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One big reason why catfishing is so popular among fisherman is that catfish are so easy to catch. Usually, the most basic equipment such as rod and reel are enough to catch a [tag]catfish[/tag], except for the strongest and best fighters for which you might need bush hooks or trotlines.

Regarding [tag]catfishing[/tag], one of the most essential things to bear in mind is that catfish find food by taste and smell. So baiting your hook with stinky baits like chicken liver, gizzards, shrimp or stinkbait (punch bait) will entice them to the take the bait. Also, keep in mine that catfish are primarily nocturnal and search for food at night, so fishing during this time of the day will give you the best results. This is not an absolute because you can still catch them in the daytime, especially during the summer.

The Channel Catfish is the probably the most popular to catch because they are easy to find and catch and good fighters. Adult anglers who bring their children fishing often choose the channels for a starting point. Just a rod and reel will be sufficient when fishing with toddlers. More mature children may be interested in learning to fish with trotlines. They are mostly caught at the bottom with chicken blood, chicken liver and gizzards as baits, and oddly enough have a preference for dead stinkbaits than live baits.

The Blue Channel Catfish prides themselves as one of the strongest freshwater fish, and they are usually pulled in with bush hooks and trotlines. Rod and reel may have its successes sometimes, especially with smaller blues. You can use a lead sinker and a large hook with cut fish or stinkbaits to fish them up from the bottom.

As for the White Catfish, just plain fishing methods are good enough to hook them. Outside of the channels, they are the easiest and most popular catch, another good target for beginners. These can be caught with minnows and worms. Remember that whites are not as nocturnal as other catfish, so you can even catch them in daytime.

The Bullhead Catfish are average fighters at best, and are very easy to catch. Since they feed almost exclusively at the bottom, a deep line with baits such as worms, shrimp, crayfish and stinkbaits will almost surely get them on the line. Yellow bullheads are only active at night while browns occasionally feed during the day.

The most elusive catfish of them all are the Flathead Catfish, which also may be the best eating. Not only are they tremendously aggressive, flatheads are loners and operate individually, making them harder to catch. The best way to nab one is to fish at shallow water at night when they are looking for food. You can bottom-fish with heavy tackles and a large hook, with cut fish for baits. Trotlines are also used to good effect.

Even though catfishing is not the most challenging of all fishing endeavors, it does require the angler to apply some form of technique or know-how. As the saying goes, “I give you a fish, you eat for a day. I teach you to fish, you eat for a lifetime.”