The Catfish Compass is a reference site for catfish anglers — rigs, bait, gear and technique, explained clearly enough to actually use on the bank.
Why I fish
Three reasons, in roughly this order. To put food on the table — I keep channel cats and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. To teach my sons, which has done more for my own fishing than anything else, because you find out fast which parts of what you know you can actually explain. And now and then, to go looking for a bigger fish than I’ve caught before.
I fish from the bank, on lakes and reservoirs. I don’t have a boat. I don’t net my own shad and I don’t catch bluegill for flathead bait — I may get to both eventually, but I’m not doing it now, and I’d rather tell you that than write as though everyone has a cast net and a livewell.
That’s the perspective this site is written from. Where I’m relying on research, published data or a state agency rather than my own experience, I say so and I link it. Where something is a preference rather than a fact, I say that too.
What this site is for
The goal here is narrower and more useful than “catfishing tips.” Explain how a thing actually works, in enough detail that you can go do it.
In practice that means:
- Specifics where specifics matter. Leader lengths, hook sizes, sinker weights, drift speeds. “Use a medium leader” helps nobody.
- Diagrams built to be accurate, not stock photos of a fish. If a rig has six components in a particular order, you should be able to see the order.
- Saying when something is a judgment call rather than dressing up a preference as a rule. A lot of fishing advice is really just one angler’s habit.
- Explaining the why. Knowing that a slip sinker lets a fish move without feeling weight tells you when to reach for it and when not to. A list of steps doesn’t.
What I claim, and what I don’t
This is the part most sites in this space quietly skip, so I’d rather put it up front.
Where I’ve fished a technique myself, I’ll say so. Where I’m pulling together what experienced catfish anglers, guides and manufacturers consistently report, I’ll say that instead. Those are different things and you deserve to know which one you’re reading.
I don’t publish hands-on gear reviews for products I haven’t used. If there’s a gear recommendation here, it’s built from specifications, from what the catfishing community reliably reports, and from what fits the situation being described — and it will say so plainly. Fabricated “I tested this for six months” reviews are endemic in outdoor affiliate content, and I’m not adding to the pile.
The tradeoff is that you’ll find fewer breathless product verdicts here than on the sites that make them up. I think that’s a good trade.
Corrections
If something on this site is wrong, tell me and I will fix it. Fishing knowledge is regional and conditions-dependent, and someone who fishes a particular river every weekend knows things I don’t. Corrections are welcome and they get made.
Use the contact page — I read everything that comes through.
How the site is paid for
Some links on this site are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no additional cost to you. That funding never determines what gets recommended. The full explanation is on the affiliate disclosure page.
Where to start
If you’re new to catfishing, the rigging guide is the foundation everything else builds on. If you’ve been at it a while, the gear and technique sections are where the detail lives.
Good Luck!