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How to Catch Lots of Catfish

If you want to catch numbers of catfish (and who would not), these proven strategies will put them into your boat.

Thousands of miles of small streams, creeks and small rivers across the country are loaded with catfish. Such secluded spots rarely see fishing pressure. To discover numbers of catfish in small waters, float them in either a flat-bottom jonboat or a canoe. Use a portable depth finder to locate sharp bottom breaks and underwater boulders that break the current. Then anchor your boat upstream and let your bait wash into the holes and areas where catfish generally will hold.

Small ponds and lakes, both public and private, are productive places to catch numbers of catfish. You can jug fish or fish from the bank. Try throwing cheap dog food from the bank. Bluegill will swarm the dog food at first, but after 15 or 20 minutes, you'll reel in a catfish on every cast.

Tailraces below major dams make the best places to catch the most catfish in the shortest time. When a dam generates current, cool, highly-oxygenated water comes out of the base of the dam and becomes a magnet for the baitfish on which the catfish feed. To fish the grooves, position your boat in the area where the currents collide. Use either your trolling motor or your outboard, and head your boat upstream. Then control your drift as you slowly fish down the groove. Always wear a personal flotation device while fishing below a dam, from a boat!