly oxygenated water attracts minnows, crawdads, and smaller fish which the attracts larger predators such as the catfish. Remember this is not sitting on the bank all night waiting for the fish to come to you. You are out looking for the fish so the pace will be much faster. Although I may spend an hour in one spot if I am getting bites and catching fish, I will not hesitate to move on after twenty minutes without a bite.
One final note to end on is that timing is key. Spawning catfish can be difficult, if not impossible to catch. At any given point during the spawn at least one sex of catfish is not feeding....either the male guarding the nest or the female laying eggs. In theory this cuts your success rate in half. Now with that said, you can still catch fish so don't completely rule out fishing during spawn. Another important aspect of timing is peak feeding times. Catfish are notorious for being night time prowlers, feeding primarily at night. With that in mind, the typical spots you target catfish during the day may not be the best spots to find catfish at night. You can still catch fish at log jams during the night, but these may be the inactive fish. Don't be afraid to target areas below riffles, sand bars, islands, etc....especially if there is a log jam or deep water nearby. Consider the cover as their home and the riffle as the local buffet. Midnight to them might as well be noon for us, If you go knocking on their doors (log jam) at lunch time (midnight) they may or may not be home. However, if you go visit the local buffet (riffle) at lunch time (midnight) your bound to find more than one catfish willing to eat.
