Catfish Equipment and Gear

When it’s big cats you’re after, you need a hook you can trust to hold up no matter how tough the fight, a hook like Boss Kat’s Big Boss Super J.   Big Boss Super J Hooks By Keith “Catfish” Sutton Are you using Boss Kat hooks? You should be. Boss Kat’s Big Boss Super […]

Garmin’s Perspective View radial grids look like this without a sonar image. (credit: Brad Wiegmann) Catch More Fish With Radial Grid Lines by Brad Wiegmann Use radial grid lines to see how many feet away from the transducer fish, brush or cover are located.    Everyone goes on and on about catching fish using forward […]

Driftmaster rod holders have a patented locking stem design that will prevent the rod from turning left or right when a fish hits.   Locking Stem System for Driftmaster Rod Holders By Keith “Catfish” Sutton You won’t have to worry about a big catfish repositioning your rod when it hits if you’re using Driftmaster’s patented […]

Garmin’s home screen allows an angler to put the unit in sleep mode to conserve power.   Go to Sleep and Save Power by Brad Wiegmann Forward-facing modules use less power than a large screen sonar/GPS unit    One of the most underutilized modes on sonar units is the sleep/standby mode. In today’s world of […]

B’n’M Fishing’s New EZ Sinker Slides By Keith “Catfish” Sutton Catfishing just got simpler with this innovative new product from B’n’M Poles.   One of the new terminal tackle items from our friends at B’n’M Poles in West Point, Mississippi is the revolutionary EZ Sinker Slide. What makes this product unique is that you can […]

LIS grid lines can be turned on or off by going to the menu.   Why You Should Use Live Imaging Sonar Grid Lines by Brad Wiegmann LIS grid lines are great for telling the size of the baitfish or fish you are trying to catch.    The first thing many anglers remove from their […]

Go farther. Fish harder. Make every move count With Power-Pole’s MOVE Brushless Trolling Motors.   Power-Pole’s New MOVE Brushless Trolling Motor By Keith “Catfish” Sutton An innovative new trolling motor just introduced by Power-Pole will allow catfish anglers to go farther, fish harder and make every move count.   Please join us in welcoming the […]

How distinct a brush pile looks on sonar depends on sonar imaging. Side and down imaging have the easiest to identify compared to traditional 2D sonar.   I Spy a Brush Pile by Brad Wiegmann Side imaging allows anglers to search large areas quickly for brush piles and laydowns.   Most reservoirs, ponds and rivers […]

Many of us started out with the original Ugly Stik Catfish rod. This rod is still a very affordable option that catches catfish. In this photo, Braden Durick reels in a channel catfish.   Which Color Catfish Rod Catches More Fish? by Brad Durick Every time a new brightly colored catfish rod debuts, it seems […]

Gafftopsail catfish often show up in state agency surveys of shallow-water species. The fish are opportunistic and feed on live or dead items from the top of the water column to the bottom. (Credit La. Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries)     Gafftopsail Catfish: Saltwater Bad Boys Are Fun in a Pinch by Alan Clemons […]

One Angler’s Trash Fish Just Might Be Another’s Treasure by Debbie Hanson Once a member of the “trash can slam,” the feisty sail cat is enjoying a new level of respect.   If gafftopsail catfish could talk, they’d likely borrow late comedian Rodney Dangerfield’s catchphrase, “I don’t get no respect!” Historically, saltwater cats have rarely […]

Anietra Hamper and paleontologist Jean-Pierre Cavigelli and Tyler Greenfield, Tate Geological Museum Collections Assistant, searching for fossils on Casper Mountain. (Submitted Photo)   Fish Finds: Uncovering the Origins of the Catfish Family Tree by Anietra Hamper How evolutionary biologists are using nearly 50-million-year-old fossils for insight into the origins and evolution of catfish.   Staring […]

I mostly fish the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers. Anglers should not overlook shallow water areas on sunny days in March and April. The sun will warm up the shallow water quicker and even a few degrees difference in water temp can make a huge difference. I have observed that the bait will generally move to […]

Editor’s Note: As an avid tournament angler Mackenzie DelRosso has learned the importance of understanding catfish behavior at different times of the year. He applies that knowledge to the tournaments he fishes. He also understands that there are no better anglers to learn from than the ones he competes against. He offered this tip as […]

by Jim Behnken, Western Program Director, C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation  At CAST for kids, EVERYONE wins! The C.A.S.T. for Kids foundation works with community volunteers to provide days of fishing for children with special needs. C.A.S.T. Is an acronym for “Catch A Special Thrill.” The catfish of all varieties provide “thrills” at a large majority […]

Spreading angling education and promoting the growth of fishing and boating.   An important milestone in aquatic education took place July 28, 2018, in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park. Fishing’s Future, a national 501(c)(3) organization, celebrated and recognize its 1,000,000th participant attending an angling education Family Fish Camp. Fishing’s Future was founded […]

by Ron Presley The catfish birthday bash conspiracy. It all started for Nick as a casual conversation between him and his mom, Megan. They decided it would be fun to go bowling and go out to eat dinner on his birthday. When the date rolled around Megan woke Nick at 8:00 am with the pretense […]

by Ron Presley The key words are fun, simple, and educate.   It is a known characteristic of the sport of catfishing that family is often included on the shoreline and in the boat. Social media posts, tournament weigh-ins, and dockside conversations confirm the observations because they often include kids. Importantly, for the sport, it’s […]