Here’s the secret the old-timers won’t shout from the boat: catfish are basically the vampires of the freshwater world. They hate bright, direct sunlight like you hate running out of bait. Their eyes are built for the dark, so they get really active when the sun ducks behind a tree.
Think about it—they spend the bright part of the day hiding in deep holes, under logs, or hugging the shade of a dock. But the moment that sun starts to drop? It’s party time for whiskers. They slide out of their hiding spots and start cruising the shallows for a midnight snack.
So, your absolute best bets are dawn and dusk. That’s right, the crack of stupid early or the golden hour right before dark. I know, I know, early mornings are the worst, but those are the prime hours when a 20-pounder decides your stink bait looks amazing.
