Catfish Tournament With Kids

We entered the annual Catfish Tournament and ended up in 2nd place. While the event was fun, the true fulfillment came from taking our kids fishing and enjoying a night on the lake.

When we headed in for the 2:00 AM weigh-in, we were both excited about our catch and tired from a long night of pulling in giant catfish. Our reward didn’t come without a lot of preparation and work.

We spent the afternoon scouting the lake, positioning chum in key areas around the lake. When dusk came and we headed out, we added more chum to cause a frenzy. We even crafted a chum boat attachment that would leave a constant trail of attractant as we traveled around the lake.

Our work paid off – it wasn’t long before we were all pulling in nice sized catfish. The bait of choice was chicken livers. Not the cleanest bait so be sure to protect your boat when rigging your hooks. The chicken liver proved another good decision. When we finally weighed in, we had over 22 lbs. and a commanding 2nd place.

Although this was a community tournament, meant more for summertime, family fun and bragging rights, we proved that experience pays off and the entire day turned into an experience our kids will never forget.

You don’t need a whole lot of complicated, expensive gear or tackle to take the family fishing for catfish. Below are some products to get started fishing for catfish.

Check out the videos below for the full story, tips and techniques to catch catfish and teach your kids how to fish. We even show you how to filet your catch for a tasty fish fry. The Fishing Mechanics Catfish Tournament videos will teach you everything you need to know to catch catfish at your local lake.