Any catfish fishermen on here?

My wife loves to fish for channel cat in a particular local lake. We catch plenty of 4-12 pound channels. I was bass fishing that lake last week and in one corner by the dam there were probably eight or ten big channels looking for spawning places. The water was clear and they were about 8' deep, water temperature was about 80*.

I wondered if they were still "on the nest". Sounds like maybe they might be off next week,generally.
I like bass fishing but catching a heavy cat is lots of fun.
Good to eat if they come from a place that not full of mercury.

Our favorite lake for channel catfish is about 250 acres. It's a spring fed lake and the catfish here are pretty tasty and clean. We don't keep many, a fish here and there for the table. Crappie and bluegill are better eating to my taste. But I'm a bass guy mainly. I'd rather be in my bass boat trying to catch some of those green fish for fun.

Bass are without a doubt great fun to fish for and catch. They are good eating also but I seldom keep one.
I haven't had crappie in years but I remember them being good. Bluegill are good eating.

I recently had a round of gout in a foot and found out that Trout is on the no eat list for people who have gout. I would have never guessed that. I had just had two great meals of Trout.

I have a sort of medium sized creek that runs through the property I pay taxes on so I can call it mine.It has some catfish in it. Some get to fair size. I have been fishing it quite a bit lately.

You have any flathead in that creek? That's the coolest catfish IMHO.

Yes. We always called them yellow cats but they are the same thing. Caught one that was 12 pounds once. Thats not big I know but I bet there are some bigger.

I hooked a big blue cat a couple weeks ago. He was a pretty big one. Almost had him then line broke. It was 20 lb mono. I am using 40 lb braid now. Probably never hook another big one.

The luck of a fisherman!

I know you said you don't fish for catfish often but I wonder if you ever use circle hooks.
I can't decide if I like them or not.

Circle hooks almost always guarantee a hook in the corner of the mouth. What I use exclusively for catfish of any size.

I think the serious catfish guys that use cut bait and baits like that use and love the circle hooks. We use dip bait, Sonny's blood dip bait, and dip worms with a treble hook in a sponge. Even as small as those treble hooks are, if we get them hooked they don't come off. But our fish aren't that big, up to about 10-12 pounds for a big one. If I were using cut bait, live bluegill or something like that for big flathead or blues I would choose a circle hook.

I use some punch baits on occasion myself. I have tried all the wooly worms, tubes and pods to keep the stuff on the hook, never had one worth the cost.
I became a fan of Danny Kings punch bait. It’s kinda “loud”. After putting a fair number of wet hooks in it, it gets sloppy and falls off easier. The fix, grab some cat tail heads in the fall and put the fluff in the bait and stir. Beats the heck out of other cures. Make sure and put the cat tails in a zipper bag! Don’t ask me how to know.

I have hated treble hooks since I was a kid. Seems like ya get one out and another is stuck, get that one out and it’s stuck in me. I started pinching the barbs down, just make sure ya keep tension on the line and use a net.

I have read advice from the "experts" on circle hooks but so far I am not having too good luck hooking the fish.
Mostly I have been waiting for the fish to load the rod tip as they say to do and the fish is supposed to hook himself more or less.

So far it's been mostly less. Everything goes good then everything goes slack. No hook up.

How do you use circle hooks.

Every thing I read says they are the way to go. Better than the old style. I wonder if they are or if the propaganda is to get people to use them to reduce the number of injured fish in a catch and release situation.
I have no problem with that idea but I got to catch them before I can release them.

I am using them on a regular catfish rod but also n a med/heavy bass rod.

Ok they are working now. Just had to get the right size I guess.

Yes def into catfishing, the state record here in PA was just brolen a few weeks ago woth a 56lb flathead, we get some big channels as well 15lb+ not uncommon.

Circle hooks have absolutely increased my success rate.
What bait and size hooks are you using?
Might have the hook to loaded with bait, otherwise almost foolproof