How to Catch Catfish

Ivo: Hi! Folks, it's Ivo. Here from Thundermist Lure Company. It's early April, we are fishing here at the Welland River and you know, you don't always need a boat. There is a lot of good fishing to be done from shore and today what we are going to do we are going to be targeting channel catfish. So, I have got, what I have got setup here is the Thundermist Bait Rig with two hooks and what I am going to do, I am going to put on some fresh cut bait and what you want to do with this fresh cut bait, make sure that you keep some skin on your cut bait and put the hook and put it right through the skin because that skin will help keep your bait onto your hook much longer. Without the skin, you have got the risk of loosing your bait pretty quickly. So, I am going to poke it right through once, come back through a second time right through the scales and then through the hook. Today, I am using a large 5/0 Mustad Ultra Point hooks. I have got some heavy lead on here that I am using because what we are faced with today, a cold front move today, and we've had a lot of rain, like I said it's early April and this Welland River, the current is flowing strongly in one direction and the wind is coming from the north-east in the other direction. So, what I am going to do, we are going to cast it out there and I am going to try to head out to the middle. Now, when you are fishing from a boat, it's a little bit different. Actually, I was in the boat, and I was drifting, I would be using the, definitely using the viper spoon with a strip of cut bait on there, but when you are fishing from shore, it's a little different. When you are drifting or trolling at a boat, you are covering a lot of water. So, right now from shore, what you want to do, cast your line out to one spot, keep your line in that one spot because you want to attract a fish to your bait and these channel cats, they are going to pick up on that scent and they are going to come to your bait. So, not only for your first cast but your other casts as well. Continue casting in the same spot and you will create a scent trail in that one particular area which will attract the catfish. So, what we are going to right now, I am just going to put my rod down, we are going to sit and wait. Hopefully, we will be able to show you a nice size Channel Cat and we will see what today brings. Now with running some PowerPro line, 30 pound test, as am I, and with a fluoro-carbon leader. Mind you, you don't even need the fluoro-carbon leader today because the water we are fishing in is so murky, it really doesn't make that much of a difference. However, we are set up that way regardless. He's got some weight to him. Male Speaker: Yeah, right in the fish and the current. Ivo: Oh yeah. It's a pretty strong current. Male Speaker: I shouldn't be bothered. Ivo: Oh yeah. It's a little bit bigger but not the real big ones that we are looking for today. You know, there is nothing like coming out early in the spring. As soon as that ice clears out and that water starts to warm a bit, these creaks in rivers just start to come alive with fish and at this time of the year, you don't necessarily need a boat. A lot of good fishing that we would done by shore and in fact, this has got a descent one on. See, if you can land them. This one is a little bit grayer. The other one was browner in color. This one looks grayer. There is a nice channel, not too bad, a little bit bigger, little bigger than the prior one. Just take a look at them, bring him up here and you hooked him just underneath the mouth there, right. But boy! It's sure, nice out here. The Sun is out now. The wind has calmed down a bit, that's what it's all about. Let's take a look. Why you don't stand over here in the sun, we will get a better look at him. Oh yeah. Male Speaker: Bad? Ivo: No, that's a nice size, how heavy you think he is. Male Speaker: No idea. Ivo: May be five pounds. Male Speaker: Yeah, five pounds. Ivo: Yeah. Ok. Well, I guess we are going to release that one back in and away he goes. Ok. Well folks, that could be it for today, if we happen to get any other bigger ones, may be we will fire up the camera again, otherwise, till next time, good fishing.