Keith Lusher 06.18.26
Welcome to Bank Fishing Blueprint, the weekly All Outdoors series focused on helping anglers find and catch more fish from the bank. Last week we talked about interstate ponds, and how those overlooked bodies of water that construction crews left behind are golden for low-cut bass. If you missed reading that, it might be worth reading again before your next road trip. This week, we’re talking about one of my favorite windows of the entire fishing calendar for bank fishermen: the catfish spawn.
More Fishing on AO:
- Bank Fishing Blueprint #009: Fishing Interstate Pond
- Bank Fishing Blueprint #008: Weightless Finesse Worms for Small Ponds
- Bank Fishing Blueprint #007: Fishing Drains After Heavy Rain
- Bank Fishing Blueprint #006: Bank Fishing the Shad Spawn
- Bank Fishing Blueprint #005: Using Google Earth History to Find Old Ponds
Welcome to ‘Bank Fishing Blueprint’, our recurring series dedicated to fishermen fishing from the bank. Whether you’re aiming to fish a pond or river for catfish, this series is built on real experiences, practical tactics, and lessons learned over countless hours with boots on the ground. Bank fishing is not a compromise – it is a legitimate approach that requires its own skill set, strategy and problem-solving. Through this series, we’ll cover everything from reading water to accessing hard-to-reach places to bank exit selection and dealing with seasonal patterns. Hopefully you’ll adopt a strategy that puts more pressure on your stringers, and we’ll learn from your experiences as well when you share your knowledge and feedback in the comments. Bank anglers are some of the most resourceful fishermen out there, and we’re excited to share what works and what doesn’t.
Bank fishing catfish spawn in June
For most of the year, large catfish live in the middle of lakes and ponds where shore fishermen cannot easily reach them. This all changes in late May and June. When the eggs hatch, the same fish move shallower and head straight to the shore to make nests. The fishes which were once untouchable are suddenly in front of you.
If you ask me, this is the best time of year to target catfish from the bank, and I deviate from my normal bass fishing every year to take advantage of it.
What rig to use when catching bank catfish spawn
My favorite setup for catfish spawn is a Carolina rig. Slide a half-ounce to two-ounce bell sinker onto your main line, tie it on a swivel large enough to stop, then add an 18 to 36-inch leader and a hook. That’s a complete rig. The main line slides freely through the sinker, so when a cat picks up the bait it can move forward without feeling the weight, giving you time to grab it tight before the hook is spat out.
Don’t think too much about it though. I caught a catfish on a piece of hot dog. What really matters is that your bait hits the bottom and stays there.
Live nightcrawlers are hard to beat when holding bank catfish eggs
People use all types of bait for catfish, and most of them will come in handy at some point. But when I go out during the spawn, I come across live nightcrawlers. In my opinion they are the best catfish bait money can buy. The natural smell and movement of live worms is hard for catfish to ignore, and you can pick them up at any bait store or gas station near the water.
The way I slice the worm also matters. I don’t thread it just once and call it done. I hook the worm at several points so that it is held in a ball on the hook rather than hanging loose. There are two reasons for this. First, it keeps the worm from slipping off the hook before the fish has fully committed. Second, a loosely cast worm has a tendency to fly completely off the hook when it hits the water on a sinker cast. Adding it in multiple places solves both problems.
Casting Distance When Catching Bank Catfish Spawn
You don’t need to drop a bomb in the middle of the lake. These fish have moved up and they are already shallow. During the spawn, I’m probably making 30 foot casts. Sometimes even less.
On my most recent trip I made a point of not putting too much force into my cast. I was throwing straight out of the bank with little effort. Casting too far would send my bait past where the fish were. This is a mistake I see bank fishermen make all the time during spawning, throwing out of habit when the fish have already come to them. If you want to maximize your chances, set up two rods and spread them out at slightly different angles along the edge. I usually do this, but on this particular trip I was feeling lazy and only brought one. Still, in about two hours I had seven nice blue cats, enough to take home, clean the fish, and stuff in a zip-lock bag. A second stick would probably double it. I make many trips in June for this very reason: filling the freezer. A few good mornings during the spawn can keep you in catfish for the rest of the year.
In Conclusion: Bank Fishing in the Catfish Spawn
As we wrap up this installment of the Bank Fishing Blueprint, my hope is that this series will give you practical ideas that you can apply the next time you hit the shoreline. Bank fishing is all about making the most of what is available and paying attention to the little details. It also means learning how fish use water which most people overlook. Over time, those observations begin to add up, and the results speak for themselves.
In conclusion, I hope this Bank Fishing Blueprint article has given you actionable strategies you can use on your next trip to the water. This series exists to help bank fishermen fish smarter, not harder, and to prove that you don’t need a boat to be a good fisherman. Every technology, every location, every species requires problem-solving from the bank, and that’s what makes it profitable. So, I put it before you! What bank fishing topic do you want to cover next? What waters are you fishing and what challenges are you facing? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Your feedback and experiences make this series better.
