Catching a giant underwater world, which is a catfish, has always been considered the pinnacle of skill for any angler. Traditionally, this predator was searched from the shore to the bottom tackle, waiting for hours to bite, but the real adrenaline and efficiency comes from active fishing from a swimming tool. Using a boat allows you not only to get to the deepest and inaccessible from the shore pits, but also to maneuver, chasing fish or catching difficult areas of relief.
Modern catfish spinning is radically different from classic bottom fishing in its dynamics and requires the angler to have excellent physical shape and understanding of the behavior of the fish. You will have to work with heavy lures, fight a strong current and competently use navigation equipment. This is not just a sitting with a fishing rod, but a full-fledged hunt, where the boat becomes your main ally and mobile base.
In this article, we will take a look at all aspects of preparing for such fishing, from choosing the right boat or PVC boat to the intricacies of catching captured specimens. You will learn how to properly set the sonar to find the brows, which spinnings will withstand the jerks of the mustachioed giant and why knowing the bottom relief is more important than the number of baits in the box.
Selection of watercraft and safety requirements
The first and most critical stage of preparation is to choose the right boat for catfish, especially on large rivers with strong currents. resilience Lightweight inflatable boats without a hard floor can be dangerous when catching large fish, as the angler loses his foothold and can easily be in the water with the prey. The ideal solution is boats with inflatable tubes and a hard transom, or small aluminum boats that extinguish the wave and allow you to stand confidently when working with heavy spinning.
Special attention should be paid to the load capacity and free space in the cockpit. You need space not only for yourself and the engine, but also for the cook, the lift, the anchor system and possibly the captured trophy, which can weigh tens of kilograms. PVC Boats length less than 3.5 meters are often cramped when the hook is a catfish weighing more than 20 kg, so the stock size is mandatory.
⚠️ Warning: Never start fishing a large catfish while standing on a lightweight inflatable boat without a safety flap. A sharp jerk of fish can turn the boat over or throw you overboard. Always work in a sitting position, resting your feet against the sides.
Safety on the water is not just a formality, it's a necessity, especially when fishing at night or alone. anchorage With a supply of cords, life jackets and communications, it can save lives, and the motor must be powerful enough to quickly return to base in the event of a storm or breakdown, but still allow it to travel at minimum speeds to position accurately above the catch point.
Set of spinning gear for boat fishing
Catfish fishing gear from a boat must have a huge margin of safety, since the catching often occurs vertically or at a steep angle, which puts extreme stress on the rod form. Spinning is chosen short, usually between 1.8 and 2.1 meters long, with a test covering the weight of the baits used with a large margin. Heavy or Extra Heavy with a test up to 150-200 grams, having a fast or ultra-fast formation for effective cutting.
The coil should be exclusively power, with metal spools and a powerful friction mechanism. The Shimano/Daiwa classification ranges from 4,000, but for trophy fishing it is better to focus on models 5000-6000 and above. 4.6:1 or 5.0:1It is designed to be able to slowly but with great effort to pump the fish out of the depths without damaging the machinery.
The main line is only wicker cord, as it has no stretchability and allows you to feel the most careful fish to bait. The diameter of the cord is selected depending on the likely size of the prey, but usually this range is from 0.28 to 0.40 mm according to the Japanese classification. fluorocarbon length 0.5-1 meters is also justified, since the catfish has a grater in the mouth, capable of rubbing the usual wicker, and the fluor has high abrasion resistance.
- 🎣 The rod: Length 1.8-2.1 m, test up to 200 g, building Fast or Extra Fast.
- ⚙️ Coil: Size 5000-6000, gear ratio up to 5.2:1, minimum 5+1 bearings.
- 🧶 Cord: The wire 4-8 lived, burst load from 30 kg, the color is yellow or bright for controlling the wiring.
- 🛡️ Furniture: Clockwork rings of increased strength, vertebrates of at least 3-4 size according to the Owner classification.
Cheap carbines or vertebrae can unwind under load and the trophy will be lost. Use only proven brands specializing in sea or trophy fishing.
When assembling the tackle, be sure to check the condition of the rings on the rod before each fishing. A microcrack in the ring from a heavy wicker can cause the cord to break at the most critical time of the fight against the fish.
Navigation and search of catfish using sonar
The success of fishing catfish from a boat depends on 80% of the correct location of the fish, and here you can not do without a modern sonar. Unlike coastal fishing, where the angler is limited by the available distance, from the boat you can scan huge areas of bed brows, dumps and deep pits. The key parameter when choosing a sonar is the frequency of scanning and the presence of a function. DownScan or SideScan, which allow you to consider in detail the structure of the bottom and find specific shelters: snags, stones or sharp changes in depths.
Catfish are sedentary fish, tied to specific anomalies of the terrain. On the sonar screen, you need to look for not just "fish", but characteristic signs: deep pits at the exit of the pit, the reverse flow at steep banks, single large driftwoods at a depth of more than 4-5 meters. Often the catfish stands at the border of current and calm water, so the movement of the boat across the jet (cross the eyebrow) gives the best picture of the relief.
| Type of relief | Depth (m) | Probability of catfish | Recommended tactics |
|---|---|---|---|
| The bed-pit | 8 - 15 | High. | Perimeter catches, stepwire |
| Irrigation dump | 4 - 8 | Medium | Wiring along the brow, finding the exit of the fish |
| The deep snag | 5 - 10 | Very high. | Point catch, vertical flare |
| Beach dump | 2 - 5 | Low (at night) | Twilight fishing at the exits |
Using a GPS navigator in conjunction with a sonar allows you to mark hot spots and return to them again. Som is conservative: if it bites at a particular stump today, then it is likely to stay there or return after a while. Mapping the depths of the reservoir is a great investment of time for future fishermen.
