By Ron Presley: Whitey Outlaw is well known for his pro crappie fishing adventures, but he also knows something about catfish. He is a consistent competitor on the Bass Pro Shops Crappie Masters tournament trail. Occasionally catfish will show up unexpectedly while pushing spider rigs for crappie or jigging around the pads, but when he gets serious, and wants to put catfish in the boat, he pulls out his favorite equipment and bait.
His choice of rods are the B’n’M Silvercat poles. The glow-in-the dark tip will help you see the lightest of bites, especially during night-time fishing. The medium action blank has a combination of beef and sensitivity that catfish anglers yearn for.
Whitey does not believe in skimping when going after what might be a record sized catfish. His reels are spooled with 65 pound test Vicious Braid. The line is chosen for its strength and durability. Since it has no stretch he can feel the slightest strike and react with the necessary hook set to catch the big cats.
The terminal rig begins by stringing an orange bead up the Vicious Braid, followed by a barrel sinker, followed by another bead. Finish by tying on a 5/0 or 6/0 Team Catfish circle hook with an improved clench knot. Remember when using Team Catfish circle hooks you don’t set the hook hard like bass anglers do. Just lift the rod firmly and smoothly letting the hook do its intended job. This simple slip sinker rig allows a catfish to take the bait without feeling the weight of the sinker which could make the fish let go.
A live bream is Whitey’s bait of choice to add to the Team Catfish circle hook, but cut-up shad will do just fine if the livies aren’t available.
Whitey advises catfish anglers to be prepared and don’t be fooled by catfish folklore! “Use heavier line than you think you might need, because you never know when you will hook a 70 or 80 pound fish.” His second tip deals with what he labels a myth. “You don’t always have to find deep water for big fish. A lot of big catfish will show up in 4 to 6 foot of water when bait and other conditions are right. The myth of big catfish always being real deep simply isn’t true.”
Rig it simple, bait it right, and have some fun on your favorite catfish adventure.