Summer is quickly coming to a close, and outdoor pursuits will soon focus on hunting, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some big fish still to be caught. Let’s look at where and how you can end the summer on a bang with big catfish on your line.

What you will be fishing for.

Although the southern states receive the most attention when it comes to catfishing, Pennsylvania still offers a wide variety of opportunities and the possibility of catching some big fish. Here is what you can expect to see:

• Channel catfish are found throughout the state and are even stocked in some waters to increase opportunities.

• Bullheads are the species most familiar to anglers, with four species found in Pennsylvania, including the white, brown, and yellow, which are the most abundant. Bullheads can be found in most rivers, lakes, ponds, and small creeks.

• Flathead catfish are naturally occurring in the Ohio River basin; however, they have spread to numerous waters across the state. Outside the Ohio River basin, they are considered invasive and can have a negative impact on local waterways. As the largest Pa catfish species and a ferocious predator, the flathead offers the chance to catch a large, hard-fighting species.

Where to go

When deciding where to fish for catfish, the first question is what species do you want to target?

Channel cats are widely distributed in lakes, reservoirs, and slow-moving sections of rivers. The PA Fish and Boat Commission stocks channel catfish in many of its managed lakes specifically to provide more fishing opportunities. Although the state record is a hefty 35 pounds, 3 ounces, the average fish is closer to 5-10 pounds, depending on the location and food source.

Bullheads are the most abundant species of catfish and inhabit lakes, farm ponds, and slow-moving waters from border to border–target areas with muddy bottoms and plenty of vegetation or debris nearby.

As the smallest of the species, the average bullhead will be in the 12-15 inch range.

For the biggest challenge, target flathead catfish. As stated earlier, this species is native only to the Ohio River basin but has spread to numerous waters outside its original range. You can now expect to find large flatheads in the Allegheny, Susquehanna, Juanita, Schuylkill, and Delaware rivers, as well as several lakes and reservoirs.

The average weight is approximately 30 pounds, however, the state record, which is 66 pounds 6 ounces, was taken in the lower Susquehanna River.

The perfect bait

Catching catfish is all about the bait. Except for the flatheads, catfish are primarily scavengers and, because they live in muddy, murky conditions, often hunt by smell. This leads to some interesting bait combinations.

While many anglers opt for nightcrawlers, chicken livers or cut bait, others are more creative. Hot dogs are a favorite bait, along with boiled shrimp or chunked chicken breasts. Some people will add cherry or grape Kool-Aid to these baits and swear by the results, most likely due to the increased scent.

Of course, there are also prepackaged stink baits available as well.

When targeting flatheads, the choice of baits shifts a bit.

While flathead catfish will take stink baits or cut baits like any other species, they are aggressive predators and prefer live bait. For this reason, the baits of choice are live bluegills, shad, suckers, and even small bullheads.