Top 3 Tips For Catching Summertime Catfish

Don't stop fishing for Catfish just because the weather is hot!

Man, is it every hot out there! For the last week, the temps have been around 110 here every day. That can make for some pretty poor fishing no matter where you live. Many people simply stop fishing in the Summer when it gets hot. That can be a mistake because Summer catfishing can be some of the best all year! Here are 3 tips to help you get out there and fill your freezer with tasty catfish fillets!

First, get out after dark. Catfish feed heavily at night and it can be the best time during the Summer. If you have never fished the particular area you're thinking about going, then get out during the day to scout it out and form a plan. Night time catfishing is a blast and many folks are surprised at how well they bite.

When fishing at night, concentrate on the shallows. If you'll be fishing from a boat, then look for flats or shallows with some type of structure. On one lake I fish, there's standing timber and the water is about 3 to 6 feet deep. Channel cats love to roam around in there looking for something to eat!

If you're fishing from bank, you can generally find shallow water many places. If it's next to a creek channel or other drop off, so much the better! A good lake map will help you find places where creek channels and old submerged river banks run near the bank.

Tip number 2 is to pre-bait your fishing spots. I generally put some corn in a five gallon bucket with a loose lid for about 2 to 3 weeks. This sours the corn. Any type of grain will work such as wheat or milo. I then will go out and put this "bait" out an hour or two before I want to go fishing. I bait several holes because you never know where catfish will show up.

Just remember to check your local fishing regulations. In some states it perfectly okay to do this and others it's not. It's up to you to make sure.

My last Summer time tip for great catfishing is to use the freshest live bait you can find. Yeah, I know a lot of people who catch a lot of catfish with prepared stink bait. If you're after small catfish, then knock yourself out. On the other hand, if you want both big and eating size catfish, use live bait or freshly killed bait. Shad is an excellent bait in most areas. I like to use live Sunfish and find that catfish simply cannot refuse them! Worms and night crawlers are often overlooked as good catfish bait because many people consider them as baits for beginners. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Catfishing is good year around but Summer time can be the best if you follow these three simple tips! Good luck and get the oil hot.