Catfishing In Southern California At The Lower Otay Reservoir

The Lower Otay Resivoir is a short half hour drive from downtown San Diego and offers some of the best fishing in Southern California. Fishing here is good for blue gill and bass, but is most noted for the large blue catfishing. The Lower Otay Resivoir has a daily limit of five catfish per day. If you haven't tried much catfishing, then the tips below may be of use to you.

Rigging method of catfishing

To fish for catfish using this method,loop the hook or bait holder from a line about 18 inches to 24 inches in length and weight it so that it will remain still. The weight should slide on the line. You can add a three way swivel onto the line so you can add more bait and catch multiple catfish at the same time.

The best bait for catfishing

A lot of experienced fishermen will advise you to use chicken liver or store bought shrimp to use as bait. If you use shrimp for bait the tail and skin should be removed and the shrimp needs to be large enough to slide onto a number six sized hook. If you use the raw chicken livers, you will need to take a portion about the size of a quarter and wrap it in a piece of pantyhose and tie it off then attach it to your hook. The best bait to use are natural ones and include minnows, blood worms, snails, small fish, night crawlers, dough bait, and catfish paste.

Chumming for catfish

Chumming is a pretty good trick for catching catfish and it involves throwing food into the fishing area. Experienced catfishers have secret recipes for chum, but the idea is to use a natural food that catfish love and has a strong scent to attract them. Throw the food onto the water to work the catfish up into a feeding frenzy and then use the same food on a hook as bait.

The right tackles for catfishing

The best tackle to use for catfishing should be around six feet long and have a spinning reel and heavy line to allow for an aggressive fish to fight back. The tackle itself does not need to be expensive as the most important element is actually the bait used on it.

How to handle a catfish

Be sure to use a secure grip so the fish can't slip and get you with his fins. Use pliers to remove the hook. Run your hand up his belly and grasp the mouth area between your fingers and thumbs. Take care to avoid the fins of a catfish as they can cause injury and infection.

When you are ready to try your luck at catfishing, you can visit The Lower Otay Resivoir on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from sun up to sun down.

About The Author-- Warren has fished for the big ones in Hawaii. He now resides in Southern California. Upon searching out the hot fishing spots, he has decided to share his findings with other fishermen. More fishin: Gone Fishing In SoCal

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