The San Joaquin River has both species, with the biggest being the Channel Catfish up to 30 pounds. Depending on the flow of the river we mainly fish at night, with fresh cut bait. We will move from spot to spot while anchoring. Catfishing is a great sport and a great species to catch, especially on heavy bass tackle. While it is true catfish generally taste good, those over 6 pounds do not. In addition, the ones over 6 pounds are mostly female and can live for up to 25 years. They can be over harvested very easily. We have caught the same fish several times. During warm water times of year, you can even swim with the same ones over and over. Swimming is also a good way to know the population of all fish in the river. Because catfish normally feed in low light conditions, we usually fish at night for either 4 to 5 hours or 8 to 9 hours. Any time of night is a good time. Running and fishing the river at night is good because of all the different sights and sounds you experience.