Catfish spearfishing

[mudfish]

Anybody shoot catfish in South Carolina or Southeast? Do you use bait? Nighttime? What type of gun and length? Rivers or lakes?

 

[mike_s]

Check into "noodling". Yep. noodling.

It's the redneck way of using your fingers as bait and getting the catfish to bite onto your fingers/hand. People tape duct tape or white tape to their fingers to "lure" the fish better.

No... I'm not kidding. It's called Catfish Noodling. Do a google search.

 

[Tom Winters]

After they get good at catfish noodling, they move on to gator noodling. I learned all this from a guy named Stumpy.

 

[Bob3]

Catfish are a buttpain to spear, a plain old hand spear with a multi-prong tip is in order. Single point tips tend to bounce/slide off, no matter how strong the gun is.
You'll not have enough viz for a gun anyway.

 

[Spoon]

After they get good at catfish noodling, they move on to gator noodling. I learned all this from a guy named Stumpy.

rotflmao!!!

 

[fishoutawater]

I've actually noodled for catfish. My dad has a clubhouse on the Mississippi river. I sank a 55gal drum underneath the boat dock suspended by rope. During the catfish spawn, catfish will look for any shelter. 55gal drums with one end cut out are perfect.
I used to "impress" my nephews and their friends by donning mask/fins and snorkel, jumping off the dock and resurfacing with a Channel cat gripping my fist. (It's actually pretty easy that way). They do bite pretty hard though and bruise your wrist.
Think I'll leave the gator noodling alone though.

 

[JustAddWater]

You guys have all the fun! Pretty much the only way we get them out here, in California, is with hook and line (and a little beef liver). Still, catfish is much fun to catch, and great on the bbq.

 

[crpntr133]

Yep, gotta noodle or go home.

 

[mudhole]

Anybody shoot catfish in South Carolina or Southeast? Do you use bait? Nighttime? What type of gun and length? Rivers or lakes?[/QUOTE

Catfish spearfishing is legal in Oklahoma, not everywhere else. Channel catfish are scavengers, look for them near the thermocline over rocky or sandy bottoms. They move around a lot looking for dead things to eat. They will try to hide from divers by hiding their head in a small hole, leaving their bodies out in the open.
Flathead catfish are top predators, look for them in shallower water any place baitfish are thick. Flathead catfish change their color to match the background. When the flathead is hunting it may be laying on the bottom in the middle of small baitfish. When other predators hunt the baitfish, they are an easy catch for these camoflaged catfish. In the same lake Flatheads can be speckled gray- hunting in rocky areas, and brown- hunting in muddy areas.
For freshwater spearfishing, the Flathead catfish is a favorite because they are very good eating and they grow large, 30 to 50 pounds are not unusual. Speargun power depends on the size of fish you hope to hunt. JBL's 38-special, with 3 bands is a good entry level gun for catfish up to 10 or 15 pounds. If you can find bigger fish, I like a riffe size 0 metaltech with 3 bands. If you have more questions just ask here.

 

[mudfish]

Anybody shoot catfish in South Carolina or Southeast? Do you use bait? Nighttime? What type of gun and length? Rivers or lakes?[/QUOTE

Catfish spearfishing is legal in Oklahoma, not everywhere else. Channel catfish are scavengers, look for them near the thermocline over rocky or sandy bottoms. They move around a lot looking for dead things to eat. They will try to hide from divers by hiding their head in a small hole, leaving their bodies out in the open.
Flathead catfish are top predators, look for them in shallower water any place baitfish are thick. Flathead catfish change their color to match the background. When the flathead is hunting it may be laying on the bottom in the middle of small baitfish. When other predators hunt the baitfish, they are an easy catch for these camoflaged catfish. In the same lake Flatheads can be speckled gray- hunting in rocky areas, and brown- hunting in muddy areas.
For freshwater spearfishing, the Flathead catfish is a favorite because they are very good eating and they grow large, 30 to 50 pounds are not unusual. Speargun power depends on the size of fish you hope to hunt. JBL's 38-special, with 3 bands is a good entry level gun for catfish up to 10 or 15 pounds. If you can find bigger fish, I like a riffe size 0 metaltech with 3 bands. If you have more questions just ask here.

Thanks! This is good info. I have been told by some they will take a perforated can of dog food in a mesh bag and place it to attract catfish. Have you ever tried bait? In our area (South Carolina) many large catfish are taken in rivers as well as lakes by fishermen. From your reply I assume you are mostly in lakes. Do you move around or pick a good spot and wait?