I need some tips on catching the bigger cats. I just seem to get many in the 8 pound max size limit. I know there are big fish around. I was an idiot and learned (and lost a fish b/c of it) that snap swivles couldn't hold up to these brutes.
This year I want to quit messing with the smaller guys and go after some big'uns. I usually fish a dip bait, shrimp, fresh shad, worms, or live bluegill/creek chub-(3 and 5 inches respectively). I've found dip bait and shrimp will catch channels to 24", and white cats and mud cats and turtles. the shad gets channels and flatheads(an ocassional blue) to 8 pounds or so. Worms will get the channels and smaller blues. My bluegills and creek chubs are the least productive (WTF?) but can get bigger fish. thing is that usually my dip bait and worms outfish shad, cut shad, and live bait. I usu use shrimp for convenience-usu channels and white catfish.
So now I want to move up a weight class and need some tips. I have a kayak and fishfinder and topo maps of the lakes I want to fish. I figure it is time to start messing with some 25 lb and up wiskered dumbells.
I would try finding a new fishing spot or two. The spots your fishing apparently hold smaller fish.
Try fishing at night.
Maybe "chum" an area prior to fishing it if its legal.
A few years back I read a story where this guy had a secret catfish bait that involved old cheese and hog brains that was fermented for several weeks in a barrel. Apparently if one could get over the smell it was by far the best bait.
The problem with fishing bait is that your going to catch alot of small fish so I would think a large bluegill would be better bait.
I ran into a guy that was snorkeling the river by my house and he said most of the catfish he saw were hiding in brush or log jams under trees.
I would find some of the deep holes in the lake and if possible do some chumming several times during the week a few days before fishing the area..There is nothing wrong with having them called up and waiting for you when you get there.
By chumming I mean a block of frozen blood bait or liver. Anything that will call them and then let them eat means the next day they will try the same spot again.
Here's an old favorite of mine...large crawdads. The trick is to snap off one of the pinchers...don't ask me why...but it always seem to work better than not doing it.
Channels and Flatheads are predators once medium size is reached in their water. At this point they prefer live bait. The bigger they are the more wary they are.
To get the truly big fish Night time seems to be best around here. The trick is: NO LIGHT. Keep in mind you are hunting monsters and they are smart.
When I go after Flatheads at night, my goal is one solid hook up. Flats run 40-50lbs here in Ohio with the state record being 99lbs.
Getting big cats means forgetting about numbers. You have to spend large amounts of TOW to figure where these beasts hide and how/what the are feeding on.
If legal in your state, I have found no better gaint killer then Goldfish.
Kick back on the bank, enjoy the night with a good friend and conversation, next thing ya know ya have some monster cat on the line.
Please practice catch and release with the trophy.
Happy hunting!
Last edited by fitnessman; 03-11-2006 at 10:41 AM.
Channels and Flatheads are predators once medium size is reached in their water. At this point they prefer live bait. The bigger they are the more wary they are.
To get the truly big fish Night time seems to be best around here. The trick is: NO LIGHT. Keep in mind you are hunting monsters and they are smart.
When I go after Flatheads at night, my goal is one solid hook up. Flats run 40-50lbs here in Ohio with the state record being 99lbs.
Getting big cats means forgetting about numbers. You have to spend large amounts of TOW to figure where these beasts hide and how/what the are feeding on.
If legal in your state, I have found no better gaint killer then Goldfish.
Kick back on the bank, enjoy the night with a good friend and conversation, next thing ya know ya have some monster cat on the line.
Please practice catch and release with the trophy.
Happy hunting!
Aint no biguns where I live anyways, seems the river eats them up....
Life is what passes you by while you are too busy making a living.
What kind of goldfish, those ones that you get from Wal Mart for 7 cents a piece? or the bigger guys.
Also how deep of water are we talking. I was thinking about hitting up some underwater mounds that are 18 feet or so deep with surrounding water of 30 feet. Any particular structure to look for? I know of an area on the river that has lots of downed trees- I may try to check it out tomorrow.
Why the question marks? I fished this fricking place last year and got small cats roughly 6-10 inches only. It is weird cause i always catch some good fish.
Life is what passes you by while you are too busy making a living.
Why the question marks? I fished this fricking place last year and got small cats roughly 6-10 inches only. It is weird cause i always catch some good fish.
Bob the whole Ohio river around where I fish is poluted with monsters!
The Ohio river is a good fishery-I've seen write ups in mags. You must have gotten into some small bullheads if you only got 6-10" catfish. Even decent sized channels will take liver- I caught a 29" channel cat last year on fresh liver.
Bob the whole Ohio river around where I fish is poluted with monsters!
I am near the beaver river area where it connects into the ohio. I swear I fished the hell out of this place last year and caught very little.
Do you eat them out of the River?
Life is what passes you by while you are too busy making a living.
Channels and Flatheads are predators once medium size is reached in their water. At this point they prefer live bait. The bigger they are the more wary they are.
To get the truly big fish Night time seems to be best around here. The trick is: NO LIGHT. Keep in mind you are hunting monsters and they are smart.
When I go after Flatheads at night, my goal is one solid hook up. Flats run 40-50lbs here in Ohio with the state record being 99lbs.
