Catfish Patterns

[DJD]

Do blues and channels spawn around this time of year? Do they spawn shallow like bass? What's a good pattern on catching them in lakes now or after the spawn?

[raincheck]

Been watching this tread so i can learn how too catch a cat.Guess nobody knows.
Terry Adolph
River Basser

[Big T @ E.C.]

A couple of my buddies for a killer pattern for channel's the last 2-3 years. Starting the 1st week of june, they would go up, throw black/blue jigs, right up on the bank, they fished rocky, gravel banks. The channel's were spawning and would hit anything that came near their beds. He said he caught over 200 lbs last year. I don't know if that will work now since all the water levels are up. Tr

[artcarney_agr]

Channel cats should be in full swing right now - they usually start in around Mother's Day and get better and better on their bite until about mid-June.

Channel cats move in on rip rap banks, gravel bars, or just generally rocky areas. Any bank fisherman can do well when this is going on, but just have to be mindful that snakes love rocks too.

Best thing to use is small crappie minnows under a bobber at about 3 or 4 ft deep. Small bait shrimp also work well.

Excellent places to try are the canal on Ky/Barkley, along all the rip rap on KY Dam istelf, rip rap break walls at marinas, gravel bars, etc.

The cats move in and move out all day long in big schools. You may have a dry spell for an hour or two, but then all of a sudden they'll move in and you'll catch them as fast as you can bait your hook. They are usually about an average of 3 lbs with the occassional 6 lb+ fat cat.

[creekrock]

10 days ago i was at Ky Lake.My buddy and i were on a big round main lake point.The walls of this point came down to the water almost vertical.We were bumping the trolling motor paralell to the wall,casting for shell crackers.We started to notice fish swirling around the boat and fins right on the wall.I didnt' take us long to realize these fish were catfish.I had polarized glasses on.We backed off the wall and anchored.We were lucky because we had a tub of nightcrawlers in the boat.
We put on big crappie style slip floats,a decent sized split shot and a regular catfish circle hook.Maybe 1/0 size.We cast right on the wall.Maybe 3 or 4 feet deep.We caught 21 really nice channel cats.The 2 or 3 largest were maybe 8 lbs with prolly a 5lb average.We had to be back at camp for a fish fry but they were still biting when we left.
When we got back to camp,i looked at my map and saw that the main river channel swung real close to this point.We saw at the cleaning table they had eggs.Im sure they were spawning.They swirled on that bank and our boat all morning.Good times to say the least since my buddy hadnt fished in 20 years.

[raincheck]

A couple of my buddies for a killer pattern for channel's the last 2-3 years. Starting the 1st week of june, they would go up, throw black/blue jigs, right up on the bank, they fished rocky, gravel banks. The channel's were spawning and would hit anything that came near their beds. He said he caught over 200 lbs last year. I don't know if that will work now since all the water levels are up. Tr

Guess thats why in tournaments i fished other anglers would catch a cat & i never did fishing for bass.I have been catching alot of bass on jigs this year on the creeks.Never used them much on the lakes.Thanks

[raincheck]

Thanks anglers for the input.I'm on my way too Waitsboro too fish a kayak 3fish(bass,cat,hybred) tournament on Cumberland.
Terry Adolph
River Basser

[TroyRalph502]

I have noticed that the end of june is when i catch all my big boys. Thats typically when the Falls of Ohio starts staying in its summer pool. If you know where to go, you can catch 10+ pounders on the bank all day. But the bite stays on all the way through the summer and in the fall they start getting smaller in my cases.

[artcarney_agr]

I have noticed that the end of june is when i catch all my big boys. Thats typically when the Falls of Ohio starts staying in its summer pool. If you know where to go, you can catch 10+ pounders on the bank all day. But the bite stays on all the way through the summer and in the fall they start getting smaller in my cases.

Those river catfish are a totally different animal, as well as the Falls area. Those catfish get in there thick, and I've foul hooked many before while casting for the whites. Very cool place to fish that's for sure! What species are those 10 pounders you speak up? I do pretty good on the flatheads up river a little, on the flats with a crankbait while looking for bass instead. Ha ha ha!

[kobeluke]

Saturday night I was jugging Taylorsville and caught 10 cats. All of them were blue cats. 8 of them were between 2 and 4 pounds. Cut shad was the bait of choice.

[stripernut]

Thanks anglers for the input.I'm on my way too Waitsboro too fish a kayak 3fish(bass,cat,hybred) tournament on Cumberland.
Terry Adolph
River Basser

not to start the historical argument of are there /arent there hybrid stripers in cumberland, but.....have discussed this with law enforcement for years and years concerning "hybrids" in cumberland.....many stripers have broken lines AND all must measure 24 inches minimum. like i say not trying to beat the hybrid horse to death just trying to keep you out of hybrid hotwater.
good luck to you in in the tournament .

[DJD]

I appreciate the input. I love catching anything that tugs my line and I'm going for catfish this weekend!