CatfishED.com

The following information is a combination of what I have experienced since moving to Clear Lake in May of 1994 and what we could find out from other catfishermen in the Clear Lake area. We do not claim to be an expert nor do we guarantee the accuracy of the information. Every year there seem to be major changes in the catfishing patterns around the lake.

We welcome any additions, corrections, or criticisms. If you have any please contact me and I will respond appropriately.....Catfish Ed.

We would like to thank Terry Knight of the Lake County Record Bee ("The Outdoorsman") for adding to this page.

Winter

We will consider winter, late November to the middle of March, the toughest season for catfishing at Clear Lake. Most of the fish are in deep water (25 to 40 feet) and are very inactive. When we get enough rain to start filling the lake with muddy run-off water, a few cats will feed wherever the muddy water flows into the lake. The best method for this scenario is to toss a line baited with a gob of garden worms into the moving water and let it drift. Occasional catfish are taken drift fishing in deep water or still fishing from shore or dock but they are few and far between. In the south end of the lake a fair amount of catfish are taken drifting with large or jumbo live minnows.

Spring

As the days get longer and the water starts to warm, the catfish start to feed. This is a slow process, a few catfish start showing up around docks and near the tules in late March.

Sometime between the middle and the end of April they start to move shallow in greater numbers to feed on crawdads and other forage. This is when bobber fishing with crawdad tails and or shrimp start producing.

The month of May shows a slow but steady improvement. Although a lot of fish are feeding shallow by now, there are still a lot of fish taken drift fishing with live minnows in 20 feet or more of water, especially in the south end. This is substantiated by referring to the results of the past catfish derbies held on the last weekend in May. Most of the winning fish are taken drift fishing in 15 to 25 feet of water.

By early June, the catfish are starting to think about reproducing and therefore arrive in shallow water in great numbers.

Summer

By early to mid June, depending on water temperature, the majority of the catfish population are in the spawning mode. Their favorite spawning areas are shallow (3 to 8 feet) rocky areas, areas with lots of sunken tires and brushy areas. They continue to feed on crawdads and various other forage throughout their spawning cycle. Bobber fishing with crawdads, shrimp, or in some cases nightcrawlers continues to be the best fishing method.

As the fish complete their spawning, the majority remain relatively shallow until late August. During July and early August there are a lot of fish taken in 8 to 12 feet of water by still fishing with shrimp or cut baits such as mackerel or shad. There are still a lot taken by bobber fishing in shallow water then also.

Late August to early September starts the migration back to deeper water. By the middle of September the drift fishing in 20 to 35 feet of water is in full swing. The top baits used in the north end of the lake are shrimp, mackerel and shad in that order. In the south end jumbo sized live minnows are the top bait.

Fall

This is my favorite time of year for catfish. We catch more nice channel catfish from early September to roughly the middle of November than during the rest of the year combined.

The fish school up in 20 to 35 feet of water under schools of bait fish (shad and silversides), waiting for injured or dying bait fish to fall to the bottom. This pattern remains steady until the heavy rains hit or the water temperature stays below 55 degrees for any length of time usually mid or late November.

As we mention in the summer section, the top method is drift fishing with shrimp, mackerel and or shad in the north end, especially the Nice/Lucerne area. For some reason, the catfishermen in the south end of the lake still rate jumbo minnows as their number 1 bait for drift fishing.

Although it didn't materialize in 1998 or 1999, most other years schools of channel cats followed the bait fish right up to the shoreline in early November and were taken in great numbers. In November of 1997, A friend and we caught and released 20 catfish to 16 pounds in a little over an hour while fishing in 8 feet of water right up against the shoreline in Lucerne.

There is a vast variety of fishing tackle used for catfishing on Clear Lake, from light spin-cast rigs to high quality salmon mooching and steelhead outfits. Just about any rod and reel will work for pan-sized catfish up to 2 pounds or so as long as a good quality line of at least 8 pound test is used.

When fishing for the larger channel catfish and even white cats, sturdier tackle is in order especially when fishing in heavy cover. A ten pound plus catfish can give you a devil of a time around any kind of structure. Most catmen use medium heavy spinning outfits with at least 17 pound test quality monofilament line when fishing around trees, rocks or pilings. Rod lengths vary from 7 to 10 feet in length. The longer the rod, the better the casting distance and control while fighting the fish. A high quality spinning reel with a good drag system is a must to handle the long sizzling runs of an angry channel cat.

