Fishing for Channel Cats at night is always a lot of fun. This under utilized species is hearty and available in quantity even during the dog days of summer. Nighttime fishing is less crowded and the temperatures are cooler.

Last season, we went fishing in Bucks County PA with GettingOutside.com member, Casey Schwarz, who was one of the many brave servicemen in the Active Naval Reserve stationed at the Willow Grove Airbase. (He has since transferred to Texas, and along with his family, and is sorely missed around these parts.) His son Ansel and my daughter Willow joined us on our adventure.

A special “thank you” to Brian, a generous angler who we met as we were arriving and he was leaving. He told us where the fish were biting for him, and he shared his leftover bait with us. What a nice guy!

Fishing at night is one of my favorite outdoor activities, and I was excited to share it with my six year old daughter, who loves fishing as much as anyone I know. I like the privacy, the quiet, the mystery of the night, and the many fish I catch at night.

The fishing tips in this article will help you enjoy your next night time fishing experience. They are especially for fishing from the lakeshore, a dock or the river bank, but you can use them in a boat as well.

Before You Leave Home

If you’re packing young kids, they better be well rested. Make sure they get a nice nap. This is good for dad and mom too. Also you better be packing snacks and drinks. Don’t forget warm clothes – think layers – and rain ponchos.

If you’ve ever gone fishing with young kids, you know how important it is to be prepared. You also know how important it is to catch some fish, no matter how big they are.

What to Bring in Your Tackle Box

For nighttime cat-fishing, there are a couple items you’ll probably want to bring:

Lighting. Get yourself a propane lantern and at lesat one good flashlight for light. I’m not a big fan of using propane lanterns for camping, but they do have a way of attracting the fish at night. And you need to see enough to thread the eye of a hook. Some citronella candles will be nice too.

Rods and Reels. 2 fishing poles, medium length and weight, 6’ to 7 and ½’ a soft tip with some strength to fight a big fish if you should luck out. (Don’t stress over this too much.)

Hooks. Find some size 6 and size 8 Snells (hooks on leaders), size 6 and 8 treble hooks (three pronged hooks). A lot fo folks like the big old circle hooks. I swear by small hooks, because some of the best fishing I’ve seen has been done with the smalls. However, catfish have giant mouths and even bigger appetites. You might try a 5/0 circle hook, and let me know how it works for you.

Rigs. Your set up should include a Carolina Rig, sometimes just called a Catfish Rig. This typically has a large egg-shaped sinker (about a 1/2 ounce) above a bead and swivel on its main line and is attached to a leader of about two feet or so. I’d keep at least 4 of these in the tackle box just in case.

Tools. Make sure you have a multi-purpose tool that has a needle-nose pliers and a knife on it.

Other. A Glove for holding the fish to get them off the hooks couldn't hurt (not really a necessity).

What to Use as Bait

This is where it gets really fun. There’s several great bait options for fishing catfish at night. They’re all pretty easy and inexpensive.

Chicken Livers. Go to your grocer’s chicken section, and you’ll find chicken livers in a small plastic tub. This should be enough to last you and your buddies all night. They’re a bit messy but very effective.

Nightcrawlers. I always cut them in half, and rarely do I go through more than a dozen in four or five hours.

Corn. I’m kind of new to corn, but it makes really good chum for attracting fish to your area. I personally like to use corn on the cob. Boil it for ten minutes or so, cool it down quickly, and cut it off the cob as deep to the cob as you can.

There are other options, I’m sure, like cut bream and bait fish. And just about everytime I talk to someone they tell mea story of how they caught a catfish with a hotdog or Wonder bread or just about anything. Throw them into the mix and let me know who they work for you!

Night Fishing Techniques & Tips

Lakes, Ponds, Reservoirs. When fishing from the shore, try to be near a light source. Fish love to be near a light at night. Catfish like to be where the bait fish are. Therefore, docks and boat launches are often ideal. Look for a dock that is 10 feet long or longer. This makes great cover. If you know a good spot where there’s some cover, like a downed tree under water, then you’ve probably found a decent spot.

At night, channel cats like shallow water, because that’s where their dinner is. Some folks recommend going to the far end of the lake away from a dam. The key is to experiment. Catfish patrol up and down a lake all night long.

A good way to get them into your little are of the pond is to periodically scatter some corn around the area you and your friends are fishing. This attracts all kinds of action. Then spread out.

Using the Carolina Rig, attach a three pronged treble hook and take a decent swab of chicken liver and wrap it all around the three points pushing down so it’s secure. Cast out as far as you can.

On another pole set up with your catfish rig (Carolina) attach a single number 6 Snell and use a half a night crawler. Give it a gentle medium toss. Crack a beverage and wait. Check your lines every 10 minutes or so. No need to rush. Sprinkle a little corn every half hour or so.

Rivers and Canals. Catfish are constantly on the prowl, and can be just about anywhere on a river. So where can you start? You can try starting just below and above a dam. This is where bait fish congregate. Catfish can also be found in sharp bends. Here it can get deeper and all kinds of cover can get jammed up, making it ideal. Docks are also good cover.

Again, spread out. Channel cats move about, up and down the river. Throw down just upstream and just downstream of cover. Use a combination of liver and worms to see what works. Worms will probably do well in spring, as it’s very natural for worms to be washed into the water at this time of year. Test and see what and where they’re biting.

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