Advice For Pond Fishing Catfish

There is so much to be said for pond fishing! It is the place most of us first wet a hook, and the hours spent pond fishing give the angler a special, peaceful, experience that it is hard to duplicate in other fishing venues. If you want to fish for catfish in a pond, there are some special considerations and adaptations you will have to make to be successful, but all in all, it should be a very good experience for you, particularly if you are teaching a youngster how to fish.

Ponds often provide anglers who do not have boats or expensive, electronic equipment such as fish finders, an opportunity to catch fish with the best of them. Once you know the pond and how to fish it for the various seasons and weather conditions, you will love it!

Pond fishing for catfish does have some drawbacks. Ponds naturally draw any wildlife in the area, because they provide both a source of water, and a source of food. They feed on the fish in the pond, and as a result, the fish tend to be a little more sensitive to sound and vibrations than the catfish in larger waters such as lakes or rivers. Besides, the smaller water just naturally conducts sound better, and there is less room for the fish in the pond to move away from whatever it is making the sound.

For this reason, you will have to be more stealthy when you move around in the areas. Just be slow and careful. Don't rattle your chairs, tackle boxes, or run or talk loudly. When you approach the area with care and give the fish a little bit of time to settle down after you make the noise, you will have good luck tempting the catfish in the area to take your bait.

Fish as far back from the bank as you can. Target areas that offer some cover for the fish. In the summertime or the winter time, target the deepest areas of the pond. Any depressions or holes should hold the biggest cats in the pond.

The exception to this would be if you are fishing at night. The best time to fish in a pond is from dusk to dawn. Especially in the warm weather months.

During these months, the fish will feed after the sun goes down, and will move right up to the bank to find worms, minnows, and other natural forage. Particularly if you use the bait from the pond, you are going to see a good bit of activity on your hook.

If you know the pond well, you can pay close attention to the areas where there might be any old stream channels. The key is cover. These areas often have enough cover to attract the cats. Look for areas where points of land jut out into the water. Anywhere you find trees, tree branches, docks, rocks, or sticks in the water, you will find catfish in there seeking cover in the structure.