Plan on doing some catfishing over the summer, does anyone regularly fish for cats-channels and flatheads? What rod will work? I plan on using my 8' salmon rod rated to 25# line with trilene 15# big game and 40 # leader if it will work. What baits work best for you??? I will be fishing in Iowa and heard that the cats get big there, so any info will help.

Any Med. heavy to heavy rod is a good cat rod for channels. But for flat I'n not sure if you would have enough. I have heard that people use 50 to 80 lb line for the babies.

Is the Salmon rod a downriggers rod. If so I would use a circle hook. Fresh cut sucker, goldeye, and frogs for channel. I have heard bullheads alive work for Flats but I'm not sure if they are legal in Iowa. Good luck

Thanks very much for the info, my rod is a downrigger style rod, I only use it for river fishing and it has plenty of power for kings up to 25# my largest with that rod on the river. I am moving to Iowa monday and i plan on looking up on the regs as soon as I get there. Since my family will be here in michigan I should have plenty of extra time when I am not at work, to fish, learn the regs, and explore the area.

I use a Amabassador 6000 reel and Power Stick rod. Catch flatheads, channels, and blues every weekend. 30# line.

Anything stinky will work. Try live/dead shad. If they don't hit that, cut the head off. If they don't hit that, cut the head and tail off. IF they don't hit that, use chicken liver.

Fresh cut fish works great for all cats..

Ive noticed the head thing too, for some reason they get picky and wont eat fish heads.

Do you use circle hooks for cats????

I dont use circle hooks but I know alot of people who swear by them. I think I will try them this year.

I've looked into circle hooks, but don't know if I can resist the temptation of setting the hook.

90 percent of our Catfish in North Dakota are Channel cats. The Red River Of the North is a great channel cat fishery with many 20 lb+ cars taken every summer. I use the Ugly Stik Big Cat Rods and Amb. 6500-7000 bait casting reels. I use 30 lb fire line for a main line and 20 lb Cagun (red) Monifilament leader. The fire line won't stretch so it easy to break just the leader when you get snaged. I use cut up skipjacks and such for bait. I use big bait holder hooks or big circle hooks. YUM YUM Catfish.

7ft, med action Shimano with matching reel, using 12 lb Trilene limp mono. Beleive it or not this cat was caught while I was jigging with a 6" black rubber worm, don`t know why but it worked that day. The cat in the pic weighed 27lbs.



This was at Lockport in the Red River in Manitoba.

Ron