If you have even the slightest idea about fishing, you will know that fishing for catfish is an extremely fun and exciting experience. These fish are available in plenty, put up a tough fight and make for a delicious dining experience. The best part about these species of fish is that they are also very willing biters. This makes it easier to catch them on a boat just as easily as using a simple bait rig.

Here is the best time to fish for catfish to make your experience even more easy.

The ideal time to fish for catfish is from around March-May. As a general rule, you want to start fishing a bit before sunset and continue until a few hours after sunrise. If you are fishing during winter, try hitting the sunrise until sunset.

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Where and when to catch catfish

Right from shallow to fast rivers and even warm ponds, catfish can successfully flourish in a wide range of water systems. Although there are specific areas where they thrive, it all depends on the species of the catfish and the habitat they are accustomed to living in.

You find luck to be on your side during the night as it is a great time to fish
During the day, you can expect to find catfish in muddy waters such as a tributary and its outflow
You can also find catfish around areas that offer some kind of cover, such as deep weed edges or standing timber

You can also find catfish in and around deep structures such as deep holes, river bends, humps, and at the base of drop-offs. Catfish generally possess an extremely strong sense of smell when locating food in the dark. This means in the night, you have a greater possibility of finding these fish at bars, flats, weedy areas, and shorelines.

When attempting to catch catfish

There are various elements you need to take into account when attempting to fish for catfish. First of all, it all depends on the species of catfish you have your eyes on. So you need to bear in mind whether you want to go in for channel, blue, or flathead catfish. Other than this, you also have to understand the number and size of the fish. Once you understand the species you are looking to target and get an idea about whether you prefer the bigger or smaller fish, you can come to a conclusion on the best time of year to fish for them.

The best time of year

In the spring, rising water temperatures make catfish more active. The change in water makes the fish scatter more. If you want trophy catfish, the months of late March, April, and early May are the best. In the winter, you can catch blue and channel catfish. In the summer, you can find three species of catfish spawning. Many anglers also fish at night as days can get pretty hot. In the fall, until water temperatures are stable, locating catfish can be difficult.

So there you go, now that you are aware of the best time to go catfishing, go ahead and use this newfound expertise in the best possible way and make your catfish-catching stories a lot more interesting.