Catfish fishing - information and tips on how to catch a catfish (part 1)

If you look at the sometimes gigantic size of a catfish, you quickly understand why hunting for the big guy is one of the most challenging hurdles for anglers and sport fishermen. This predatory fish, which is also native to our area and also goes by the name " catfish ", has also been officially declared a big beast. If you look at the many photos of the giant that can be found on the Internet, you can see, even without being a great fish expert, that the title of " largest European freshwater fish " was rightly awarded to this candidate. But how do you achieve success when fishing? Can the catfish be pulled onto land or into the boat so easily? WOLFGANGS has summarized information and tips about catfish fishing for you in a two-part article.

Basic information about the European catfish

Even though it now feels right at home in our freshwater areas, the catfish was once found exclusively in the Bulgarian Danube basin. It has now made its way to other parts of the river, so that it can also be found across a wide area of ​​Central and Eastern Europe. The slow-flowing waters often found in these regions provide the perfect environment for it to settle down. If you add muddy bottom to that, the catfish paradise is almost perfect.

The fish enjoys life away from the spotlight. Despite its considerable size and weight, it is mostly only found near the bottom to search for food. The fish follow a certain principle that makes life noticeably easier for them. Instead of relying on a wide variety of food sources, they prefer to focus solely on what is available in abundance and is therefore easiest to find . Comfortable - no question about it, but at the same time very clever and energy-saving.

The catfish is particularly active at dusk and at night and deliberately stays out of the way during the day. Of course, it is possible to catch catfish in the light, but the success rate is clearly higher in dark conditions, as the catfish moves more and does not just seek cover among plants and crevices.

Information and tips about catfish fishing - which equipment is the right one?

Anyone who puts two and two together in view of the enormous size and the high weight will know, even without any prior knowledge, that only sturdy equipment is able to withstand fishing. Of course, when putting together the rod, line, etc., the chosen fishing method must always be taken into account, but regardless of this , a robust and extremely unyielding design is always standard when catfish fishing.

Cheap prices are certainly tempting, but it is better to rely on quality for this demanding undertaking. Catfish can really damage poorly made equipment, so damage cannot be ruled out. Avoid unnecessary and costly double purchases and look for decent products.

Choosing the Fishing Line

The strain that can build up between a fish and the rod should not be underestimated. When it comes to catfish in particular, the line is put to a real test. As already mentioned in the general equipment selection, try to use only a robust line.

Braided fishing line is particularly recommended when fishing for catfish. The load-bearing capacity should be at least 50 kg for this type of use, as the fight can generate strong forces that cannot otherwise be countered.

Choosing the Hook

Special catfish hooks ensure that the bait can be attached well and the probability of catching something is increased. For bundles of earthworms, a single hook is usually the best option. However, if you want to use larger bait fish, the treble hook is the only good way to achieve success. Here, too, the main focus is on ensuring quality . A higher price usually goes hand in hand with better and more reliable quality.

Choosing the rod

When choosing the right rod for catfish fishing, you can often fall back on equipment you already have. For many people, pike and carp rods are an integral part of their fishing equipment, so you don't have to plan on buying a new one for catfish. As long as the rods are strong, they are also ideal for hunting the freshwater giant.

The basic rule is that when fishing from a stand, you should aim for a length of at least 3 metres. In a boat, the whole thing can be a little shorter - here the length should be limited to a maximum of 2.80 metres.

Is it advisable to purchase a catfish rod when fishing for catfish?

The catfish wood, which originally comes from Hungary, can be extremely effective when fishing from a boat. For hundreds of years, many people have relied on this tool, which is used to hit the surface of the water in time with a set rhythm to attract catfish. The resulting " plopping sound " attracts the sea creatures as if by magic and makes the predatory fish, which otherwise only stay on the bottom, more active.

The fish's very fine and well-developed hearing helps it to perceive the sounds made by the angler very well. Even if the experts are not sure why exactly the fish comes to the surface after hearing the sound , it is nevertheless very likely that the popping sounds like a feeder fish to it. The perfect imitation may not be successful, but it is enough to lure it out of its shell.

Try to practice as often as possible and learn the ideal tapping technique and you will see that the catfish wood more than lives up to its reputation for success when fishing for catfish. If aids such as baiting are accepted when fishing , why should such a tool be frowned upon?

Find out what happens next in part 2 here .