# How to Catch Catfish from the Shore



## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Lots of anglers don't have access to a boat, so here's a fun way to spend summer days and nights. Let me know what you think. 
http://www.examiner.com/fishing-in-charleston-sc/how-to-catch-monster-catfish-from-the-shore


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## bluefish1928 (Jun 9, 2007)

good article

the only decent size catfish i ever caught was on a handline with a gami 3/0 octopus hook and a small chunk of hotdog
26 inch blue cat


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## dangie704 (Jun 4, 2009)

went fishing yesturday and caught me a nice 30" blue cat on a 1oz flex it spoon didnt know cats hit lures too.......


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

dangie704 said:


> went fishing yesturday and caught me a nice 30" blue cat on a 1oz flex it spoon didnt know cats hit lures too.......


Crappie fishermen are always surprised when a 10+ lb cat hits their 2" grub...caught my fair share of pig n jigs and crankbaits when bassing too.


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## dahut (Dec 30, 2010)

dangie704 said:


> went fishing yesturday and caught me a nice 30" blue cat on a 1oz flex it spoon didnt know cats hit lures too.......


Catfish, contrary to popular belief, are not strictly crap feeders. We have this image of them as bottom feeding, garbage disposals... the "Clean-up Crew" of the water world. Throw out the stinkiest, nastiest concoction of simulated death, and they go crazy for it. But that isn't technically correct. They ARE omnivorous, meaning they will eat anything that presents itself. SO, yes, they can be drawn to a stinking bait.

But they are also highly effective predators, especially those known for fast and/or cold water habits like channel and blue cats. They have all the usual attributes of a predator AND those gnarly, sensitive whiskers. Most people know that worms or live baitfish makes excellent catfish bait - for a reason. 
I recall we used to catch them regularly on crickets, too, in mid-Florida lakes.

This extends to _simulated_ live bait - artificials, in other words. Spoons and soft baits, especially, are notorious 'cat getters.' Most people hook them when fishing for other things, so they chalk up the catfish as a fluke.
Some species of 'Old Whiskers prefer to hole up and lie in wait for whatever they can find. They are kind of lazy, you might say. Big flat heads, come to mind.
But certain species are predatory in the main, prowling for their meals... and few creatures in their realm are safe from them. This group includes the channel cats and blues.

If you ever want to test this, set up a fish tank at home and get it going good with the usual assortment of fish you can buy at WalMart. Then once everything is going well, get a couple of those long whiskered beauties you see being sold there. They usually label them as just whiskered "catfish." Within the week, you'll start waking up each day to a shrinking fish population in the tank... well, except for the cats. They'll probably be smiling, like Cheshire cats.


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