Catfish fishing in the UK is gaining popularity, and lobworms are a surprisingly effective bait. These nocturnal predators are most active during dark, humid conditions. While they may be less aesthetically pleasing than other fish, their powerful fights and impressive size make them a thrilling target.
To catch catfish on lobworms, you'll need a good supply of bait, they are commercially available but can prove expensive, you can although gather your own bait. Head out on mild, damp nights to find them wriggling on lawns. Once collected, store them in a cool, damp place.
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The rig
To rig your lobworms for catfish fishing, carefully thread them onto the hair and pop them up with a foam ball. A hooklink of around 15 inches is recommended. For tackle, use sturdy rods with a test curve of at least 3lb, a strong mainline like 20lb mono, and reliable components.
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Lobworms for catfish top tips
Keep em popped up
If your worms are still sinking even with the hair-rigged foam ball, try carefully injecting a bit of air into them with a syringe. Always make sure this is done on a firm surface such as a bucket lid to avoid injuring yourself!
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Keep your hooks sharp
Use a honing stone to make sure that the large hooks for catfish fishing are extremely sharp before casting the rig out. You don't have to over-do it on the size, a hook between a size 2 and 6 is generally best.
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Staying Popped Up
To ensure that the worms stay popped up, wrap your hookbait up between two bits of a foam ball to keep them full view of the catfish. Catfish tend to swim just off the bottom so popping a bait up presents the bait right in front of the fish, usually resulting in an opportunistic take.
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