Catfish Equipment and Gear

Driftmaster Rod Holders owner David Baynard announced that the company’s Pro Series Rod Holders will soon be available in a bright neon yellow color that’s favored by many catfish anglers.   Driftmaster Debuts Bold New Yellow Rod Holders By Keith “Catfish” Sutton The recent CatfishNOW/CrappieNOW Media Camp in Millbrook, Alabama, served as a hub for […]

Catfish Basics #178, Octopus vs. Circle Hooks Story and photo by Keith “Catfish” Sutton One of our readers, Dan Huckabee, reached out to us recently with a great question. It’s the type of inquiry that’s perfect to discuss in our monthly Catfish Basics column. QUESTION: I started fishing for cats using a Gamakatsu 5/0 circle […]

There are many scenic spots to catfish along Interstate 40, including the fishing pier at Arkansas’ Lake Dardanelle State Park. (credit: Ark. Dept. of Parks & Tourism)   Catfishing I-40 By Keith “Catfish” Sutton Roadside Whiskerfish Hotspots Across America I’ve logged thousands of miles on Interstate 40 over the years, traveling from its start near […]

You might be tempted to turn a big apple snail (pictured here) or its look-alike cousin the mystery snail into escargot, but eating one of these invasive gastropods could cause serious illness. (Keith Sutton photo) Help Stop the Spread of Invasive Snails Source: Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources Invasive snails found in Georgia can cause […]

B’n’M Redesigns Its Silver Cat Magnum Rods By Keith “Catfish” Sutton Thanks to their unparalleled sensitivity, strong backbone and casual fisherman’s price, B’n’M’s original Silver Cat Magnum rods quickly became bestsellers in the company’s line of tournament-level, heavy-duty catfish poles. These 10-foot, carbon fiber composite blend rods were manufactured with a wrapped nylon-cord grip, ceramic [...]

Small ponds can yield big results—if you know how to find the best catfish hiding spots. Catfish Basics #177, Where to Find Pond Catfish Story and photo by Keith “Catfish” Sutton If you want to catch more catfish in small lakes or farm ponds, it pays to understand how these whiskered fish use pond features […]

Catfish Gear #86 - The Power-Pole VIEW For catfish anglers who demand seamless control over their gear, Power-Pole has once again raised the bar with its latest innovation—the Power-Pole VIEW. Designed to be a central command station for serious fishermen, this ultra-thin touchscreen offers full control over Power-Pole’s premium suite of products, including shallow-water anchors, [...]

Many civic groups and conservation organizations sponsor kids fishing derbies each year. Here, a member of the Quail Forever chapter in Bowling Green, Kentucky nets a channel cat for one of the proud young anglers attending their annual event. Rodeo Time Story & photos by Richard Hines Beginning this spring and continuing into summer, numerous […]

Off Shore Tackle Planer Board Releases In-line planer boards are gaining popularity among catfish anglers, but many quickly realize that traditional pinch-pad line releases work best with monofilament lines. Fortunately, Off Shore Tackle offers specialized line releases that allow the use of braided or fused lines while still enabling the boards to release when a […]

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 […]