Le catfish is a real monster of power, and catching it is a challenge that more and more anglers are taking up every yearcatfish fishing which requires a very special lure.
It can grow to over 2 metres in length and can be found in France's rivers, as well as in the Great Lakes, where it has been introduced.
Many novice anglers wonder what equipment they need to catch such a fish.
Whether it's your rod, your reel, your accessories or your lures, they all need to be suitable or you risk having a bad day on or near the water.
Although catfish can be fished in a variety of ways (livebait, buoy, float, vertical), fishing lures are an excellent solution that will enable you to be effective in all conditions. Don't forget to learn about the different types of rigs available, our articleWhich rig for catfish fishing ? should be of great interest to you.
As a result, more and more brands are offering complete ranges for this technique. As well as being a cost-effective solution, new manufacturing technologies offer high-quality baits that can measure 15 cm or even more than 20 cm, with increasingly sought-after and effective actions.
Our Top 10 accessories for catfish fishing, it will also enable you to learn about the additional solutions that exist to make life easier on the water.
In this article we'll look at the different characteristics of a good lure for fishing this specimen and, as a bonus, a selection of the best lures lures strongly supported by all catfish fishermen.
Characteristics of a good lure for catfish fishing
Soft lures
You can select this type of lure, which is clearly one of the best solutions for covering a wide range of conditions with great efficiency.
Le grub lure or comma, is a safe bet that can only be recommended for its versatility.
It allows you to adapt your retrieve speed to the water temperature, so it's just as effective in summer when you need to go fast as in winter when you need to reduce your crank turns.
The shad are also an effective solution, although a little less versatile, they will be ultra-efficient for line fishing. Active fish will love it.
We recommend that you choose a large paddle that will allow you to stir up a large volume of water. Look for sizes between 15 and 25 cm, which will ensure that the best specimens react.
Hard lures
The hard bait are becoming increasingly popular with anglers. You'll find a whole host of models that are ultra-efficient in situations where nothing else works.
You can turn to a crankbait, thanks to its ability to descend rapidly into the depths, it is very easy to unleash vicious attacks.
These hard lures also excel at vibration, which is a key factor in attracting catfish. Some brands develop very noisy sounds that will not leave these specimens indifferent.
Often supplied with high quality tackle, you'll benefit from quality, hard-wearing hooks that will stand up to the toughest fight.
Spoons, octopuses and other lures
There are a number of other great catfish catches, including spoons or octopus.
For the spoon, you can choose between the 2 rotating and undulating models, which have different, and therefore complementary, fields of action.
All models are as effective as those you can use to target other predators.
Octopus is a much more modern fishing technique that is entirely devoted to reproducing the most realistic bait. You'll need to choose a dense skirt made up of quality fis, as well as balls that will emit a range of sounds to attract the biggest specimens.
If you're an experienced angler, skirtless models are available, but you'll need a bit more experience to be effective with them.
Our selection of soft lures
The Pro Grub from Fox Rage
The flexible pro Grub lure from the English company Fox rage is proving to be one of the most effective solutions. The 23 cm version is ideal for big pike and catfish.
With a very wide action and a broad tail, it will be effective at almost any retrieve speed, allowing you to adapt to any situation.
It can be fitted with a variety of weight heads to allow you to explore all layers of water with ease.
A lure that has clearly proved its worth with thousands of anglers, so you can test its performance for yourself without taking too many risks.
The Mann's Twinler from Quantum
After a few years' absence, this legendary lure is making a comeback in France, and its distinctive shape will make catfish and the biggest pike react with great efficiency.
You can take it to any depth you like using the latest rig techniques.
Ideal for targeting structures or seagrass beds, it has been receiving very positive feedback from anglers for some time now.
It won't go unnoticed, and you can opt for natural colours similar to those of frogs or toads.
The Cat Twister from Black Cat
This soft bait has been designed entirely for stalking catfish. It is fitted with a sickle-shaped tail which offers ideal swimming qualities for this species.
It will come into action at all retrieve speeds, so you can easily fish line or vertical.
Its versatility will also allow you to go in search of pike whenever your desires change.
Available in 4 different colours, this 20cm lure weighs just 42g and is a lure you can rely on whether you're a beginner or an experienced angler.
The Real Worm teaser from Black Cat
This species is crazy about earthworms and Black Cat has come up with a solution for realistically reproducing this type of bait. All anglers are familiar with the difficult logistics involved in stocking live bait. This lure will give you the same performance without the headache. It's shaped like a ball covered in elastic and imitates an earthworm ball.
At the slightest touch of the rod or current, all its tentacles shake like a ball of worms, creating a host of ultra-realistic vibrations. What's more, the Real Worm teaser is impregnated with attractant Black Cat Flavour Spray designed to whet the appetite of catfish, but also to attract them from afar.
This lure combines 2 essential qualities for catfish fishing. It plays on 2 of its highly developed senses: smell and the ability to perceive vibrations thanks to its long barbels.
This rig is ideally suited to catfish fishing when used in conjunction with a clonk, either vertically or when actively searching.
Our selection of hard bait
The Tight-S Deep from Madcat
The first hard bait in our selection, signed by Madcat, a brand that dedicates its expertise to stalking catfish.
This lure is part of the crankbait family and is fitted with a large lip that will allow you to reach swimming depths of 5m.
This depth is ideal for descending quickly into the river trenches where most of the beautiful specimens are hidden.
Highly noisy, the balls emit a distinctive sound and vibrations that are sure to wake up lethargic catfish.
Its tight swimming action and strong rolling action are sure to trigger attacks, and its rigging is just the thing, with very strong 2/0 hooks.
The Whopper Plopper from River2Sea
This hybrid swimbait has been developed to react to the biggest predators, proving just as effective for catfish. It's a noisy surface lure with a hard body and a tough plastic tail that will offer great durability and the ability to be cast a very long distance.
Its action is the result of hundreds of tests and several years of effort, which have led the brand to find the ideal combination to deliver formidable effectiveness in any situation.
This original lure is yet another solution to be tested, and should have a place in your box
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The ASP Spinner XL from Spro
Finally, the last lure in our selection is the ASP spinner from Spro. This 50g XL version makes it ideal for stalking larger predators, particularly catfish.
It's fitted with a large spoon positioned at the back of its tail, emitting numerous flashes and vibrations that are sure to draw attention to it.
Capable of operating at all recovery speeds, it will be able to evolve in the layers of water you want.
You'll also find a gamakatsu hook and high-quality split rings to ensure you can tackle the most powerful fish without flinching.