Getting big cats means forgetting about numbers. You have to spend large amounts of TOW to figure where these beasts hide and how/what the are feeding on.
If legal in your state, I have found no better gaint killer then Goldfish.
Kick back on the bank, enjoy the night with a good friend and conversation, next thing ya know ya have some monster cat on the line.
Please practice catch and release with the trophy.
Happy hunting!
^^^
Now I don't Cat Fish a lot, but I've purposefully fished for Cats more than I have purposefully fished for Large Mouth Bass...
When they're smaller (Say Sub 8 pounds) Chicken Liver is the way to go. (Or at least it has been when I've tried it.) Use a good circle hook and you're in the money.
When you're going bigger you have to go live bait on a large circle hook... And for the love of God, use a bait caster with strong line... The large one's most of the time are the Apex Predator in their area... You have to treat it with the same respect you would any other Apex Predator, like a Musky, a Huge Pike or a 10+ pound Walleye...
And you're going to have to expend some real effort...
Two bait tricks...
Either, Buy large sucker minnows...
Or if you're an intrepid angler, go Bull head fishing earlier... Catch a couple of small bullhead, "Accidentally" wound it, Hook it and go...
***
And of course fish at night for the true monsters... After dark is the true hot time for large Cats... Trying to catch a large cat in the day time hours is like trying to win the friggin' lotto... It's all a matter of luck... Going at night at least you're giving your skills a fighting chance.
***
Or I suppose you could just go with the old rotary phone and Car Battery trick!
6'4"
258
Phil Robertson is my Tyler Durden
"The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there."
-Robert M. Pirsig
"Going that extra Round, when you don't think you can, is what makes all the difference in your life." -Rocky Balboa
I have disagree about the baitcaster, preference of mine is the Okuma EB50 Bait running spinning reel on an 11' 3.5lb test curve rod.
Set your lines in the euro stlye rod pod and wait for the alarm to sound
www.wackerbaits has some awesome stuff for the bank...Check out pods, buzzbars and alarms. Even though this is euro Carp style gear, it work so very well for cats...I have even used mine for Steelhead and Burbot at night.
Toys...It's all about the toys
Last edited by fitnessman; 03-13-2006 at 11:17 AM.
Good, God, there so many huge catfish around here, it's not even funny. Lake Red Rock, the Wapsi River below the damn in Central City and Anamosa, Coralville Resivior, Missouri River.........they are everywhere. We always used small bluegills for bait. Make some small cuts along their back and tail to let them bleed, and put them on a big-ass hook Strangely enough, this also works for snapping turtles.
Last spring I saw some 20+ carp hanging in the creek chanels when I was bass fishing. When I was a kid we'd try and go for carp b/c they were so big.
Fit..man- You'd go against baitcasters b/c of night fishing-I guess? I Like them for fighting but they do suck at night.
What line test do you use, I have 17 lb line with 4/0 circle hooks on a m or MH rods. Am I still thinking small fish?
In NC we can use bluegill, a gamefish-w/ no size or # limit for bait as long as they are caught on hook and line-i.e. no netting or traps.
Also , flatheads are considered an intoduced species and can deplete the native game fishery via appetite. In NC these fish should be considered catch and keep. http://www.ncsu.edu/BulletinOnline/10_02/catfish.htm
I try to find the deepest water in the lakes around here with some kind of cover (trees, big rocks, rubble, etc.) fish them only at night and use the largest live bait you can find. I catch suckers in the creek that runs through my woods and throw out anything under 8". 1-2 hookups a night is all you can hope for and there will be plenty of nights with nothing. My last big one - 31lb blue - came from under a large bridge (I really like the large bridges because they usually have been rebuilt at least once and have a good bit of rubble under them) in 45' of water. The surrounding area is all about 25' or less. I do use a light but only to attract shad as I fish for other stuff to cut down on the boredom and if the water's deeper than 30-40 feet I don't think it bothers them. When the shad are swirling under the light take a throw net and catch a dozen or so, injure or kill them and pitch them over the side, also ripping a snatch rig through the shad ball injures a good bit and down they go into the depths to attract meat eaters. I like my suckers lively and uninjured - it seems they take them better - a much harder hit and since I fish in mostly open water I rarely use heavier than 12 lb line. That is an oddity though, if you are anywhere near cover that would snag or abrade the line 14-20 or even heavier may be in order. I use a baitcatser for the simple reason that it has a smooooooth drag - very important for big fish of any type but I have caught them on every kind of rod and reel combo imaginable. The main things are use bait that would scare most fish, be VERY patient and fish at night.
Last edited by Geno; 03-14-2006 at 08:35 AM.
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I've never heard of a Cat taking a Duck... However I've heard of Musky Taking them and once saw what I can only assume was a Musky taking a duckling...
They do make Musky Lures that look like Baby ducks... So IF a giant Catfish would take a duckling, you could use the Musky Lure for that purpose...
But I think you might be getting too specific if you were to take that route.
6'4"
258
Phil Robertson is my Tyler Durden
"The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there."
-Robert M. Pirsig
"Going that extra Round, when you don't think you can, is what makes all the difference in your life." -Rocky Balboa
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