It is important to know the feeding habits of catfish in order to have a more successful catfishing trip. Catfish will feed on different types of food and baits, and not all will take the same bait. Of course, there are some similarities to consider, including how catfish find food and what types it is most likely to find.
Catfish feeding habits are similar in terms of catfish types, as they all forage for food by smelling. Sensory cells in catfish’s whiskers help them find food. In fact, catfish are more likely to find foods with stronger odors because they will have an easier time detecting these foods.
Also, catfish tend to be more active in foraging for food at night. This is a better time for cat fishing. While this is a common habit in terms of catfish feeding habits, different types of catfish will forage for different types of food. Channel catfish, for example, will normally forage for food at the bottom of the water bed, feeding especially on aquatic insects. Crayfish and crustaceans are also popular with channel catfish. The youngest will eat aquatic larvae. Also, channel catfish do not particularly like carrion, contrary to what some believe.
Blue catfish will forage for food at the bottom of the waterbed most of the time. However, when they search for fish, they will move up. Since the blue catfish has a more advanced body type, it can take both fish and aquatic insects regardless of size. However, an adult will take mussels, and a younger one will use smaller fish.
White catfish are more flexible, but the feeding habits of catfish like this are different. This type of catfish does not always eat at night, and may also eat fish eggs and aquatic insects. They will also eat plants, which makes their habits different from the other feeding habits of catfish.
Bullhead catfish are more scavengers. Yellows feed on snails and some organic decay, while brown catfish feed on carrion, smaller fish, and worms. These catfish are not necessarily picky in terms of their eating habits, as they will take the lower level types of food without question.
The flathead catfish is the last type of catfish to look at. It has a more predatory feeding habit compared to the other feeding habits of the catfish. They will feed on all kinds of fish in their areas as they are hunters. They will feed in the shallow parts of the water at night and will go in groups to find food. They are especially fond of bass, tarpon, and crayfish, but will also eat other catfish.
These types of catfish are different in that they have their own unique feeding habits. Knowing the feeding habits of catfish will make it easier to find them.