Best Time of Day to Catch Catfish

While catfish are easy to please with any bait at any time, understanding the best time of day to catch catfish proves to help make massive catches that day.

Catfish are relatively simple in their behavior and habits, so any time of the day works great for catfish fishing. However, there are specific time frames within the day that prove to be the best windows for guaranteed catfish catch.

If you’re wondering what these time frames are, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here we explain the best time to go catfishing for any day and any season is.

Best Time of Day to Catch Catfish

Catfish like to stray away from any threatening species and prefer spending their day all laid back. First, you must get an understanding of where the fish resides during the day.

The time of the day and the water temperatures play a significant role in the location of the catfish, which in turn affects the behavior of the fish too. You can often find catfish on the deeper end of the water body.

Catfish Fishing; Night or Day?

The question of day and night arises when it comes to the feeding habits of the catfish. Catfish feed throughout the day, however, in summers they tend to feed more at dusk or night. Whilst in colder weather, they prefer to feed during the day.

This is due to the temperature deviation that arises with seasonal changes. In summers the water temperature is too hot on the shallower end whereas the nights are colder for the catfish during colder seasons.

Best Temperature to Catch Catfish

As mentioned previously, the catfish prefers a moderate to warmer temperature like all cold-blooded animals.

Ideally, the perfect temperature for catching catfish lies around 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit regardless of the season and location.

Best Time to Go Fishing for Catfish for All Seasons

Catfishing is a rather versatile sport. Catching catfish isn’t a difficult task in any season if you’re willing to make an effort at night and adjust your angling patterns seasonally.

The best time to go catfishing is different for every season, and here we give you a comprehensive rundown on how to catch catfish in any season.

Best Time of Day to Catch Catfish in Summer

Catching any fish during the summer can be tricky. Catfish usually reside on the deeper end of the water throughout the day to enjoy cooler waters.

You’ll require a boat for catfish throughout the day to get to the deeper end, and you might possibly end up with more than one catch. During warmer temperatures, catfish gather so one jig of the bait may result in multiple catches.

However, if you don’t have a boat for yourself, fishing during the night or at dusk will be your best bet. Around this time of the day, the catfish move towards shallower waters, making it easier for offshore anglers to catch them during that time frame.

Best Time of Day to Catch Catfish in Fall

Fall is unanimously agreed upon as the best angling time of the year. The temperature cools down significantly bringing the catfish out on the shallower ends earlier in the day.

Fall is also known to be the spawning season for shades, so all fish including catfish have a severe hunger drive for this bait.

Additionally, fall is the season when most fish prepare for the winter by bulking up and storing as many nutrients as they can. So, they will jump at the mere sight of bait.

The best time of the day during fall would be around 3 PM till dusk for the shallower ends as the temperature is lower than noon and the abundance of small fish drives the catfish right to the lower depths.

Best Time of Day to Catch Catfish in Winter

Winter is renowned for being the most challenging season to angle in due to the inactivity of all kinds of fish. This fact is no different from the case of catfish.

They will usually skip out on most bait to preserve their energy. However, dead baits and angling with surf fishing rigs during the daytime near the deeper end may occasionally prove to be fruitful.

Winter angling is a game of luck and chance, so keep your expectations pretty low if you happen to choose to angle during this icy season.

Best Time of Day to Catch Catfish in Spring

Angling in spring is relatively more rewarding than in winter. Especially angling in late spring can bring about luck in all departments of angling, including catfish fishing.

The relatively warmer waters bring out the fish to the shallower ends again, and the warm energy gets the fish going to prey on more fish once again.

Afternoon till dusk is the perfect time to catch catfish during the lovely spring season.

Tips for Catfish Fishing Gear

While understanding the best times for catching the catfish helps maximize your catch rate, here are some tips and tricks for catfishing that will undoubtedly improve your catfish fishing experience:

• Opt for surf fishing rods when angling for catfish as they provide more flexibility and casting distances. Surf fishing rods are durable as well, which helps in catching more massive sizes of catfish.
• To pair up with the rod, surfcasting reels are an excellent option so you’ll have reasonable control over the catch as well as the drag settings of the reel as well.
• Thick monofilament or braided fishing lines are both viable options when it comes to catfish fishing. However, using a leader may help elevate the experience, so we recommend using a fluorocarbon leader in combination with your monofilament or braided fishing line.

Conclusion

Catfish are more comfortable to catch than most fish species so if you employ the right techniques at the right moment, we can almost guarantee you maximum catfish catch rate. Happy angling!