Catfish Question

[stripernut]

hey all, i dont catfish very much, but a recent opportunity to catch a bunch of nice cats presented itself so i took advantage of it....but then things changed.
been able to catch several 25 inch plus cats each night on nightcrawlers for the last couple of weeks....it has really been pretty easy or i wouldnt have been able to pull it off
we never caught a cat under 25 inches until last night....last night you couldnt put the rod down, throw out, count to 10 (if you made it that long) and set the hook, went through 80 nightcrawlers by 11 pm, ran out of bait....the only problem EVERY cat was 12-13 inches ,never caught one over 13 inches out of probably 60+ fish.
WHERE DID THE BIGGER CATS GO?
WHERE DID ALL THE SMALL ONES COME FROM?
AND HOW IN THE H#!! DID THIS HAPPEN LITERALLY OVERNIGHT?

[wags]

hey all, i dont catfish very much, but a recent opportunity to catch a bunch of nice cats presented itself so i took advantage of it....but then things changed.
been able to catch several 25 inch plus cats each night on nightcrawlers for the last couple of weeks....it has really been pretty easy or i wouldnt have been able to pull it off
we never caught a cat under 25 inches until last night....last night you couldnt put the rod down, throw out, count to 10 (if you made it that long) and set the hook, went through 80 nightcrawlers by 11 pm, ran out of bait....the only problem EVERY cat was 12-13 inches ,never caught one over 13 inches out of probably 60+ fish.
WHERE DID THE BIGGER CATS GO?
WHERE DID ALL THE SMALL ONES COME FROM?
AND HOW IN THE H#!! DID THIS HAPPEN LITERALLY OVERNIGHT?

You caught them all. All the small ones are looking for their mommies and daddies.

[stripernut]

haha....it was so simple...right there in front of me all the time

[catfish hunter 24]

Strange! If it were me I would switch away from nightcrawlers (i know it's tough to do when they are working) but it sounds like there are plenty of fish and that they will be biting on anything. Try to stay away from baits that smaller catfish can "work on" or swallow hole on first pass (i.e. nightcrawlers, catalpa worms, chicken liver, magic bait, etc.) Instead use larger baits that smaller fish can't handle comfortably. I would use cut bait - shad preferably but bluegill will work. Make sure you put a gracious plenty on their - be prepared to miss fish often (this will be the smaller ones trying to taste) but the ones that can commit to the large bait should be worth the wait. A good size to try is put 2 or three slabs of the cut bait on there and the total bait should be the size of a pack of cigarettes. Give it a whirl and let us know how you do. It is also not a bad idea (if available) to put live bluegill on the hook around 4-6 inches.

Good luck!

[Hlleonard]

I'm also not a catfisherman but recently I have gotten interested in it...problem is I have 40+ years of not bothering with learning anything about the sport ...Hook size and type, line size and type are some of the things I don't know ...Any advice would be appreciated ...About the only thing I'm sure of is when your line gets tight and he tries to steal the pole your supposed to jerk then start reeling, or I think I'm sure about that.

[Fisherjoe]

I'm also not a catfisherman but recently I have gotten interested in it...problem is I have 40+ years of not bothering with learning anything about the sport ...Hook size and type, line size and type are some of the things I don't know ...Any advice would be appreciated ...About the only thing I'm sure of is when your line gets tight and he tries to steal the pole your supposed to jerk then start reeling, or I think I'm sure about that.

As with any species, size of fish available and area fishing will all affect equipment, but I'll try to give you some basics.

Hooks: Bigger fish need bigger hooks. A variety of circle hooks, j-hooks, and trebles all have their place and time. Just make sure they are strong. I tend to avoid the bronze trebles as they are generally weaker. I like Eagle Claw brand in all of the above. They are inexpensive, strong (if you avoid bronze), and generally made in the USA. I determine hook type by method of fishing, fish size available, and type of bait. Fish under 10 lbs, I use j-hooks or trebles. I have trouble hooking up with circles on smaller fish, although I am experimenting with smaller hooks and thinner wire this year. I mostly fish the Ohio River from a boat, so I use circle hooks 99% of time, whether I am drifting or bottom-fishing. I use j-hooks when smaller fish are present so I can use a hook-set. Remember, you do not "cross their eyes" with a circle hook...just lift the rod tip and start reeling. The circle hook will find it's way to the corner of the mouth. The bend in the rod and the weight of the fish will set the hook. This makes it a good choice for kids.