Why is the catfish hiding in the snags?
The catfish hides in the snags not only for the sake of disguise, but also to save energy. In standing water behind the obstacle, it does not need to fight the current, and the proximity to the bottom allows the ambush hunter to instantly rush to the floating prey, using the inertia of the flow.
Tactics of fishing and techniques of wiring baits
The main method of catching catfish from a boat is jig wiring, because the fish is held at the bottom. However, the classic step here has its own peculiarities. Because of the large weight of baits and depths, the pause on the fall should be long enough to notice and attack the object. Often effective is wiring with dragging the cargo along the bottom, creating a cloud of mud, or slow uniform wiring in the bottom layer.
The boat allows you to use the "anchoring at a point" technique. You anchor upstream from a prospective drift or a brow and you throw the bait downstream, you run it along the structure, so you can repeatedly catch one point, changing the angle of the bait, and if the bait is active, you can not use the anchor, but you can drift, controlling the speed of the boat with the engine.
When you bite catfish, the cut should be powerful and sweeping, because the mouth of the fish is bony and hard. After the cut, you can not give slack, but you should not force events. Rescuing This is because the coil works and the elasticity of the form, and you have to tire the fish by making them take a few sips of air at the surface before they take them to the boat.
- 🐟 The jig step: 2-3 turns of the coil, pause before touching the bottom (count 1-2-3).
- 🌊 Drawing: Slow rotation of the coil handle with periodic stops to create a plume.
- ⬇️ Vertical: Lowering the bait strictly down under the boat and playing at the bottom (effectively in the snag).
⚠️ Warning: When fishing in a dense trunk from a boat, always carry a knife or special uncouple. Tracking expensive baits or losing fish due to inability to free themselves can ruin the entire fishing.
Selection of catchy catfish baits
The range of catfish baits from a boat is somewhat narrower than for a pike or a pike, but the requirements for their quality are higher. silicone: vibratails and crustaceans with a length of 15 to 25 cm Leaders are considered models with active tail play even with ultra-slow wiring. Popular colors are "machine oil", dark green, black and various variations of "Cola".
Besides silicone, catfish responds well to large wobblers with a large depth (up to 6-8 meters) and heavy oscillating splashes. Wobblers are good at catching long brows in drift, when you need to quickly cover a large area, but splinters are indispensable for fishing on a strong current, where they create powerful vibrations that attract fish from a long distance.
☑️ Checking baits before exit
Equipping baits requires the use of large offset hooks or doubles to minimize the number of hooks in the snags. The weight of the head cargo is selected so that it feels the bottom, but does not tear the bait from the ground completely. At depths of 10-15 meters with a strong current, the weight can reach 60-100 grams or more.
It is critical to use edible silicone with a high salt and amino acid content, as the catfish often does not immediately swallow the bait, but tries it, and the smell can be a decisive factor in making an attack.Removing and preserving the trophy
The final stage, which is to get the fish up to the boat, is the most dangerous. A catfish at a boat can make the last powerful leap known as a candle, or it can get under the bottom, and it has to be vertically, holding the rod almost at right angles to the water. The use of a cookan is mandatory: the fish is planted on the kukan in the water without being pulled into the boat, so as not to disturb the balance and not damage the sides with sharp fins.
If you plan to let go of the fish or keep it alive in the cage, avoid touching the gills and eyes. The mucus on the catfish protects it from infections, and its violation can lead to the death of the fish after release. It is convenient to use a special yawn or gag to fix the jaws, since the teeth of the catfish can seriously injure the fingers.
Keeping a catfish caught is a separate topic. In hot weather, the fish fall asleep quickly, so the cage should be large, with good flow, and the fish itself should be in the shade. Many anglers prefer not to torture the fish and kill it immediately after being caught with a blow to the head if they are planning to eat.
The key to successful fishing is to be in constant contact with the fish and use the shock-absorbing properties of the tackle, not brute force. Let the catfish exhaust themselves, and it will come to the boat itself.
What is the minimum spinning test needed for catfish?
For confident fishing catfish from a boat, where weights from 40 to 100 grams are used, the minimum test of the rod should begin from 60-80 grams. However, for trophy fishing, it is better to take a stock and use spinnings with a test of up to 150-200 grams to be able to force the catch in the driftwoods.
Can I catch a catfish on spinning at night from a boat?
It is possible to catch, but it requires exceptional safety measures. At night, the catfish goes out into shallow water, so the boat must be equipped with powerful anchor lights (to attract fish) and navigation lights. However, the risk of getting tangled in gear or hitting a snag in the dark is very high, so beginners are recommended to catch night fishing only with an experienced partner.
Why doesn't the catfish take expensive bait?
The catfish is not a selective predator in terms of the brand of the bait, but it is sensitive to its behavior. If the wiring is too fast or the bait does not play, it can ignore even the most expensive silicone. Often the rule is that the slower and lazier the wiring, the higher the chance of a passive catfish pecking.