For channel catfish, blue catfish, and the bullhead species, I like to offer a big, hearty, temping chunk of cut bait. This is the best time to fish for spring flatheads. Cut-bait will also work on early spring flathead catfish. Which water temperature is best depends a little on what kind of catfish you are talking about. Blue cats tend to prefer cooler water, while channel cats and bullheads like it warmer. Catfish can be caught all over the United States, so it depends a little on the specific location. Catching cats in a cool stream in Oregon will be different from angling in Mississippi. They will strike baits and lures to protect the beds. The number of bites on your lures will be significantly different.  If after 20 minutes you have not gotten a bite, move off to another location. Keep track of water temps on your area waters and when the surface temps reach the 50’s the catfish begins to feed-up for the upcoming spawn. On windy days, for example, oxygenated surface areas may attract species to areas above their optimum. Catfish never become inactive when it comes to water temperature. Know the favored water temps of your favorite species and you'll catch more of them! When water temperatures dip below 50 degrees, the fish slow down and become less aggressive hunting for food. The channel cat bite is amazing also through the next several months. "As the water starts to cool again in the fall, forage fish such as shad move shallow, so the bass follow. While you can still catch plenty of catfish at night, the morning and evening bite is usually very good in the fall. There’s a sign that fall is approaching which provides some amazing flathead and blue catfish action. You may observe that fishing in cold water is different when compared to your experience in rivers or lakes with warmer water. Expect a variation a few degrees one way or the other. Given that water temperature plays such a significant role in the behavior of game fish, it therefore pays to have some means of directly measuring it. Catfish hold in deeper areas around the hump during bright sunny days, but at night and on cloudy days, they move into shallower reaches to feed. Bob Stearns' Ultimate Guide to Fish Temperature Preferences. A catfish in these water temperatures can go days without eating. Oxygen content and water temperature go hand in hand; just like a reel goes with your fishing rod Fish are cold blooded and take on the temperature of their surroundings. Remember, the air temperature doesn't have any effect on bass. Catching slab crappies may be a challenge during some parts of the year but not in spring, when rising water temperatures put them in specific locations. Bob Stearns' Guide to Fish Temperature Preferences. Demonstrating the shallow water Flathead bite during spawn. Fishing for blue catfish is limited to large reservoirs and rivers and a few small lakes. If the water temperature is 56 to 60 degrees, the cats will eat about every other day and when it is over 66 degrees, catfish …