Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

Before you can catch the fish . . . what? You have to find them? You have to have the right gear? You have to have the right terminal tackle and baits?

Arguably, your answer should be "all of the above" -- and this story will offer a look at everything you'll need when preparing for a catfish trip on your home waters this month.

Depending on the kind of water you prefer to fish, finding cats can vary from downright easy to pretty doggone tough. The kind of water also might require slightly different kinds of gear. Your terminal tackle might vary based on the size of the water, and/or whether it's still -- a pond, lake, reservoir or riverbank eddy, for instance -- or moving.

In other words, there's more to this story than might first meet the eye. As you read on, keep in mind those places that you enjoy the most for catching catfish, and those new places that you've targeted for a tryout this month. Something here will apply to every fishin' hole on your list, be it a tried-and-true whiskerfish honeyhole or a brand new spot you just can't wait to visit.

Catfish often are thought of as opportunistic bottom-feeders -- primarily because they are. But they can be more predatory than some anglers realize. If you plan to fish moving water (streams and rivers, regardless of size), your approach should be to look for areas where deeper holes meet flats, bars or shallower riffles, because at this time of year, cats will move from one area of water to another. That idea is most valid from dusk to dawn. It's a reason that night-fishing at this time of year is among the most popular approaches to catching cats.

Catfish typically stay deep during the brightest, hottest part of the day. Then, as the sun begins to set, they get much more active. The same applies at larger impoundments with the topography to offer contour changes with some structure.

As the day ends and water temperatures cool slightly during the evening and overnight hours, catfish leave their deeper haunts and prowl for food. And that's when they become most vulnerable to anglers. If you plan to fish a river or stream, or a lake large enough to offer diverse underwater topography, keep the following in mind as you identify the areas you plan to fish.

With flowing water, look for spots where riffles dump into deeper pools, especially those on channel bends and swings. Those spots are great bets, because plenty of underwater structure is often in those deepwater bends. Periods of high water and stiff currents associated with decent or heavy rainfall often wash debris into the depths, and it'll pile up on the channel bends. Catfish call places like that home; it's in these kinds of spots that they find available cover.

The larger the lake, the more likely you'll also find this kind of setup. Lakes as small as 5 acres can offer some depth change, and you might even find some underwater brushpiles. (Or you might plant some yourself, if you're allowed to do so.) As you go up in size and get into larger impoundments and reservoirs, the underwater world grows much more diverse.

If a topographic map of the lake you intend to fish is available, by all means get one and study it. If it's so small that no map exists, and if you have access to a boat, it will pay you to spend some time "mapping" the lake yourself using your craft's onboard depthfinder. Look for depth breaks, main underwater channels, and areas where those channels meet flats and shallow bays. These are wonderful places to catch cats.

Only the smallest of farm ponds and other potholes will fail to reward this kind of study. When you're only dealing with a few acres of water at most, you won't have any trouble putting a bait just about anywhere you want even if you're fishing from the bank. But more about the best approach to fishing ponds later -- for now, let's stick with the larger lakes/ reservoirs, and with river/stream fishing.

To break down specific approaches to fishing the best spots, let's look at approaches to each from the shore, and then from a boat. One of the best things about catfishing is that you absolutely don't need a boat to catch big fish and/or lots of fish. You just have to think about where you're planning to set up along the bank.

On smaller rivers and streams, it's hard to beat finding a spot along the bank on the inside edge of a channel swing. Wherever possible, I like to set up to use two rods -- and you should too, for several reasons. You'll want to fish one of them in the shallow water slightly upstream from the head of the hole, and then the second in the deeper water. The approach for me will be bottom-fishing live or prepared bait.