# Catfishing



## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

hi 
i have never tried catfishing and thought i would give it a try i have fished for trout and salmon mainly on the fly but also with bait and lures in the past 
i heard utah lake has quite a few catfish in it where would you recomend for me and what to use as bait 
also are they worth eating as i have never tried it and have heard mixed reviews on eating them 
many thanks 
wilky


----------



## tye dye twins (Mar 8, 2011)

Good old nightcrawlers work very well on the cats at UL. If you want Channel Catfish keep the bait off the bottom. For Black bullheads throw a weightless nighcrawler on a hook and let it sink to the bottom. I like the pelican marina also known as the public saratogia marina. The reeds are a great place to start looking for them. 

I personally don't like the taste of Black Bullheads and the Channel Catfish taste great but there is a consumption advisory on them at Utah Lake so I don't eat them out of Utah Lake. Smoking channel cats and frying them is very good!

If you have any small white bass minnows or cut bait of carp or white bass those will work too! I have only seen a few cats go for spinners so I would stick with the bait fishing for sure. I let them run off with the bait for a few seconds before I set the hook. Size 1 and 2 hooks work well.


----------



## wilky (Jun 19, 2011)

hi 
if it isnt advisable to eat te fish out of utah lake where would you suggest to fish for catfish that are good eating 
many thank 
wilky


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

If you check the Utah Fish Advisories-Map you will see that there are no advisories for Utah Lake. This map was last updated on 8/11/11

http://fishadvisories.utah.gov/map.htm


----------



## tye dye twins (Mar 8, 2011)

wilky said:


> hi
> if it isnt advisable to eat te fish out of utah lake where would you suggest to fish for catfish that are good eating
> many thank
> wilky


Willard Bay is a great place for Channel Cats. I know of several guys that could care less about the advisory at Utah Lake and eat them anyway. I have tasted a few fillets out of UL channel cats and there was nothing bad about it taste wise. Still I usually choose to avoid eating them as I eat ALOT of fish. What I am trying to say is if you want to taste and catch a channel cat go for it at Utah Lake.

The community ponds can be a good choice too for cats. The colorado river is great too by Moab. Black Bullheads are in Pineview as well. Those are the palces I know of. You can always buy a few from your local grocery store too!


----------



## tye dye twins (Mar 8, 2011)

Critter said:


> If you check the Utah Fish Advisories-Map you will see that there are no advisories for Utah Lake. This map was last updated on 8/11/11
> 
> http://fishadvisories.utah.gov/map.htm


The link you porvided talked about Mercury not PCB's! Mercury was never an issue at Utah Lake.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You can eat the meat just don't make a steady diet of it. Also the last study that was listed for Utah Lake that I found was in 2005 so who knows what the levels are now. 
You might want to check out all of the advisories in the state.

http://fishadvisories.utah.gov/advisories.htm


----------



## StillAboveGround (Aug 20, 2011)

wilky said:


> ...what to use as bait ...


Used to catfish a lot with my Grandfather down South many years ago.
We used everything between minnows, stink baits and dead day-old chicks...

Rule of thumb: If your dog wants to roll in it... chances are a catfish will bite it...


----------



## twinkielk15 (Jan 17, 2011)

I catch cats out of Utah Lake all the time. Like was mentioned above, just watch how much you eat. My favorite spot is Lincoln and I use a piece of shrimp and a piece of worm on a single hook sitting on the bottom. I catch about 50/50 channels and bullheads.


----------



## brfisherman17 (Jan 21, 2011)

From a boat, raw shrimp 24" under a bobber fished right along the reeds. From shore, stink bait or nightcrawlers w/ garlic scent.


----------



## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

I've really only fished for them at the community ponds but the best bait I've ever seen people use is raw shrimp. People that use shrimp catch a lot of fish at those ponds. I've never tried it because it is too expensive. I use raw chicken livers. They work almost as well and they're cheaper than dirt. It can be tricky to keep it on your hook though.


----------



## tye dye twins (Mar 8, 2011)

Clarq said:


> ....use raw chicken livers. They work almost as well and they're cheaper than dirt. It can be tricky to keep it on your hook though.


Those are a GREAT choice on the Colorado River for Catfish!

You can buy "spawn bags" at fish shops that will hold on to those types of baits.


----------



## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Great eating, those cats from UL.

My largest (+8 lbs), have been caught on a big whole nightcrawler. Shrimp and minnows work good too.


----------



## A-Weezy (Jun 27, 2011)

Utah lake is a great place for cats... Summer is the beat time to go out. I mainly use minnows or raw shrimp either under a red/white bobber or with sinkers.. Fish by the reeds and you can catch cats all day. Pound for pound one of the best fighters in that lake... I am always in the mood fr cat fishing. I would love to go out with you if you ever need a fishing partner.


----------

