When Will The Cats Start Biting?!

[troutman11]

Hey guys I love catfishing but don't know much bout the actual catfish anyone know when they will start becoming more active and biting more I assume it's just when it warms up a bit I'm planning to try to make it out to a park on the meremac by my house sometime soon just wanted to get some input from you guys to see If they are biting mow if I need to wait a lol longer and also what to use I will probably be using chicken liver or live bluegill... Any help would be great!! Thanks!!

[joshgray]

the cats in lakes are biteing good right now manily from the shad die off you want to fish around the banks along flats were the wind is blowing in too the bank the wind will blow the dead shad to the bank that is the best bet right now until the water warms up hope that helps

[rps]

I haven't targeted cats on TR, but when I lived in Oklahoma, we fished rip rap for bridges and the dams during May. Had the best luck if the wind was blowing into or along the rocks.

[Fishslayer88]

I usually wait until spring myself, but you can catch them right now if you want to brave the cold or wait for a warm day. As for bait go to a bait shop and find shad entrails or sides (the entrails work way better IMO) since your fishing a river your best bet would be to find they deepest hole you can and try to fish the edges of it on the down stream side catfish are opportunistic feeders and they are cold right now so they like to lay up in low spots on the bottom or under cover and wait for food to come to them.

[Kayser]

Find a cooling lake for a power plant, fish the hot water. They bite all year, and can get pretty big.

[straw hat]

joshgray is right I am concerned that with the warmer weather this winter that there may not be as big a die-off this year. Just find a niche in the bank that faces south. After a day or two of southerly winds to wash the bait into that spot 'go get em;. You don't need to fish real deep, start 3 to 5' and work out from there. I can usually start routinely picking up a few on fresh shad or minnows of the edge of the tributary channels in early march. Places like the CC bridge, Aldrich and below the 39 bridge. Good luck.

[Feathers and Fins]

My favorite tactic for cats year round is to find cliff banks or boulder piles that go from the bottom to surface. Get some chubs or suckers and pin them on the hook via the nose. Cast them to the side of the rocks and let them swim down. You wont catch alot of small fish but the ones you get will be large. and occasionaly you get rewarded with other species.

[fishinwrench]

Winter catfishing is really taking off here on LO, I dont participate in it myself (yet) but the guys that do have had a great Winter so far, and from what I understand they are being caught way shallower than I woulda thought. It's all about learning the fish, paying your dues, and knowing what you're doing. Cats bite all year long just like every other fish.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

It's all about learning the fish, paying your dues, and knowing what you're doing. Cats bite all year long just like every other fish.

What!?, no magic silver bullet? LOL Your exactly right. Catfishing is my favorite fishing. I like to let it sit and wait them out. While I wait, thats when I play for bass and such.