When drift fishing in open water almost any kind of tackle will do the job. The majority of anglers use light steelhead or medium salt water gear. Many anglers prefer conventional reels over spinning for this purpose. My personal choice is a 7 foot light action spinning outfit with 8 or 10 pound super braid line such as Berkely Fireline. For the biggest catfish I ever caught, a 20 pound 12 ouncer, I was using a very light spin rod with 6 pound test Fireline. I was very fortunate that I only had the one line out and no anchor to tangle up with. I don't recommend going quite that light since there are too many variables such as knot strength and crossing your partner's line etc. Since your normally fishing in totally open water when drift fishing, your best choice is simply whatever outfit you will have the most fun with.

During the spring and summer months quite a few anglers fish off the bank and off docks especially at night. A lot of them prefer surf-casting outfits as long as 12 feet or more. The reason behind this is more casting distance. A good system is to cast as far as possible and move the bait a few feet every five minutes or so. This system covers a lot more water and the occasional movement stirs up the bottom and hopefully wakes up a catfish. Another plus for this method is, unlike waiting for a bell to ring, it keeps you awake.

Standard Two Hook Rig

There are several terminal rigs used for catfishing in Clear Lake. The most common is the standard two hook rig. This is a good all-around rig for all species of catfish in the lake. This consists of an 18 to 24 inch leader with a snap swivel on the bottom end and a barrel swivel on the top with two evenly spaced dropper loops in between. You can purchase these pre-tied in most tackle stores as "surf leaders". Attach a sinker of your choice to the snap swivel and the line to the barrel swivel. Sinker weight and type depends on a variety of conditions such as required casting distance and holding bottom in windy conditions. Hook size and style choices vary greatly among the local fishermen. I prefer #2 to #1/0 baitholder hooks with this rig. See the directions for making a dropper loop below:

This drawing and the text description courtesy of Fishing Cairns
A very informative site

Form a loop in the line.
Take hold of one side of the loop, and make 6 or more turns around the line itself.
This is the tricky part - keep open the point where the turns, or twists, are being made.
Take hold of the other side of the loop, and pull it through the centre opening. use a finger in this loop so that it is not lost.
Hold this loop between the teeth. Pull gently on both ends of the line, making the turns gather and pack down on either side of the loop.
Draw up the knot by pulling the lines as tightly as possible. The turns will make the loop stand at right angles to the line.

Click here for some great animated knot tutorials.

Slip Sinker Rig

A typical slip sinker rig:

A good rig for both shore and drift fishing from a boat for channel cats is the sliding sinker or slip sinker rig. There are many variations of this rig but the basic idea is a 12 to 18 inch leader with a kaley style #4 to #2/0 hook on the business end. Thread either a barrel sinker of your choice or a sinker-slide through your line and a small plastic bead then tie a swivel to the end of it. Tie a loop to the end of the hook leader and snap it on to the end of your line. The plastic bead keeps the line from being damaged by the sinker. With the snap swivel you can quickly change hook sizes by simply having extra hook leaders tied up. If you use the sinker slide (a tubular device with a snap on it found in most tackle shops) you can change weights quickly.

Drift Fishing Rig

I have modified the basic sliding sinker rig for drift fishing for channel catfish in the north end of the lake. I use the sinker slide but I attach a three way or crossline swivel to the end of my line. With this rig you can use two hooks and therefore two different baits on the same outfit. To the other two swivel eyes I attach one hook leader of about 20 inches in length and the other about 10 inches. This prevents most tangles from occuring. This rig is not recommended in rocky areas because it will snag easily. The north end of the lake is primarily a mud bottom so it works well there.

Slip Bobber Rig

This is the best system for shallow water catfishing especially in the spring and summer months. In a way the slip bobber is similar to the slip sinker. First thread a slip bobber on your line then a small plastic bead and tie your line to a small barrel swivel. Attach a short leader (18 to 24 inches ) with a #2 to #2/0 hook attached to the barrel swivel.

