Freshwater lure fishing from a Lake / Pond / Reservoir
Amur Catfish: Retrieve parallel to banks and inflows, changing depth and speed if there is no response. Follow local invasive-fish handling rules.
Waters: Rivers & lakes
Fish
Amur Catfish ナマズ
Silurus asotus ・ ナマズ科
Catch season
- Catchable
- Peak
Months for Amur Catfish are a broad Japan-wide guide and shift with region, temperature and conditions; prefer local reports and rules.
About
A big-mouthed, scaleless fish sheathed in slime, growing past 70 cm. Adults carry four barbels, one pair on each jaw; fry start with six and lose a pair as they grow. It hunts small fish and frogs by night in slow lowland rivers and ponds. Japanese folklore has long credited it with sensing earthquakes before they strike.
Basics
- Scientific name
- Silurus asotus
- Family
- ナマズ科
- Japanese name
- ナマズ
- Kana
- なまず
- Waters
- Rivers & lakes
- Size
- 39 cm (max 70 cm)
- Time of day
- Dawn, Dusk, Night
- Depth (tana)
- Around bank cover and through mid-water, changing depth with season and temperature.
How to catch it
A night feeder, taken on topwater lures retrieved slowly across rivers and irrigation canals. It pushes into the shallows to spawn from late April through June.
Kit for this fish
Freshwater lure starter kit ・ Kit total ¥17,000–50,000
- 6.6 ft ML freshwater lure rodVersatile spinning rod for bass and medium or small trout. ¥6,000–22,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Spinning reel, size 2500The most versatile size for pier fishing: one reel covers sabiki, float fishing and eging. ¥4,000–15,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- 8 lb fluorocarbon lineGeneral freshwater lure line; adjust strength for cover. ¥800–2,400AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Freshwater minnow and soft lureFish- or crustacean-shaped lures; check water-specific tackle restrictions. ¥600–2,500AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Fishing pliers / hook removerEssential protection from venomous spines and sharp teeth. Most injuries happen when someone unhooks a fish bare-handed. ¥800–4,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Cap and polarised sunglassesAlso safety equipment, protecting your eyes from a flying rig. Polarised lenses additionally let you read the bottom. ¥2,000–20,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Life jacket, adult (Japan Craft Inspection approved)The first thing to buy, and worn on piers, rocks and boats alike. Boat fishing requires the government-approved type marked with the cherry-blossom stamp. ¥5,000–20,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
First check the permit, lure and hook rules, and handling requirements for invasive fish.
Product links may be affiliate links. Prices move, so treat the ranges as a guide.
Handle with care
This fish is dangerous to handle bare-handed.
Sharp spines
Hard fin spines can puncture skin; do not grip the fish in a bare hand. Reliable primary evidence of venom was not confirmed, so this guide does not label the spines venomous.
Dangerous fish and animals — what to do when you are stung or bitten
Eating
Food use varies locally. Check harvest rules and water quality, avoid raw consumption and cook thoroughly.
Rules
Inland rules are water-specific. Check the fishery cooperative and prefecture for day or annual permits, closed seasons, minimum sizes, tackle, harvest and release rules.
Closed seasons and size limits — how to find the numbers, which differ by prefecture
Other fish taken the same way
Other fish from the same kind of place
Seasons and rules vary by place and time. Check current local information before fishing.