Line: Any good mono will work, pick your favorite. Mine is Berkley Big Game. If fishing for monster cats, or in heavy current, 65-100# braid is the most popular option. My favorite is 65# Power Pro.

Rods/reels: Can't go wrong with 7'-8' Ugly Stiks for starting out. Reels need to have good drags and ample line capacity. Zebco 808's are great if all you catch are smaller cats (up to 20#). I like round levelwinds such as C-3 Ambassadeur 6500's or BPS's CatMaxx reels. Saltwater spinning reels are good choice also.

All the above is just my 2 cents. Others will like different brands and methods and all will work. Shoot me a pm with where and how you plan to fish and I will try to be more specific.

Joe

[stripernut]

Strange! If it were me I would switch away from nightcrawlers (i know it's tough to do when they are working) but it sounds like there are plenty of fish and that they will be biting on anything. Try to stay away from baits that smaller catfish can "work on" or swallow hole on first pass (i.e. nightcrawlers, catalpa worms, chicken liver, magic bait, etc.) Instead use larger baits that smaller fish can't handle comfortably. I would use cut bait - shad preferably but bluegill will work. Make sure you put a gracious plenty on their - be prepared to miss fish often (this will be the smaller ones trying to taste) but the ones that can commit to the large bait should be worth the wait. A good size to try is put 2 or three slabs of the cut bait on there and the total bait should be the size of a pack of cigarettes. Give it a whirl and let us know how you do. It is also not a bad idea (if available) to put live bluegill on the hook around 4-6 inches.


Good luck!

funny you should mention this....
caught cats of all sizes, a keeper striper, and a bunch of drum of all sizes this morning on cut shad , creek chubs and bluegill mid-sections. the bite was a little slower but the fish were actually better quality fish.
i did donate a diawa clicker reel and ugly stik to the fish gods this morning....cast out, laid the rod on the deck just long enough to move another rod out of the rod holder..."SPLASH"....GONE!!
not sure what it was, probably a drum, caught the drum on cut gizzards and thats what this rod was abited with.
after we figured out this fish hit the bait before it hit the bottom we put 2 rods out with foaters set 4 and 6 foot deep, did manage two nice channels with this method.
lots of fun and a break from pulling boards lol

[catchandfillet]

What would you guys say the best bait for catfish is? I've always heard strawberry chicken. Also, does anyone have any kick ass dough bait recipes??

[riverrat12]

What would you guys say the best bait for catfish is? I've always heard strawberry chicken. Also, does anyone have any kick ass dough bait recipes??

Pretty much all you will catch with those baits are Channel cats.As for the best baits for the rest, fresh is allways best then in my order goes something like this Mooneye,skippjack,gizzard and threadfin shad,sucker,buffalo,bluegill,and yellow belly cats.I preffer whole but you will increase your catch rate cutting them up, you just catch smaller fish.I likem big...hope this helps Good luck Chuck

[usmc_0311_hunter]

i use big hooks light sinkers and prferably 30lb braided line i use alot of cut bait and shiken liver works good i put my liver in pieces of tied off panty hoes so the small ones dont take my bait i also like using spam it stays on the hook good. i dont care for worms the little fish stel them from me go big bait hooks and line for the big ones get you a 5in live bluegill and try that they usually produce big fish

[catfish hunter 24]

funny you should mention this....
caught cats of all sizes, a keeper striper, and a bunch of drum of all sizes this morning on cut shad , creek chubs and bluegill mid-sections. the bite was a little slower but the fish were actually better quality fish.
i did donate a diawa clicker reel and ugly stik to the fish gods this morning....cast out, laid the rod on the deck just long enough to move another rod out of the rod holder..."SPLASH"....GONE!!
not sure what it was, probably a drum, caught the drum on cut gizzards and thats what this rod was abited with.
after we figured out this fish hit the bait before it hit the bottom we put 2 rods out with foaters set 4 and 6 foot deep, did manage two nice channels with this method.
lots of fun and a break from pulling boards lol

-- I hate to hear about the Diawa - but i'm glad I could help. Tight Lines!

[redneckshadrap]

I have been catching 5-6 cats a night in my pond. My daughter and I each have a 10ft fiberglass cane pole. I put braided line on both...about 11ft. Hooks could be bigger but we catch crappie and shellcrackers as well. Foam cork with only about a foot under the bobber.
Bait of choice.....live craws....most of the fish we catch are 17-23inches. A mixture of blues and channels. They pound these live craws. I hook them in the tail so they can swing around in a circle...I mean Big Craws...

Shoot I think these cats are part smallie.