After determining the water depth put a bobber stop above the bobber on your line and set it at the appropriate depth ( so the bait is a foot or so above the bottom ). Bobber stops can be anything from a tiny piece of rubber band tied on your line to a variety of commercially made ones. Attach a split-shot that is heavy enough to submerge your bobber approximately 3/4ths under the water to your leader about half way from the hook and the swivel. If your using large heavy baits such as live crawdads then use a lighter split-shot or your bobber will sink.....Go Gettem!!!!...Catfish Ed.

to find out more

Crawdads

Crawdads (crawfish) are one of the primary food sources for catfish in Clear Lake. At times live crawdads are an excellent bait but more often the meat from the tail is the top producer. Just remove the shell from the tail of the crawdad and place the white meat on the hook. Crawdad tails are best used still fishing with or without a bobber since they don't stay on the hook very well. They produce the best results from spring to late fall when they are readily available to the catfish. You can purchase crawdads at several bait and tackle shops around the lake or you can catch your own with a crawdad trap.
Shrimp

Shrimp or prawns as they are called in the fish markets are a perfect substitute for crawdads. Although I have never been able to get a catfish to admit it, I believe they taste just like a crawdad to them. Depending on the size of the shrimp and the desired size of the bait you can use them whole or cut them in half. You can use them with the shell on but most anglers remove the shell. Unlike the crawdads you can use shrimp in heavy current or for long vigorous casting or even drift fishing without fear of losing your bait. They can be purchased in most seafood sections of supermarkets either frozen or fresh. I sometimes soak them in crawdad scent oil but I can't really prove that it helps. They work best from spring to late fall just as the crawdads do.
Cut Bait

The word cut bait covers a wide variety of fish baits. The most common ones that are used at Clear Lake are: shad, anchovy, sardines, mackerel and silverside minnows. Cut bluegill are rumored to be a deadly cut bait but since it is illegal to use them in Clear Lake I have no idea as to the validity of the rumor. Cut bait can be a fillet or a chunk, it depends on your preference. I use them primarily for drift fishing in deeper water since the cats are usually feeding on shad or silverside minnows when they go deep.

Clams

Freshwater clams are another excellent bait for catfish at Clear Lake and can be productive year round. Fresh clams are more productive than the frozen or processed ones but if the fish are on the bite any kind will catch fish. They can be especially productive for pan sized catfish when fishing at night in the summertime.
Worms

This category includes nightcrawlers, minicrawlers and garden worms. Most locals prefer a gob of garden worms or if not available then minicrawlers. They are highly productive in winter and early spring when the creeks and drainage ditches are pouring muddy water into the lake. The catfish lay in waiting for worms and other food to be washed into the lake with the muddy water. It is best to use just enough weight to drift along the bottom in the current to provide a natural presentation. Nightcrawlers and minicrawlers are available at all bait shops around the lake but garden worms must be dug up by the angler.
Live or Dead Minnows

Live minnows, especially large or extra large are a good bait all year round. The only drawback (or maybe not) is that you will catch as many bass, or maybe more, as catfish. Most serious catmen kill their minnows just before they put them on the hook for this reason. They can be used under a bobber in shallow water in spring and summer as well as drift fishing in semi deep to deep water all year long. Minnows are available at only a few baitshops in the area so check my list of bait and tackle shops and call them to see if they're available.
Miscellaneous Baits

I truly believe that a catfish (especially a channel cat) will eat almost anything that is animal, vegetable or mineral. Here is a partial list of stuff that I have caught them on; bread dough, salmon eggs, smoked salmon, corn, hot dogs, bologna, german bologna, salami, green peas, Berkely Power Bait Trout Paste, plastic worms and grubs, and even crank baits. Hot dogs are a very good bait for catfish at Clear Lake. Many fish in excess of 15 pounds have been taken with hot dogs. Another good catfish bait that deserves a mention here is cheese, just about any kind of cheese will catch catfish but orange cheeses like cheddar or american work particularly well. As I already mentioned, I have caught a lot of cats with plain bread dough so I'm sure a prepared doughbait will do well. If you use your imagination I'm sure you can come up with a few new ones.....Good Luck.....Catfish Ed.