Hi folks, in my opinion, catfish caught in early spring are great eating. Their flesh is firm and sweet. I like to target brown bullheads since they are plentiful in my area.

They're usually on the bite about a week after ice-out and you should be able to find them in creeks with little or no current. Muddy water is not a deterrent for them.
They could easily locate food in the muddiest of waters because they rely on their sense of smell rather than sight. Bullheads will take a variety of natural baits...especially earthworms.

I like to use the small red worms found in manure piles. They have a strong odor which bullheads can easily detect.
Once the catfish has picked-up the scent of food it will continue to search until it finds the source. This is a good point to consider in helping you catch more catfish.
Fishing tackle required can be a six foot rod & reel, eight pound test line, two snelled number six Carlisle hooks (spaced twelve inches apart) and a half ounce to one ounce bell sinker tied to the end of the fishing line. The Carlisle hooks are long enough to be easily removed from the fish's mouth.

When you're ready to fish, bait the hooks with the worms. Visually locate an area where you would like the bait to rest on the bottom - then make your cast. Let the bait sit on bottom for about thirty seconds then retrieve your bait. Take another cast and try to locate your bait close to the vicinity of your first cast - wait another thirty seconds and retrieve again. Repeat the recasting and thirty second waiting about five times.

Each cast should be aimed in the vicinity of the first cast. You have now created a "scent zone" and you‘re finally ready to fish.

Re-bait with fresh worms and while your fingers are damp with worm secretions, rub the scent on the line near the hooks as well as the sinker. Make a cast in the scent zone. Rest the rod on a rod holder and reel the line tight. A bite will easily be detected by watching the rod tip.

Try to set the hook at first bite to avoid the hook from being swallowed.

Squeezing the barb on the hooks to make them "barbless" will make hook removal much easier. Be extra careful when handling bullheads as they are equipped with serrated spines at the front of their pelvic and dorsal fins.
As far as cleaning your catfish, many folks remove the skin, and then fillet them. I, on the other hand, prefer to leave the skin on.

1. To me, the fish has more flavor. Before I begin filleting, I remove the slime from the skin.
2. Take a sharp knife and place it ninety degrees to the fish's side and scrape back and forth.
3. The slime will stick to the knife and it can be wiped off between scrapings.
4. Actually, I continue to scrape until the color of the skin becomes grey - now I can fillet the fish. This may seem like a lot of work, but it's not that bad. To me it's well worth it.

Good Fishin!
Claudio shares tips and techniques with you and invites you to read more at: http://www.thundermistfishingtips.com