How to Fish Bridge Pilings for Catfish

Catfish are a popular sport fish for anglers across much of the United States. Blue, channel and flathead catfish are all important species, and they are considered an excellent fish for culinary purposes when taken from clean, unpolluted water. In any given area, veteran anglers have their own jealously guarded "hot spots," but bridge pilings can be a consistently good place to find catfish.

  1. Understanding Pilings and Catfish

    • Many popular game fish are attracted to areas that provide a degree of cover, and catfish are no exception. Especially during hot weather, the bridge and its pilings provide a degree of shade to moderate the water temperature. They also generate eddies in the water, which sweep small crustaceans and bait fish directly toward waiting predators. This combination of available shelter and steady food supply appeals to catfish, with the result that bridge pilings are a consistently productive place for anglers to work.

    Selecting Your Spot

    • Catfish favor areas with a strong current, where their size and powerful swimming ability give them an advantage over their smaller prey. When you consider a bridge's potential, begin with the areas of strongest current and then work your way to the areas of lesser flow. Deep water is also an advantage, and usually catfish are found at the middle depths. They also are found in shallower water if that is all that is available.

    Working the Pilings

    • Most anglers anchor downstream from bridge pilings and cast upstream to put their bait under the bridge. The natural flow of the water brings the bait downstream and into the turbulent water past the pilings, where the eddies sweep the bait past any waiting catfish. Adjusting the amount of weight on your leader may be necessary in order to get the bait to the correct depth before it is past the fish. Once you've landed your first catfish, continue to fish at that depth until the piling stops producing. Then move to the next one.

    Working Upstream

    • Depending on circumstances, you might at times choose to fish upstream from the piles. This means you'll retrieve your bait against the current and land your fish against the current, and so it's wise to use heavier tackle. Sometimes the downstream side of a bridge is unusable because of physical hazards or other constraints, making it necessary to fish from the bridge's upstream side. If a bridge is high enough to provide suitable clearance, you can anchor underneath it to escape sunlight or inclement weather.