November Catfishing

Catching Cats in November on Florida's  many rivers can be quite warm.

November Catfishing 

Writing by mark Bilbrey

Photograph courtesy of  Christopher Harper

 Let’s us begin this entry by first under- standing the fish we peruse, the catfish. If you are fishing for blue catfish, channel cat or the Flathead the nature of the beast havsimilar-ities.
 
The catfish fry, hatched at the bottom of the food chain by their size and many never make it from fry to fish.  Both blues and channel cats feed on their young. Even wounded fingerlings end up as meals for the larger cats. Even larger fish can sometimes be caught displaying evidence of scarring after attacked by larger fish. Despite this from the smallest of fry, these cats can grow to be some of the largest freshwater fish. This is partially by their natural defense of their sharp spines in their fins
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   One characteristic of catfish is that they are survivors, carnivorous scavengers that survive by nipping at the carcasses of less fortunate fish. This cycle seems to change in most catfish once they reach a size weighing more than a pound, then the fiddlers as they are called begin to scavenge less and become hunters. Catfish from one to three pounds become fantastic hunters, feeding on smaller fish that they can catch. The smaller cats less than three pounds are the most common caught on prepared baits and dough balls. Using a cot- ton ball mixed with commercial baits or dough will help keep the offering on the hook. Placing raw liver or cut bait scraps in a bite size panty hose sack also helps this. However, for the trophy hunters seeking a big cat, they can increase their chance of catching a large catfish by taking advantage of the changing season of the fall, and November is one of the best months to catch a big cat. As the water temperature begins to cool down in the fall, catfish, much as many other fish can sense the impending winter approaching. Food sources the fish are accustomed to begin to disappear in some form or another. Catfish must eat enough to maintain their weight or in some cases the superiority of their species and get even bigger.

   Catfish by nature are the most efficient feeders, they eat almost anything, relying on its physical characteristics such as taste buds on their underside and stomach, they hover, taste and smell before engulfing and swimming off. Whereas other fish rely on sight, smell, vibration and sensors in the lateral line along their body such as bass to locate forage. If a current is available as in rivers, creeks catfish will face the current and are constantly receiving clues of a food sources upstream. Natural forage is what is indigenous to the waters they inhabit. Skipjack, shad, bluegill and other fish are what the larger cats usually seek. The scent and oil of these fish is the natural attractant to lure the big cats to your offering. This knowledge is a key to catching large catfish. Commercially prepaid baits and homemade concoctions also account for a large number of fish caught daily, but cut bait from natural local forage has proven to be by far the best to catch trophy catfish.

   The use of circle hooks, or in some in- stances, treble hooks increases angler’s chances of landing a large cat. The circle hook is not traditionally set as with a barbed traditional hook. Once the angler sees the rod tip drop, he will grab the rod simply begin reeling. The design of the circle hook impales the corner of the fish's mouth. The cold-water catfish bite will continue throughout the winter months in most of North America. This seasonal “lack of forage” makes fishing for blue, channel and flathead catfish a favorite target for cold-water anglers seeking a thrill and a trophy of a lifetime.