Night Fishing for Catfish: Spots, Timing, Rigs, Baits, and Simple Plans

Catfish hunt by scent and vibration. Darkness reduces visual pressure and pulls fish from deeper edges to shallow feeding routes. Wind stacks forage on the upwind side of a lake. Current compresses seams in a river. At night you can target these lanes with short casts and quiet decks. Clean presentations and steady pressure produce more than flashy gear or loud lights.

• Scent advantage: Fresh cut bait leaks a trail that fish track in low light.
• Movement cues: Live bait and head pieces thump and draw big fish from distance.
• Low pressure: Less traffic and noise keep fish shallow longer.

Start where food collects. On lakes, follow the wind. On rivers, follow the flow. The right spot gives you a clean cast, a simple landing path, and a lane that feeds fish across the night.

• Wind-blown banks: Waves push shad to the upwind shore. Fish the first break and the shallow shelf.
• Points and inside turns: Fish cruise the top, then slide to the first contour at dawn.
• Riprap and causeways: Rocks hold heat and insects. Channels run tight to stone after dark.
• Creek mouths: Flow carries scent and bait. Set up on the color line or the soft eddy.
• Outside bends with wood: Flatheads sit near cover. Place bait beside wood, not in it.
• Tailraces (where legal): Light and current pull forage. Work seams and slack pockets.

Mark a primary lane and a backup lane. If the first plan goes quiet for 30–45 minutes, move to fresh water rather than waiting out a dead hour.

Plan your trip around three windows. Fish rise with low light, settle when traffic dies, and shift edges before sunrise. Use these moves to match their route with your baits.

• Dusk: 60–90 minute surge as fish flood shallow. Run one rod very shallow.
• Midnight shift: A second push as wind stabilizes and noise fades.
• Pre-dawn: Fish slide to the first break. Tighten spreads and shorten leaders.

Hold each sit for 30–60 minutes. If marks or bites do not show, change something: distance, angle, bait size, or spot.

Night gear should cast well, control fish at short range, and keep you organized. A medium-heavy rod with a moderate action shows soft loads and protects leaders near rock. Smooth drags prevent pulled hooks when a fish surges at your feet. Bright main line helps track angles in a headlamp. Heavy mono leaders handle shell and riprap.

• Rods: 7’–8’6” medium-heavy, moderate action for bite read and control.
• Reels: Baitcasters with clickers or 3000–4000 spinning reels.
• Main line: 30–50 lb braid or 20–30 lb mono; bright color aids tracking.
• Leaders: 40–60 lb mono for abrasion resistance.
• Hooks: 5/0–8/0 circle hooks for cut bait; 6/0–8/0 octopus/circle for live bait.
• Sinkers: 1–4 oz egg, no-roll, or snag-resistant weights matched to wind and flow.
• Lights: Headlamp with red mode, small deck lights, and a legal anchor light for boats.
• Tools: Long-nose pliers, cutters, spare leaders, and a long-handle net.

Stage tools before dark. Lay pliers and cutters within easy reach. Keep a clean path to the net and your cooler or release zone.

Pick rigs that set hooks with steady pressure and stay clean over cover. Circle hooks remove guesswork. Slip systems let fish load the rod without feeling hard resistance. Floats keep baits off snags. Check out our full guide on the best rigs for catfish!

Carolina (Slip-Sinker) Rig

Use the Carolina rig on clean bottom, riprap lanes, and flats. It shows soft loads and lets circles do the work. Shorten the leader in wind to reduce swing. Lengthen on calm nights to add glide.

1. Main line → sliding egg or no-roll sinker → bead → barrel swivel.
2. Leader 18–30 in of heavy mono → circle hook.

Santee-Cooper Rig (Peg Float)

The peg float lifts bait 2–6 inches and keeps hooks clean over shell, sparse grass, or light debris. It also adds a slow rise on the pull, which helps fish locate the bait by sound and motion.

1. Main line → sliding sinker → bead → swivel.
2. Leader 24–36 in → peg float 1–3 in above hook → circle hook.

Three-Way Rig (Breakaway Dropper)

Run a three-way in current, rock, or timber. Tie the weight dropper with lighter mono so a snag only costs the sinker. Add a small peg float near the hook to ride just above rock.

1. Main line to top eye of three-way.
2. Lighter dropper 10–20 in to weight on bottom eye.
3. Leader 24–48 in to hook on side eye.

Slip Float Rig (Shallow Night Bite)

Use a slip float over riprap, weeds, and timber in 1–5 feet. Set the stop so the bait rides just above cover. Nudge the float a foot at a time and watch for a slow tilt or sideways slide.

