← Back to the blog

Teaching

What It's Like Teaching Someone to Catch Their First Big Catfish

This past weekend I spent three days on the river teaching followers — different people, different skill levels, all wanting the same thing: their first real, big catfish.

Watching it come together for them taught me as much about teaching as it did about fishing.

How I Know Something's Wrong Before They Do

I can usually tell someone's about to lose a fish, or never get a bite at all, before it even happens — just from watching their setup. The way they've put the bait on, how they've cut it, the hook size, the weight size. Nine times out of ten, the mistake is sitting right there before the line even goes in the water.

What I Tell Them the Moment It Bites

Keep the line medium-loose while reeling. When the catfish comes in close, take the rod downward toward the water while you reel — hold the spool, pick up the rod, reel down. If the catfish wants to take line, let it take line, but always keep pressure on. And stay calm — it's easy to get overexcited the second that rod bends.

The Mistake I See Over and Over

Beginners strike too soft. They treat a catfish like it's a carp — soft strike, gentle reel, playing it delicately — and that's exactly how people lose fish. A catfish isn't a carp. You can, and should, bring it in with force. Give it line when it wants to run, sure, but the rest of the time you're working it hard, not coddling it.

Why I Keep Doing This

Watching someone land a fish they never thought they'd catch is pure joy for me.

Every one of these was someone I helped set up, coached through the fight, and watched land the fish themselves. That's the whole reason I do this.