I just started fishing this summer, and everything I've caught has been on a worm and slip bobber, fishing around the banks of a few local ponds. At first I caught a bunch of little sunfish, then I started catching some channel catfish, and even a decent sized largemouth bass.

I traded my $15 Academy combo for something a little nicer this week, but I'm still fishing with the $10 Eagle Claw tackle kit. On days I'd like to specifically try for catfish, what sort of tackle should I pick up? Types and sizes of hooks, any particular bobbers or leaders, anything like that? I just want to put together a small, simple box of catfishing gear to leave in my backpack.

Welcome to the TFF.

Where do you live? Most old guys on here would be glad to show you what you need, maybe even share some of their tackle that they don use much.

What kind of bait do you plan to use?

IF using worms and or cut bait - shad or sunfish, get some circle hooks. 3/0 - 6/0 for the 1-5 pound eater fish you are talking about in the title. You will have to learn how to fish them, as you dont "set the hook" the same as normal hooks. More let the fish take off, and just tighten up the line good and a little bit of rod. Dont want to jerk these out of their mouths. The way a circle hook is designed to work, is it catches on the corner of the mouth and or lip.

IF you want to use punch bait or dough bait, etc. then some small treble hooks - #4-#6 size work well. This is more of the traditional jerk the rod, to set the hook type of fishing.

The slip bobber rigs work well, especially with the punch/dough bait. If bottom fishing, make sure you have a weight that will let the line slide some, and keep it up just off the bottom. Google "Sante Cooper rigs". Just one way to do it.

Good luck!

Ken

We use a Santee Cooper rig with 5/0 circle hook. Live shad or cut shad for bait. The small sunfish you catch would make great bait

Quite frankly you could use crappie gear.

I use medium light spinning rods with 20 lb braid #4 treble hooks and Stubby’s Cheesebait. Usually catch a few. Welcome toTFF

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I need to swing by and return something at Academy this afternoon. I'll pick up some hooks, small peg floats and punch bait.

To this point, I've only been fishing with live worms and a slip bobber, about 4-6' below the surface.

I've got an old Zebco 808 spincast reel on a medium light 7' rod, and I recently picked up another Zebco 606 reel for another rod I had lying around.
Both come spooled with 20# line and will handle anything that swims in a pond, river, or lake, and what is great is they won't break the bank.
Get some shrimp, cut shad or bluegill, or a prepared bait and get after them!

I've tried the Santee Cooper rig with a circle hook a couple of times, but had no luck. I'm either getting no bites, or I can't feel them. And I've lost a couple of rigs by getting stuck on the bottom somehow.

If I'm understanding correctly, I throw it out and let it drift on the bottom, then set the hook if I feel something take the bait? No more active than that?

If I can get out early in the morning, I think I'll try a slip bobber and some punch bait.

That is the choice of a lot of guides from Texas to Tennessee. Maybe a different bait, but the same set up.

I did buy some #4 treble hooks and punch bait, so ill try that with a slip bobber the next time i get out...

Right now, if I'm taking someone that wants to catch channel cats, I'm chumming 3-4 areas and going back to the first one and fishing. Averaging 30-60 fish each time. 100+ on a good day. 1-5lbs. Medium action spinning rod, 15lb mono, #6-#4 treble hook, split shot, cigar float. Sure Shot punch bait. I just use the cheap H2o rods from academy for this.

If you are using circle hooks with your slip bobber setup and missing fish, try buying some Octopus hooks instead.
They work really well if you tend to "set the hook" which is a no-no with the circle hook.
The Octopus hook is similar to a circle hook, but the difference is the hook point doesn't curl back inside toward the shank, but instead points to the eye of the hook......When you see the bobber go under set the hook, and you won't miss very many fish!