It is important for anglers and farmers to know the type of food catfish in their region like eating. With this information, anglers can land more catfish every time they go fishing. The information revealing what catfish like to eat will help anglers make better decisions regarding the choice of lures and bait for catfish.
What do Catfish Like to Eat?
Farmers can feed their catfish more effectively to help the fish grow bigger. This is the aim of every fish farmer because bigger fish means more commercial value in the market.
However, this post is dedicated to examining the food catfish like to eat. They are many, catfish can eat a lot of things, with variances in its feeding preferences changing throughout its like from the time the catfish is hatched to an adult stage.
Over time we have identified some of the catfish preferences regarding food, they are as follows;
Food for smaller catfish
While hiding from bigger fish and other aquatic animals that can be a threat, smaller catfish feed on things such as algae, small insects, larvae, and many other things we may have not yet discovered.
However, on a farm, the smaller catfish rely on special feeds provided by the farmer. The smaller fish are kept in different ponds away from the much larger catfish to enable them to feed and grow well.
Here are some of the foods the adult catfish will enjoy eating;
Smaller fish
Full grown catfish will not hesitate to eat smaller fish species such as the minnows, sardines and other similar species. The adult catfish are known to migrate to areas where these smaller fish live to have access to more food anytime.
Aquatic plants
Catfish are also known to feed on different types of aquatic plants found in the depths of the river. It is, however, known that this choice of food is most likely an option when other foods are scarce or during the cold season.
Shads
Catfish love shads; this is why they are one of the most popular choices as live bait for catfish. Shads are species of freshwater game fish. They are known to multiply very quickly, where there is a school of shads; you are likely to find adult catfish lurking nearby in the hope of a meal.
As bait for catfish, shads are cut up into smaller pieces and attached to a hook. The pieces give off a strong scent when it is set in the water; this attracts the catfish to take a bite.
Snails and Molluscs
In their natural habitat, catfish can also feast on snails, and mollusks found underwater.
The number of things catfish can eat in their habitat are many; this is an advantage that has helped the fish species thrive in different conditions. Catfish are known to be invasive; they can be introduced in a new area of the river and soon take over the waters even when there were other fish species living in the river before the catfish came.
The large appetite of the catfish is also an advantage for anglers who can try different lures and still land many catfish.
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