When do catfish run

Channel catfish spawn in the early part of the summer. Usually when the water temperature reaches 68 to 70 degrees the catfish migrate to their nesting areas and start getting ready for the annual ritual. The actual spawning takes place when the water temperature is a stable 70 to 74 degrees. During this time the female channel cat will deposit her eggs into the den and leave the male behind to fan and guard the eggs.

The female will then head off to rest and start the recuperation process while the male waits without eating for a couple weeks while he guards the nest. When the spawn is in progress there are many catfish anglers who believe that they may as well take a couple weeks off from fishing until things straighten out or they totally change gears fishing near the holes and dens where the catfish spawn. The idea is to find the fish near the den and draw them out. The method of fishing near the dens is not necessarily a wrong method but there is a much more effective way to catch channel catfish during the spawn.

What this means is that not all catfish spawn at the same time, in fact some biologists believe that not all catfish spawn every year. If the conditions are good for spawning fish like it is still pre spawn.

What you will find is that you will continue to catch pre spawn fish in the more aggressive locations such as current breaks and troughs of a river. During this time you will notice that you will go from catching robust pre spawn fish to catching skinny post spawn fish. Should the water temperature cool back to below 70 degrees it could hold up the process and make this method a bit tougher as the spawning process will virtually stall until another warm snap.

During the summer of I ran into this exact pattern. I noticed that the fish were moving onto the nests but the weather was nice and I decided to stay fishing very aggressively, changing spots every 15 minutes or so if no fish. Stay on the move to find aggressive fish. We had a great day with 16 channel cats up to 16 pounds coming into the boat throughout the day. All of the fish were healthy and willing to fight pre spawn fish. At the end of the day I spoke with some other anglers that were complaining that they were really struggling.

They noted that the spawn is always tough and they would just continue to tough it out. Spawning is not based on an exact date, but the water temperature. Timing and season could vary based on your geographical location. We all know how hard it can be targeting catfish or really any fish species during active spawning seasons. Learning catfish spawning behavior can be a nice edge to catching more catfish.

I was curious myself so decided to investigate it further. Keep in mind that the catfish can maneuver and go to different areas of the water you are fishing. Some shallow areas will contain lower water temperatures deeper waters and some areas will have higher water temperature such as shallow water that can heat faster or areas near mouths, runoffs and water discharges will have higher water temperatures.

This could be accounting for the varying reports on different water temperatures that individuals believe catfish spawning takes place. For more information, see disclosure here. Due to the water temperature being the driving force behind catfish spawn season, the more southern you are, the sooner this will occur. In almost all circumstances, the spawn will begin the late spring between April and late May.

Female catfish lay eggs once a year during the spawning season. The number can be up to 50, eggs at one time. After the female has completed laying her eggs, the male catfish will fertilize the eggs.

The entire process is completed within hours. Once the male catfish has fertilized the eggs, the eggs will hatch will happen in most situations within 72 hours but can take up to 5 days. During this time, the male catfish protects and guards the eggs to ensure safe delivery of the baby catfish. After the male catfish finishes the process by spraying the sperm, the female catfish will lay her eggs.

Outside of a lake turnover fishing for blue and channel catfish is generally excellent during the fall. Many anglers that have problems locating and catching shad or other bait for blue catfish during the winter will take this time to load up on bait and freeze it for the winter.

I target catfish of all species and sizes all year long as a professional catfish guide and tailor my target sizes and species based on the best action at the time.

Channel catfish can be caught all year long. My favorite time to catch channel catfish is during the summer from pre-spawn until the water temps begin to drop in the early fall. Blue catfish can be caught all year long though fishing for blue catfish during the spawn can be tough.

For numbers of blues I like the Spring starting in early to mid-March and running through mid-April for red hot action , big numbers of blue catfish, and some trophy class blue cats mixed in. Fall also offers some excellent blue cat action as well. If I could pick just one time of the year for flatheads it would be September and October. The fish are feeding heavily getting ready for winter and fishing during this time has always produced the most flatheads and the biggest ones as well.

What I use as a professional catfish guide. The Ultimate Guide To Catfish Tackle — Everything you need to know about catfish tackle and gear from hooks to a fishing line and everything in between. Use this get to get the right catfish tackle and save money in the process!

Everything you need to know to set up for catching catfish. The Ultimate List of Catfishing Tips — Our great big list of catfishing tips to help you get on the path to catching more fish. Chad Ferguson is a pro catfish guide with over fifteen years experience fishing professionally for catfish, outdoor writer, photographer and noted authority on catfish fishing.

Get more exclusive catfish fishing tips here by email , make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel and follow me on Instagram and Twitter. Is one time of the year better as far as catching cats?

Winter Catfishing in the Winter is one of my absolute favorite times of the year. My favorite Winter catfishing is for trophy blue catfish.