Georgia offers great fishing for catfish

There are great opportunities all across the state for catfish angling, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). To help track down the right location to go fishing for “cats,” WRD has put together information on some recommended places to fish, equipment, techniques and more.

“Trying to reel in a catfish is a favorite pastime of many anglers in Georgia, and we are fortunate to have so many locations where this experience can be enjoyed,” says WRD Chief of Fisheries Management John Biagi. “Catfish typically can be found in waters close to home, they require relatively simple gear and they taste great – all good reasons to get out and fish!

There are several kinds of catfish that can be found in the state, including flathead, channel, blue, bullheads and white. Following is a breakdown of some catfish hot spots in Georgia:

• Lake Nottely – contains good populations of channel catfish (averaging 3/4 lb.) and some flathead catfish (weighing up to 40 lbs.).
• Lake Tugalo – contains an abundant population of white catfish.
• Lake Marbury (Fort Yargo State Park) – supports an excellent population of channel catfish.
• Flint River – great location for flathead (5-30 lbs.) or channel catfish.
• Lake Andrews (Chattahoochee River) – best location in southwest Georgia for catching blue and flathead catfish at more than 20 lbs.
• Lake Seminole – good catches of channel catfish available throughout the year.
• Ocmulgee River – dominant catfish species are flathead and channel catfish, on both upper and lower portions of this river.
• Altamaha River – great location for flathead catfish. The current state record flathead catfish (83 lbs.) and the current state record channel catfish (44 lbs., 12 oz.) were caught on this river. While not eligible for record status due to catch method, flathead catches up to 90 lbs. using bush hooks (a line attached to a bush or tree limb) have been reported from the Altamaha.
• Satilla River – excellent fishing available for channel catfish, white catfish and several species of bullheads.
• Southeast Georgia Public Fishing Areas (PFAs) (including Evans Co. PFA, Paradise PFA, Hugh M. Gillis PFA and Dodge Co. PFA) – some of the best locations for channel catfish in southeast Georgia.
• Lake Sinclair – this middle Georgia lake offers good numbers of channel and white catfish, large bullheads and an expanding blue catfish population.
• Walter F. George PFA – excellent location for channel catfish and some white catfish.

WRD recommends that anglers use a medium weight rod with either a spincasting or a spinning reel. The species and the size of catfish should dictate the fishing line used. For example – if channel and white catfish are your species of choice, WRD recommends 8-14 lb. test line and medium size hooks (6 or under a bobber and fished on the bottom.

If you are trying to land a large flathead, heavy tackle is a must. Large spinning or casting tackle with at least 20-50 lb. test line with weights to keep bait on the bottom. Baits that work best for channel, bullheads and white catfish include worms, liver, live minnows, cut bait and stink bait. Recommended flathead bait includes live goldfish, bream and shiners.

Anglers on rivers should target deep holes that contain rock or woody structures during the day and shallow sandbars and shoals near these deep holes at dusk, dawn and night. Reservoir catfish often can be found on flats adjacent to river channels during the day, while catfish often roam to feed at night and can be found in shallow water. Anglers can experience good catfishing throughout the year, but the best time of year to fish for various species of catfish is from early spring through the peak of summer.

Following are catfish records for Georgia: blue catfish (75 lbs.), channel catfish (44 lbs., 12 oz.), flathead catfish (83 lbs.), white catfish (8 lbs., 10 oz.), yellow bullhead (4 lbs., 15 oz.) and brown bullhead (5 lbs., 8 oz.).