Catfish are tough, hard-fighting fish that turn up in a lot of Aussie estuaries, rivers and inshore saltwater spots. They are not everyone’s favourite on the table, but they pull well on light gear and will happily keep a quiet session interesting.
In Australia, anglers mostly run into catfish in muddy estuaries, tidal rivers, creeks, harbours and sheltered bays, with freshwater species further upstream as well. Saltwater catfish love soft bottoms, drop-offs, channels, bridge pylons and mangrove edges where food collects.
Catfish are bottom feeders that use their barbels to sniff out prawns, worms, yabbies, crabs, shellfish and bits of dead bait. They are happy scavengers, but they also grab live offerings when the current pushes food along the bottom.
Tide matters because catfish usually feed best when there is enough run to move scent and food, especially around channel edges and flats drains. Low light is often better, with dawn, dusk and dirty overcast days usually producing more confident bites than bright middle-of-the-day conditions. Light to moderate wind can help by stirring up the water, but strong wind can make holding bottom and presenting baits properly a pain. In open water, smaller swell is easier to fish, while a bit of wash in sheltered saltwater areas can switch them on if it dislodges food.
A simple running sinker or paternoster rig with a sturdy hook works well, fished right on the bottom with enough lead to hold. Pilchard chunks, squid strips, prawns, worms and oily fish baits all get eaten, and a medium estuary outfit is plenty for most fish. Use care handling them, because the spines can ruin your day.
Catfish can find food in filthy water surprisingly well because those whisker-like barbels are packed with sensory receptors.