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New Info on Catfish Feeding Habits

Research shows how catfish use smell and taste when feeding
Photo by Eric Engbretson

WHAT GOES THROUGH the brain of a feeding catfish is anybody’s guess, but most anglers would agree that Old Whiskers probably uses all the senses at his disposal. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds some light on the murky world of catfish feeding. Employing digitized tracking to mark the paths of European catfish and guppies in a dark tank, researchers found that the catfish used smell or taste to determine “prey wakes” left by the guppies. The catfish followed the wakes like beagles on a rabbit trail, never cutting corners, which would have indicated the use of sight. Eventually the cats struck the guppies from behind, allowing for an easier capture as the guppies never knew what hit them (the researchers could determine this by the absence of any predator-avoidance behaviors).

Movement of the bait, or a cast into the flow, followed by a very slow retrieve into slack water, would seem to create a wider wake, the aromatic equivalent—to a catfish, anyway—of a louder dinner bell.

Comments (10)

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from gator dawg 2 wrote 14 weeks 6 days ago

very helpful information

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from fisher girl wrote 13 weeks 2 days ago

I agree, very helpful.

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from snowmanusmc wrote 10 weeks 6 days ago

this does work. I tried casting fresh bluegill cut bait then draging it back my hook ups have almost doubled. Well maybe not that good but it has helped a lot.

+2 Good Comment? | | Report
from flatheadman32 wrote 10 weeks 4 days ago

thanks for the help

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from wyo hunter wrote 9 weeks 8 min ago

Thanks for the help i need it

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from catfisher33 wrote 8 weeks 2 days ago

next time i go out ill remeber this

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from mop4pom wrote 7 weeks 6 days ago

this works. always back your bait up. it will double you hits per night.

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from earlyriser81 wrote 7 weeks 1 day ago

I have had success doing this while fishing for cats in both ponds and rivers.

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from blt0001 wrote 6 weeks 50 min ago

Has anyone ever heard of a catfish hitting a buzzbait? My roomate caught about a 4 pounder yesterday on a white boo yah buzzbait!!

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from brucepatryn wrote 3 weeks 6 days ago

pretty good info

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from snowmanusmc wrote 10 weeks 6 days ago

this does work. I tried casting fresh bluegill cut bait then draging it back my hook ups have almost doubled. Well maybe not that good but it has helped a lot.

+2 Good Comment? | | Report
from gator dawg 2 wrote 14 weeks 6 days ago

very helpful information

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from fisher girl wrote 13 weeks 2 days ago

I agree, very helpful.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from brucepatryn wrote 3 weeks 6 days ago

pretty good info

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from flatheadman32 wrote 10 weeks 4 days ago

thanks for the help

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from wyo hunter wrote 9 weeks 8 min ago

Thanks for the help i need it

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from catfisher33 wrote 8 weeks 2 days ago

next time i go out ill remeber this

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from mop4pom wrote 7 weeks 6 days ago

this works. always back your bait up. it will double you hits per night.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from earlyriser81 wrote 7 weeks 1 day ago

I have had success doing this while fishing for cats in both ponds and rivers.

0 Good Comment? | | Report
from blt0001 wrote 6 weeks 50 min ago

Has anyone ever heard of a catfish hitting a buzzbait? My roomate caught about a 4 pounder yesterday on a white boo yah buzzbait!!

0 Good Comment? | | Report

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