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coinman66

What would be a good fly for Catfish?

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Anybody got any good patterns for catfish? Flathead and Channel cats are what i would be after. I have caught an occasional channel on a Clouser minnow and crayfish pattern, but nothing consistent.

Thanks

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The channel cat is omnivorous,meaning it feeds on both plant and animal material. They feed most anything that swims in the water, and often feed on the surface; making them vulnerable to a dry fly. Crayfish, smaller fish, small clams, worms,and snails are often eaten. They have been known to 'hang out' under mulberry trees over hanging water when the berries are ripe and falling into the water. The same can be said for tree-dwelling caterpillars. The flat head is primarily piscivorous, meaning that it feeds primarily on other fish, including it's own kind.

 

Tie flies accordingly.

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I'd say a leech patern would also be part of your arsenal. A hellgramite fly may also do the trick. I think you nailed it with the crayfish though. I had a customer test some crayfish paterns on small mouth for me. He caught 15 carp along with the smallies. Crayfish are a predominat food source in our river ecosystems.

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Crayfish, Sculpins, and Clouser Deep minnows are all good choices for cats until you find a suspended school of fish, in which case switching to a mid-water streamer (Deciever or the like) will get their attention.

 

Like Perchjerker wrote, there will also be times when they, like carp, camp out under fruit trees to get the falling, ripe fruit. During the warm months it's a good idea to carry berry flies, bread flies, and white puffy seed-type flies to fish the surface. At those times you'll get cats and carp!

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Ok. Thanks to all. I would love to hook into a nice Flathead on a fly.

 

You and me both! I have been wanting a flathead on the fly for a while, it's one of the few fish in Ohio I am yet to catch on the fly. I get channels several times per year as accidental by-catch, but never a flathead. Most of my channel cats get caught on streamer patterns in small rivers while bass fishing, and occasionally in lakes and ponds also while bass fishing.

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I get channels several times per year as accidental by-catch, but never a flathead. Most of my channel cats get caught on streamer patterns in small rivers while bass fishing, and occasionally in lakes and ponds also while bass fishing.

 

This has been my experience as well, although I don't do much pond or lake fishing, and when I have caught cats on flies in such waters, it's been Bullheads. MD, now has several species of catfish in our waters, and Blue cats will take flies too. I've caught them while fishing for both bass & panfish.

 

Fly patterns will not be a problem, as catfish will take about anything you get in front of them. What the others have suggested will all work. Like TheCream, I've caught them as incidental to bass fishing, and most in small rivers or streams.

 

I remember one really nice Channel Cat of about 20 inches in length I caught many years ago in the Susquehanna River above Duncannon, PA. I had taken my two youngest son's up there for a weekend of Smallmouth fishing & thought I had hooked a good bass. The boys were using crankbaits & had caught a nice Channel cat too. On a 6 wt that catfish I caught was a lot of fun! It took a black, lead eyed, rabbit strip leech tied on a 1/0 straight shank worm hook, bumped along the bottom.

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Looks like the consensus is; find the catfish and present a meaty fly to them. They'll handle the rest!

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Looks like the consensus is; find the catfish and present a meaty fly

to them. They'll handle the rest!

 

 

And the tribe has spoken! Meaty fly will be served....

Thanks all!

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Going to spend more effort on them cats this year on lake Erie out of yak.

Clousers are my go to for them.

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Woolie Bugger blanc. Time is of the year now. Willows make the bloom that looks like fuzzy worm. Le barbue hang around base and wait for to fall into the water. Put your blanc bugger under the willows.....you will catch the chat bleu possion.post-37584-0-56697000-1359809976_thumb.jpgpost-37584-0-53440400-1359810038_thumb.jpg

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