The best time of day to catch catfish is when they’re biting. That’s an obvious answer, but how do you know when they’re biting. If you asked 100 fishermen who’ve been catfishing for years, you’ll have half say early in the morning and the other half will say night time is the best time to catch catfish.
I’m leaning toward night fishing being the best time to go fishing, but there are other variables. Nighttime might be better overall, but there are other factors like the time of the year, water temps and etc.
I’ve had a lot of success catching big flatheads and blue catfish very early in the morning. There seems to be a window at night and day to catch catfish. When I’m night fishing, I like to go out right before it gets dark and I’ve found that fishing is good up until and around midnight.
The bites will slow, and then they pick back up during the early morning hours. In my experience, the catfish start biting again around 4:00 am and it continues until around 7:00 am. The best times for catching catfish for me is between 9:00 pm and 6:00 am.
But, that doesn’t mean I only go fishing during those hours. There is nothing better than catching a huge channel catfish or even a monster flathead. But, catching big fish or a boatload of catfish isn’t the only reason why I go fishing.
I love to go fishing because it’s very relaxing and rewarding. It’s a great time to enjoy life and reflect on ones-self. There is nothing better than getting up before the sun is up and making a sausage and egg sandwich for the trip to the lake.
You double-check to make sure you have that new homemade bait that your buddy gave you, and that you have your best rod and reels. You pour a tall thermos with hot coffee and head out the door to catch some catfish. On the way to the lake, the sun starts to rise and it’s starting to get daylight.
You get on the lake just in time to see the sunlight over the horizon, shining on the surface of the water. You put the boat in the water or find a good spot along the bank. You reach for your lucky bait and get those circle hooks baited and rods in the holder.
This is where catfishing becomes fun. You wait for that line to move and for that catfish to swallow your bite so you can set the hook.
But, it’s been two hours and not a bite. What do you do if the catfish aren’t biting? I don’t get frustrated or leave because where else would you rather be than on the water fishing for catfish? When the catfish aren’t biting, it’s time to explore the lake and maybe strike up conversations with other fishermen.
Ask them when’s the best time to catch catfish. If they’re die-hard fishermen, you might hear them tell a story about how many flatheads they caught a couple of nights ago or how many channel catfish they caught early in the morning last week.
So, the best time to go fishing for me is anytime because I love being on the water. The best time to actually catch catfish is late at night or early in the morning. Some fishing buddies and I are known to start fishing around sun-down and fish until sun-up.
Basically, summertime fishing for us is a 9-5. We go fishing right before the sun goes down around 9:00 pm and we fish until around 5:00 am. That’s not saying you can’t catch catfish during the day because you can. If you know the body of water and have been catfishing there for years, you can always catch fish any time of the day. Get to know the water.