One of the most obliging summer species can be catfish

That isn’t to say that I don’t fish in the summer, but I tend to choose my times and species more carefully. One of the most obliging summer species can be catfish. Here is a species that likes the heat more than I do. Give the water a couple of weeks to really warm up and the cats can be relied upon to really get on the move. Not surprising really, this is a species which naturally resides in the Danube catchment where summers are long and stiflingly hot. Fortunately, for most of the time, catfish prefer to feed at night, so there is no need to spend the long hot days sheltering from the sun. That said, in years gone by, when our catfishing was limited to only a handful of waters, we would spend days cooking at the day-only Claydon lakes in Buckinghamshire. Today that number of venues holding catfish in reasonable numbers is much larger, and you could not do better than obtaining a copy of the Catfish Conservation Groups guide to UK catfish waters as your starting point. Most of these waters are accessible to all and offer excellent fishing, along with good facilities. Just like the waters we fished years ago the catfishing is rarely easy though. Carp anglers might think that their quarry is the most difficult to catch, but owing to their short feeding periods and limited availability today’s catfish are mightily clued up. So if you want to catch catfish regularly from pressured waters then you will have to get your thinking cap on. I am not suggesting that you have to come up with anything revolutionary, but small differences to your approach really can make the difference to your catches. Probably the best bit of advice that I can give you is to do something different from what the majority of anglers are doing. This particularly applies to bait. Liver, meat and mackerel may well catch a lot of cats, but they are also used a hell of a lot more than other more productive baits. If the lake is heavily carp fished then extra large boilies can work well. Small live baits will always catch fish and would be my number one choice on most waters, but there again, finding something a bit out of the ordinary, or fishing it in a way that isn’t commonly used will make a lot of difference. Many, many anglers equate catfish with fishing on the lake bed. Although this is a reasonable idea early in the season, once the water warms up a bit the cats will be actively hunting for prey and can be found anywhere in the water column. Paternoster rigs are great as they allow the bait to be fished in open water above any weed, keeping the bait working for longer. Surface rigs, where they haven’t been hammered to death, are even better as the vibrations of an active bait can be picked up from a large area of water. Where you put your baits also deserves some thought. Are there any areas that are ignored by other anglers? What about the margins? Like pike, cats will often come right into the edge at night and as long as you are deadly quiet they can be caught under your feet. Tight to overhanging trees is another favourite spot, but make sure you can get the fish out if you should hook a big one.

Catfish are amazing creatures and although they may look less ‘intelligent’ than other species, give them the respect they deserve and think about your fishing. Every little change you can make will improve your chances of contacting these magnificent predators and enjoying the thrill of your life!