Catfishing Tackle
Last Updated
2nd Feb, 2009
Whatever your preferred style of catfishing at home, we recommend you come on your fishing holiday in Asia with a variety of tackle so as to be able to react to local conditions. Let's look at this in terms of the main catfishing techniques.
Static catfishing on the bottom
The Running Ledger or Slip Sinker rig is one of the best for fishing deadbait to catfish anywhere. To be successful you will need to ensure you have the right terminal tackle to get a fish to bite and the right rod/reel/line combination to pull it in afterwards.
Terminal tackle
You will need to bring a variety of Sinkers; a variety in terms of weights, shapes and styles. Follow the links to our fishing techniques page to see what shapes and styles come in handy.
There are a number of Hooks designed specifically for catfishing. You will need to bring a good supply of size 1/0 and up. Do not expect to pick up good hooks locally.
Snap-link swivels offer you a fast way to change your rig. Again, bring a plentiful supply.
To link this all together you will need Quality line. You want to match the trace line to your main line or lines; best bring a variety of strengths. Some very light line can be useful for attaching sinkers or bait in difficult conditions.
Rod, line and reel
The prime factor here is balance. Modern rods should come with lots of information to help you match to your terminal tackle (mostly the rating for the weights to be cast) and to the line to be used; most will describe their suitability for different species.
Line of less than 10Kg breaking strength is not going to give you a great chance of landing any really big fish, and you would not want to lose a personal best would you. Fishing with 20Kg line is still sporting but gives you some margin for error. Lines of up to 50Kg may be needed if you intend to target specimens.Some catfishers prefer braided rather than monofilament lines.
Multiplier/baitcasting reels are the preferred option for many catfishers. The ability to leave the line free to flow out as the catfish heads off with the bait only held in the mouth is a huge advantage. Usually it only takes a flick of a lever to set the spool for the strike and then you are away.
Large spinning reels can be used, with the bail left open for that initial run. The action to close the arm is less slick than on a multiplier but that is not a problem for an experienced catfisher.
Miscellaneous tackle
Some people prefer to bring Bite alarms, especially if they intend fishing with multiple rods. There are many different models to choose from. Just ensure that you are confident in yours and have spare batteries et cetera.
Dynamic fishing just off the bottom
When there is a current or when fishing from a boat there is an option to try a moving bait. Generally you can use the same rod, reel and line as above but you will need to rig differently.
Terminal tackle
Inventive anglers have come up with a multitude of rigs to keep their bait and tackle from getting snagged on obstacles whilst still remaining in the feeding zone. The most successful ones are the ones that present the bait in a natural manner: some motion teases the fish into striking nicely; too much motion looks wrong and will get you nowhere.
You can achieve the right presentation by bottom-bouncing or by incorporating a small amount of buoyancy somewhere near to the hook. Bring a small quantity of each of the following to be able to try different rigs:
- Barrel weights
- Pencil weights
- Three-way swivels; and
- Cork balls (or similar)
Mid-water Catfishing
To present your bait in a shallow river or to fish with a live bait in a deeper pool you may well decide to fish with a Float/bobber. It is worth bringing a few different styles of float to try different options even if you normally do not favour this technique. Of course, you will need weights to set the float properly, and Split shot (preferably a non-lead alternative) to get the bait down. You will also need an Assortment of Beads and the other stoppers you prefer for a sliding float/bobber rig.
It helps to have a rod with a bit more flex if you will be casting from the shore. Depending upon your choice of bait you may also need to consider how to keep this on the hook during casting.