Catfish fishing : All the equipment

You can fish for it just as well on the banks of the tarn or even the Rhone as in one of the large lakes. It will be present both in France and abroad, as this species is widespread throughout Europe.

To practice the catfish fishing, also called catfish fishing, you will need to equip yourself with adequate equipment. This may vary depending on whether you are fishing from a boat or from the shore.

The majority of your equipment, and your hook, must be very sturdy to withstand often very powerful fights. You will also need to equip yourself with accessories such as a clonk or possibly floats for surface fishing.

Powerful fishing rods

To practice catfish fishing, you will need to equip yourself with strong catfish fishing rods. They can have different profiles depending on the techniques you use.

Buoy fishing, for example, will require generally quite long models to reach good casting distances from the banks. They should be able to withstand heavy lead weights in order to easily withstand the strong current of a large river.

Hunting these specimens vertically will, on the other hand, require relatively short rods. They should also be capable of accepting large fish, as well as violent rushes.

The clonk technique or the lure technique will not be left out. While the former can accept variable lengths, the quality of the power reserve must be impeccable to cope with sometimes monstrous touches from a boat.

Handling lures is generally done with rods ranging from 2m10 to 2m40. In this case, you should choose a rod with a smaller power range without neglecting the need for power in combat. It's often fun fishing, especially on the surface.

Robust reels with large capacity

The main quality of a catfish reel comes from its robustness. It must face sometimes titanic fights while remaining relatively light to be supported by an angler for long hours.

The manufacture of its frame and structure is therefore of paramount importance. Even if the merits of graphite in the weight of a spinning or casting reel are praised, it is essential to focus on a sometimes higher value to ensure that there is no deformation.

The brake is the second important aspect. With specimens that can exceed 100kg, you should be prepared to confront them and take the legendary photo that follows. Values above 10-15kg are preferable to be more ready for combat.

The size of the reel will also need to be taken into account. Having enough braid or nylon reserve is an essential criterion for the success of your fishing. This species of fish will be able to take tens of meters of mainline from you on a single rush.

Finally, casting or spinning, the choice of your reels for catfish is a logical question. You should more easily orient towards spinning models for long distance casts. Casting will be more suited to practices at shorter distances and even greater powers.

Ready-to-fish sets

There are a few of them and these catfish sets including rod and reel may allow you to start more easily. It will also be an opportunity to ask yourself fewer questions about your choices and to be more confident.

The spinning combos can be a fishing opportunity for specific techniques. They will be appreciated for their good casting distances. Fishing with a buoy or with lures from the shore will be their main qualities.

The casting sets are intended for other techniques. They can be appreciated for vertical fishing or for set fishing. They will also be assets in the search for fish with the clonk for very rapid action.

Don't be surprised, you can regularly find rod models that accept both solutions. Black Cat has even made it a specialty, offering numerous series with this double use.

A collection of suitable lures

Just like hunting other predators, there are specific ranges of lures for catfish fishing. You will find specific lures but also many models that are already used for pike fishing for example.

Soft lures are the base. They are numerous on the market, and we can easily reserve the most imposing models to decide the attack. We will use swimbaits with large tails, as well as grubs that can exceed 30cm.

Swimbaits are not left out, even if we must keep in mind the power of the fish. We will aim for more specific products with full structures. They will thus be able to withstand large powers without breaking.

Some lakes and even some rivers are very suitable for the use of spoons. Wavy or rotary, they are part of the basic lures. By using them, you know that you will not be far from the truth and the catch of the day.

Teasers, mimicking both a ball of worms or an octopus, is a specific lure. Even if it is little known, it can be easily associated with certain techniques and allow you to log many fights.

Accessories and rigs

Through these pages you will find whole series of accessories for catfish to carry out your fishing and your rigs. Very demanding, this practice required the development of specific products.

The armament will be essential. Hook and leader are absolutely not to be neglected. Otherwise, you are guaranteed to break, to lose fish by getting your hooks opened or to choose unsuitable equipment.

For your live bait or dead fish fishing, series of floats and small equipment are also there to accompany you. You will thus have good visibility from the shore, whether in a lake or on the rivers.

All the angler's equipment is also part of the necessary catfish accessory range for your well-being by the water. But it will also be necessary to think about the fish with equipment such as landing mats, pliers or suitable weighing bags.