A guide to catching catfish in the uk

2006 to 2007 was my best catfish year to date with 45 uk cats 18 spanish cats and a new pb a 122lb catfish
these fish are my target fish because i think they are the hardest fighting fish to encounter with in freshwater uk.
so here i am telling you my way to get cats.

Do not listen to the tv and other people who say catfish are scavengers them people know very little about them
yes they will take a boiley like most fish but only if there is enough for them to feast on.
Catfish are binge feeders they will go out at night engulf everything they can and that will last them for atleased 2 nights so if you go and blank do not let this put you off.

The rig i used is simple and affective its just a normal bolt carp rig to armadillo 35lb braid to a hair-rig size 1 hook
But here are a list of things i would take for tackle and bait for the next few nights
(carp or pike rods test curve bigger than 2lb)
(Bait runners with 15lb line on the spool)
(Loud bite alarms)
(Net atleased sized 38inch)
(pack or 2 of size 1 and 2 hooks and a pack of size 8s)
(Heavy floats that take 2 or 3 ssg)
(Spod)
(2oz ledgers)
(forceps)
(35lb braid)
(Squid)
(Mackerel)
(Dead coarse fish)
(Lamphrey)
(Eel)
(Spam)
(dead maggots)

Now you may be thinking why i havnt put halibut pellets and boileys down the reason is i dont belive in using them for catfish just my opinion in the matter.

I would usually arrive at my nearest syndicate with catfish in at about 4pm and set up camp.
then i would get my dead maggots and spod out 3 spods worth in my swim which would be near a island or a snag.
then get my bait over the bed of maggots which would be any of the fish baits not the spam and wait till i get a run.

Now i have seen tons of people when they get a run off a cat rush over and strike as hard as they can and there is nothink there because the cat wont have engulfed the bait properly so the best way is to not rush walk over lift the rod gently if the lines tight reel down as fast as possible and lift up that way you never miss a fish.

when the fish is in the net show respect and the more you rush trying to get the hook out the more chance you will have no skin left on your hand so put the glove on open the mouth gently and get the hook out of its mouth with the forceps.

At first light the fish will be on there way back in so there is a way to intercept them.
set up a float on 1 of your rods i usually take a extra rod for this and go to the nearest set of lilly pads or snags that your bait isnt near and fish spam this is real hit and hold stuff.

By 9am the fish will be off the feed till another night but you can always fish for carp till the night again

Hope this helps
James

[carping on]

nice fish and a very well done


also they have frozen the world record for catfish in england because people were ilegally bringing them in from spain.

Yeah - well done!
Do know how much it weighs?

[flaky-jakey@hotmail.co.uk]

looks a nice size fish,

gud catch,

and i never knew they froze it,

some people are stupid by bringing,

fish from spain cos some1 mite catch an,

english world record fish and it wont be recorded,

id be gutted if it was me and i bet everyone would be.