Fishing Catfish in Small Streams
Fishing catfish in small streams can be very productive providing you choose your streams carefully. While not every stream can produce catfish, many small waterways are often overlooked by many anglers.
Here's the secret of small water catfishing. Catfish will move up shallow streams that empty into larger rivers, usually at night, and will travel shallow water as long as there are deep holes along the way in which to rest during the daylight hours.
While many catfishermen that fish larger rivers will wait for a catfish to find their bait, fishing smaller creeks requires a more mobile approach. Sitting in one place too long is a waste of time. Move a lot. If you don't get a bite after a couple of drifts through an area, try another one.
Once you locate a little hole or drop-off that holds catfish, mark it well in your memory or a small notebook. Catfish in small rivers are extremely mobile. Chances are excellent that within 24 hours, several more catfish will move into the vacancies created by your fishing rod and will be more than willing to examine any bait that drifts in their direction.
Catfish Locations in Small Streams & Creeks
Catfish in creeks and small streams have limited habitat from which to choose. Here are some of their favorite haunts.
- *** Any small tree, bush, or accumulation of wood in the water should be checked. The more the cover provides a current-deflecting, shaded hiding place, the better it will be.
- *** Sandbars often extend from shallow water and then drop off abruptly. Such drop-offs are extremely productive in the late-evening and early-morning hours when catfish are beginning and ending their search for food.
- *** Rocks or slabs of dirt often fall from cutbanks and lie submerged in the deeper water along the outside edge of bends in the stream. Reading the eddies and swirls on the surface can help you locate the hidden hotspots that attract catfish.
Catfish Fishing Tackle for Small Streams
Whether floating bait across the top or bouncing it along the bottom, fishing for cats in creeks has another advantage over big-water fishing. You don't have to use heavy tackle because there aren't a lot of trees along the bank to get washed into the creek that could create snaggy brushpiles. Since there aren't a lot of snags, you can use light tackle. That will allow you to present your bait very naturally. Want to have some real fun? Try catching three or four pound catfish on spinning tackle with 4- to 6-pound-test line. If the creeks in your area have more cover, you'll have to switch to a heavier line.
Whether walking banks or wading, stealth is very important to successfully fish small streams. Clear, shallow water creates spooky fish, so tread softly when approaching a stream and don't allow your shadow to fall across the water.
Streams, creeks, and small rivers can provide surprising catfish action for anglers savvy enough to look for catfish in unusual places. Give it a try!
