basics for catfishing

[mrcarp]

hi i live near hutchinson have been told there is catfish in the river what are the basics rod reel and tackle and bait needed for catfishing can i get by with a cheap walmart special spinning rod thanks for your help

[HuskerBen]

Depends on the size of fish you are likely to encounter. I'm not familiar with that area, so I could be all wrong here, but...

My recommendation for a beginner cat rod would be one of those Wal-Mart combos, with the 7+ foot rod and beefy spinning reel. You can get by with less, if you're going to be catching smaller cats. Cabela's has a decent combo, too, and neither of those combos will break the bank. Other guys have different opinions, and it just shows that different things work for different people.

Then, get a range of sinkers, some good swivels, and hooks from #2 to 3/0. Bait is worthy of pages and pages of info, but I'd suggest taking a small assortment of cut bait, crawlers, and various chicken innards. That should be good for channels. Eventually, you'll figure out what works for you and you can pare down your tackle. For years, all I carried was a chew can full of hooks, split shot, and swivels and a Crown Royal bag full of sinkers. Now I have a backpack full of stuff I hardly ever use, and I am planning on going back to the simple approach.

[slipperybob]

You can do just fine with 8# line and a size 2 hook. About the same set up for walleye on the rocky bottom river. You want basic cheap, go with Zebco Rhino combo or Shakespeare Ugly stick combo.

The cats are (IMO barely) eating size in that little river.12"-14" You might get something in the 16"+ once in a while. I think that in those years of drought that really dried up the river plays a part in keeping the fish in fewer numbers. I remember it being feature in MN Bound.

One thing about rivers, though you just never know what might swim up into it.