It depends on which catfish you're after. Missouri's MDC describes flathead catfish as nocturnal hunters that forage at night, channel catfish as fish that retreat to deep water or cover by day and move into the shallows to feed after dark, and blue catfish as more flexible, sometimes feeding in the open during the heat of the day. Match your time on the water, and your bait, to the species you're targeting.
Flathead catfish: night specialists
MDC's field guide says flathead catfish forage at night: adults move from deeper water or cover to riffles and the shallows of pools to feed after dark, and young flatheads stay on the riffles but are "active only at night." Flatheads are also picky eaters. Unlike channel catfish, MDC notes they are not scavengers and rarely eat dead or decaying material -- adults prey mainly on live fish and crayfish, and for rod-and-reel fishing, only live or freshly killed bait works well on them.
Channel catfish: nocturnal, and they find food by smell
Channel catfish follow a similar daily pattern. MDC's guide says adults retire to deep water or hide around debris during the day, then move onto riffles or into the shallows at night to feed. They're built for it after dark: MDC calls the channel catfish a "swimming tongue" for the taste receptors covering its body, plus more on its barbels, mouth and throat, which it uses to locate food on the bottom by taste, smell and touch rather than sight. That's why scent matters most after dark or in stained water, where a channel catfish is hunting by smell before it ever sees the bait.
Blue catfish: the most flexible feeder
Blue catfish break the night-only pattern. MDC's catfish fishing guide notes that blue catfish are often found in large groups and will sometimes feed during the heat of the day along very shallow flats. Their field guide adds that blues feed mostly on or near the bottom, and to a lesser extent in midwater, in swift chutes, pools with current, and silt-free bottoms of sand, gravel and rubble -- big, open water rather than tight cover. That habit of roaming open flats and channels in daylight is why covering water can pay off for blues when flatheads and channels have shut down for the day.
Common mistakes
- Fishing the same hours for every species -- a good flathead spot at night can be empty at noon, and a daytime blue-cat flat can go quiet after dark.
- Soaking dead or cut bait for flathead catfish, when MDC's guide says they rarely take dead or decaying material; live or freshly killed bait fits them better.
- Staying on the bottom all day for blue catfish, when MDC notes they also feed in midwater.
- Ignoring scent after dark or in murky water, when channel and blue catfish are relying on smell and taste more than sight.
Shop the gear
- Katfish Country Dragon Gliders -- weights for dragging and trolling baits for catfish, built for covering the open flats and channels where blue catfish roam and feed during the day.
- Snowball's Bait Tonic StankZapp -- a catfish bait enhancer, for building a scent trail that matters most after dark or in stained water, when channel and blue catfish are finding bait by smell before they see it.
Frequently asked questions
Do catfish bite in the daytime?
Blue catfish can -- MDC notes they'll sometimes feed during the heat of the day on very shallow flats. Flathead and channel catfish are more consistently nocturnal, moving to feed after dark.
Why do catfish bite better at night?
MDC's field guides describe both flathead and channel catfish retreating to deep water or cover during the day and becoming active at night, when they move into riffles and shallows to feed.
Do catfish find bait by smell?
Channel catfish especially do. MDC describes them as covered in taste receptors, with barbels that locate food on the bottom by taste, smell and touch -- most useful in the dark or in murky water.
Is cut bait or live bait better for catfish?
It depends on the species. MDC's guide says flathead catfish prefer live fish and rarely eat dead or decaying bait, while channel and blue catfish are more willing to take cut bait.
Where do blue catfish feed?
MDC describes blue catfish feeding mostly on or near the bottom, and to a lesser extent in midwater, often in large groups that move onto very shallow flats during the heat of the day.