1. Main line → stop knot → bead → slip float → inline weight → swivel → 24–36 in leader → hook.

Fresh bait wins. Trim pieces to expose the hook point and keep scent flowing. Rotate heads, mids, and fillet strips until one profile draws consistent loads. Keep bait on ice to hold firmness and speed re-baiting.

• Blues: Shad or skipjack—heads for thump, mids for blood, fillets for glide.
• Channels: Cut shad, cut drum, or nightcrawlers. Punch or dip baits shine in moving water.
• Flatheads: Live shad or legal sunfish placed beside wood; large crawfish as a backup.

Refresh bait every 15–30 minutes. Old pieces lose edge and mask light bites with dead weight.

Keep the deck quiet and the plan simple. Anchor upwind or up-current of the target lane by 30–60 yards. Use a rear line if you need to lock bow direction. Stagger rod distances to cover the shallow lip, the first break, and the outside edge. Run dim deck lighting and a legal anchor light. Use red headlamp mode for rigging so you do not flood the water with white light.

• Spread: Three to six rods if legal. Mix bait types and distances.
• Angles: Fan casts to sweep parallel lanes without crossing.
• Control: Re-set when wind shifts or the bite fades for 45 minutes.

Pick safe footing and clear a landing path. Drive bank spikes deep and point rod tips at cast lanes. Stagger distances to test shallow, break, and deeper water. Keep light off the water. Walk 20–40 yards to fresh ground if a sit goes quiet. Learn more about Bank Fishing For Catfish!

• Rod holders: Set firm and aligned with cast angles.
• Line watch: Bright line makes angles easy to read in a dim headlamp.
• Net plan: Keep the net staged at the waterline with the bag open.

Most night takes start as a slow load or a steady walk. With circle hooks, do not snap set. Let the rod load, reel to weight, and lift. If you see short taps without commitment, shorten the leader or add weight to stop swing and help the hook find the corner.

• Slow bend: Pick up, reel until tight, then lift to set.
• Hard run: Leave the rod in the holder until it buries, then apply steady pressure.
• Short taps: Increase sinker by 1/2–1 oz or shorten leader to 12–18 in.

Wind creates surface current on lakes and decides which bank holds food. Fish the upwind side and cast at a 30–45° angle so the line settles into a natural lane. In rivers, target seams and eddies off the main push. Set rigs on the soft side of the break and keep slight tension so you read loads, not just slack.

• Lakes: Upwind banks, points, and the first break.
• Rivers: Seams, inside lips, and slack pockets near fast water.

Most misses come from too much light, stale bait, or long sits on dead water. Run red light for close work and avoid shining beams across the water. Refresh bait often. If marks or bites do not show, move rather than hope.

• Over-lighting: Keep lights dim and directed away from the water.
• Old bait: Replace on a timer to keep scent strong.
• Slack lines: Hold light tension for clean loads and fewer snags.
• No plan B: Always have a second lane ready if the first dies.

Blues on Wind-Blown Flats (Boat)

Anchor upwind of a 6–15 ft flat near a channel edge. Run four Santee rigs with shad heads and mids at staggered distances. Refresh baits every 20–30 minutes. If wind shifts, reset on the new push.

1. Anchor 30–60 yards upwind of the target lane.
2. Fan cast Santee rigs to shallow, break, and outside lanes.
3. Reset after 45 minutes without clear signs.

Channels on Riprap (Bank or Boat)

At dusk, set one Carolina rig on bottom and two slip floats at 1–3 ft along the stones. Use cut shad on bottom and worms or punch bait under floats. Walk in short steps until a lane lights up, then camp that stretch.

1. Work 50–100 yards of riprap in 20–30 yard moves.
2. Refresh bait each move and after each fish.
3. Slide to the first break before dawn.

Flatheads on Wood (Boat or Bank)

Pick outside bends with timber in 6–12 ft. Place live bait on three-way rigs two to five feet off the cover. Give each tree 30–45 minutes. Move if the rod does not load.

1. Set three live baits at different depths beside the wood.
2. Keep hooks clear and drags smooth.
3. Rotate to the next tree if silent.

Night reduces visibility. Wear a PFD when under power and on steep banks. Keep the deck clear. Use a legal anchor light. Support big fish at the jaw and belly. Release trophies in good shape and follow local rules on baits, lights, and access hours.

• PFD, throw rope, first-aid kit, spare batteries.
• Clean deck and a clear path to the net.
• Bright anchor light and red headlamp mode for rigging.

Night fishing for catfish is a simple, repeatable system. Choose wind or flow lanes, set fresh baits on clean rigs, keep light low, and move when the lane goes quiet. Match depths to the three main windows—dusk, midnight, and pre-dawn—and expose hook points on every bait. Do this and your dark hours will produce steady takes and heavy fish.