Night Fishing For Catfish - Tips on How to Select the Right Catfish Baits at Night!

If you have not been catfishing at night you are missing out on some intense fishing action! It is not uncommon for me to come home with 20 to 30 2lb plus ready to fillet catfish. If you love to eat catfish you know this size of fish makes a mighty tasty meal. Catfish will eat just about anything at night but I found out through experience that some baits work better then others and I would like to share those with you in my article today.

1.0 My #1 favorite fishing at night catfish bait is the horned chub.

There are many different types of chubs that are local throughout the united states that work well for catching catfish. A chub is any one of a number of ray-finned fishes in several families. For my article today I will concentrate on chubs that are commonly found in small creeks and rivers. I am referring to the creak chub which is of the family of Cyprinidae (Minnows and Carps). The creek chub is also commonly called chub or horned chub. Creek chubs have a thick body and a broad head. Their mouth is large with the back end of the upper jaw extending beyond the front edge of the eye. They also have a small flap-like barbel that is often hidden in the grove between the upper jaw and the rest of the head. The best size chubs to use for bait are the ones that are 3 to 6 inches in length. The best way to fish with creek chubs is to cut them in 2 to three inch strips, and use a 1/0 bait holder hook. You can use the fish guts after you cut them up for a very good active chum, so do not throw the guts away.

2.0 My number two favorite night fishing catfish bait is the bluegill.

Make sure you check with your states department of natural resources to make sure it is legal to fish with the bluegill. The bluegill is also common referred to as the sunfish, and bream. The blue gill is actually classified in the family of sunfish. If you want to catch larger catfish, I have found that the bluegill are the best bait to use. I always set up one heavy duty catfish rig with a blue gill for bait. The best size gills to use are small 3 to 4" in size. I will push a 4/0 bait holder hook just under the dorsal fin , so the blue can swim freely. I Use a slip bobber set so the blue gill can roam just off the bottom. You won't catch a lot of catfish with blue gill but the ones you do catch will be of the large variety. I have caught many 10lb plus catfish using gills. You can also use them to catch smaller catfish cut up in strips just like fishing for chubs.

3.0 My #3 favorite catfish live bait is the gizzard shad.

When I use shad as a night fishing bait my preference is the threadfin shad because they are small and you can use the entire fish with a 1/0 bait holder hook. The threadfin shad is normally only 3 to 6 inches in length and a perfect size for fishing for catfish. The other shad I will use is called the gizzard shad. They are much larger in size normally 6 to 15inches in length and must be cut into to strips from 3 to 6 inches in length. For larger catfish you can use much larger strips to fit on a 4/0 bait holder hook. You can catch your own shad with a minnow seine, or you can purchase them from a local bait store.

Well folks that concludes my article on night fishing for catfish,catfish live bait,catfish baits,fishing with gizzard shad for catfish,catch catfish with bluegills,catch catfish with chubs,catch catfish with horned chubs,catch catfish with creek chubs. Stay tuned for more articles on the subject of night fishing. May your next fishing trip be a success!

By Mark Fleagle

Fishing Tips For Trout - Trout Fishing Tips For Any Angler

Fishing for trout isn't a difficult task, especially when you're dealing with small inexperienced fish. Trout become even easier to catch when you're dealing with stocked fish that have been planted by your fish and game department. Trout fishing becomes more enjoyable (and difficult) when you start targeting larger more experienced trout. This is especially true in river and stream scenarios.

In this article I'm going to provide some simple fishing tips for catching trout, trout fishing tips that most any angler can put into practice. They key to any fishing tip is to put it into practice. As you do this you begin to learn all of the little nuances that make any fishing tip worthwhile. Fishing for trout is no different than any other species of fish, it's just that many times your surroundings are much more solitary and beautiful when fishing for trout.

Most of these trout fishing tips were taught to me by my best friends' father, a man I always considered a trout fishing "master". This man was able to catch very large trout from heavily fished waters in Pennsylvania and these tips come directly from his trout fishing knowledge. When it comes to fishing trips for trout the tips listed below are as good as you will find.

1. Free Your Hands Of Unnatural Scents - This simple trout fishing tip actually applies to all fishing, but especially trout fishing. Trout have very sensitive noses and if a seventeen plus inch trout detects any unnatural scents it is much less apt to bite your offering. This is why making sure that your hands are free of unnatural scents (which will transfer to your bait) is so important. If you want tp catch more and bigger trout, rub your hands in a handful of dirt before baiting up to remove any unnatural scents that might be present.
2. Use Light Line - Many trout fishermen (especially beginners) use fishing line that's entirely too heavy. I personally use four pound test for all of my trout fishing. Six pound test is serviceable as well, but any line heavier than this is probably overkill in most trout fishing scenarios. The bottom line when it comes to fishing for trout is this; the lighter your line the more bites your will get, it's as simple as that.
3. Use Effective Hooks - When it comes to trout fishing your hooks are extremely important, both their sharpness and their size. First off your always want to use hooks that are as sharp as possible. This means changing your hooks often or sharpening them often. Many fish are "missed" because of dull hooks. Secondly, many trout fishermen use hooks that are entirely too large. A good remedy to hooks that are too large is a set of gang-hooks. Gang hooks are simply a pair of small hooks tied in tandem, which enables a much more natural bait presentation.

These simple fishing tips for trout are highly effective. I realize how simple they are, but their simplicity, I think, is what makes them so effective. Many times it's the simplest things in life that make the biggest difference.

By Trevor Kugler