Many people love fishing for catfish in ponds for a variety of reasons. Not only does it allow everyone an opportunity to fish regardless of whether or not they have a boat or expensive electronic equipment, small ponds often produce good sized, plentiful catches at as good or better rates than big lakes or rivers.
Most ponds are in rural settings. Rural settings mean natural wildlife. All kinds of natural wild life (such as foxes, raccoon, beaver, etc) feed on fish. For this reason, pond catfish may be a little more easily spooked than those on large lakes that are more accustomed to the noise that naturally comes with large groups of people. Just take special care when it comes to making noise.
Don't run, walk heavily, rattle a lot of chairs, tackle boxes, or stones on the ground. Fish as far back from the bank as you can. Camouflage yourself as well as you can by sitting in shade, near trees that tend to move a little bit with the breeze, or in areas that provide cover that the fish will already have gotten used to.
In your ponds, it pays to be aware of any old stream channels. They often hold enough cover to provide a natural gathering place for catfish. Another good area for catfishing in ponds is where points of land go into the water. Tree branches, trees, docks, sticks or rocks also provide cover for the catfish and will hold lots of activity when it comes to catching catfish in small ponds.
When you are pond fishing for catfish, you can usually depend on a medium to medium-heavy rod and reel, particularly if you are using about a 12 pound test line. If you are using the suggested rod, reel and line, and you are still continually breaking your line, just increase your test strength, and you should do just fine.
Many people use a float or bobber when fishing for catfish in ponds. This suspends the bait in the water, and many a healthy cat has been known to snap up these suspended offerings. However, most people agree that pond fishing for catfish is usually the best if you fish the muddy bottom of your pond. Just use enough weight to sink your baited hook to the bottom. Move your bait every few minutes to attract the attention of your fish. Consider using minnows, night crawlers, earth worms, grubs, and bloody baits like chicken livers or hearts.
When you can get chicken hearts, they are easier to keep on your hook than livers, and they attract the catfish just as readily as do livers, so they are much easier to use. When you can not get them, livers really do work well, and if you have trouble keeping them on a treble hook, simply wrap them in a section cut from old pantyhose, and attach that to the hook before casting into the water.
The hotter the weather, the deeper you should fish. The same is true for very cold weather. In pleasant springtime weather, consider fishing a little more shallow, since the catfish will have a higher metabolism at this time and be hanging out closer to their natural food sources. Catfish's natural food sources will almost always be more plentiful in the more shallow areas.
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