Do we have any Catfisher men

[Hatchrooster]

Me and some buddies fish for cat and carp. We use bluegills for live bait. On average the cats are 30lbs plus.

We use carp,bluegill and shad.The carp we filled and on the others it's usually cut or alive.Most of the time we use live brim or bluegill for flats though.

 

[hunter_47443]

I've got an acre & 1/2 lake in my backyard & love to catch channels out of it.
There's a few huge ones in there...they get put back so the grandkids can catch them again.

 

[RelicHound]

We use carp,bluegill and shad.The carp we filled and on the others it's usually cut or alive.Most of the time we use live brim or bluegill for flats though.

my bait of choice is big hunks of fresh cut skip jack herring on a gamkatsu 8/0 circle hook or gama big river hook. for flatheads I like to use live gills or live shad..when its mid summer and the O2 levels are down its hard to keep shad and gills alive on the hook for very long and this is when I switch to XL gold fish on 7/0 eagle claw wire khale hooks. but for blues I use cut skip jack all year long. we usually make a trip to TN and will catch enough skip jack for the year,I pre cut them and vacuum seal the bait and itll last a long time in the freezer. still havent found a good way to freeze shad yet without them getting mushy and bleeding out quick.

 

[tom1025]

We use carp,bluegill and shad.The carp we filled and on the others it's usually cut or alive.Most of the time we use live brim or bluegill for flats though.

We always catch and release the carp and cat. I use Okuma avenger bait runners and 7ft Berkley big game rods. What kind of set up do you use?

 

[RelicHound]

here are a few of my rigs.

the 2 orange rods are shakspear ugly stik tiger rods the black rod is a tiger custom. with Abu Garcia 6500CS and CS rocket reels. the white rod is a Surge custom with a Penn 220GTO reel. the abus are spooled with 60# power pro braid and one penn is spooled with 40# berkley big game solor and the other is spooled with 60# cajun red mono.

 

[Hatchrooster]

We always catch and release the carp and cat. I use Okuma avenger bait runners and 7ft Berkley big game rods. What kind of set up do you use?

I got 5 Ambassador reels for 5500's to 6600's with 6' to 8' Berkley big game rod's spooled with 30lb stren and 50lb braid.The hook's I use are range from 5/0 to 8/0 circle hook's and really like them.

 

[RandyN2075]

Okay,

 

[RandyN2075]

Sorry, but does anyone eat these monster cats?... Nothing thrills my wife like getting into a mess of channel cat which average 2-4lbs and make for some fine eating....I understand the thrill of the hunt/catch but curious if you monster cat catchers eat your catch or is it more like, going for your personal best/trophy cat (which I can appreciate too)....

 

[Old Syko]

Why are you guys using such heavy line? I'm yet to see a heavy line that would cast worth spit, especially spyder wire. I never use over 20# Stren with 9' rig rods and 6500C3 reels, and like I said earlier, I've caught a 73# flat. Took at best 15 to 20 minutes to get him in the boat. I see too many guys try to use very stiff 6 to 8' rods and because of it they need a heavier line. These 9' rig rods let you get away with much lighter line and give you better control both casting and landing a catch.

 

[tom1025]

I got 5 Ambassador reels for 5500's to 6600's with 6' to 8' Berkley big game rod's spooled with 30lb stren and 50lb braid.The hook's I use are range from 5/0 to 8/0 circle hook's and really like them.

Nice. Until about a year ago I use to only fish for bass and crappie. I am still learning the tricks of the trade. There's nothing more exciting then hearing a big cat run your line out. The only crappy part is when I forget to turn my runner off before I go to set the hook.

 

[RelicHound]

Why are you guys using such heavy line? I'm yet to see a heavy line that would cast worth spit, especially spyder wire. I never use over 20# Stren with 9' rig rods and 6500C3 reels, and like I said earlier, I've caught a 73# flat. Took at best 15 to 20 minutes to get him in the boat. I see too many guys try to use very stiff 6 to 8' rods and because of it they need a heavier line. These 9' rig rods let you get away with much lighter line and give you better control both casting and landing a catch.

it depends on your fishing style. I fish rite in heavy cover,rocks,around barge docks etc etc I use to use no more than 30# mono then I got sick of poppin my line in the rocks when fighting a fish. none of my fishing rods are siff,I use circle hooks and need a light tip with a heavy back bone so the fish can load the rod and hook itself,I also have no problem casting as far as I need to. when your tournament fishing you dont want to have to worry about your equipment failing on a big cat.
now when Im drift fishing I use lighter stuff..usually spinning reels on M-MH rods spooled with 10-20# mono but thats when I dont have to worry about pulling a 50+lb cat out of a log jam or other heavy cover.
oh and spider sucks only braid Ive found worth a dang is power pro.

 

[Old Syko]

it depends on your fishing style. I fish rite in heavy cover,rocks,around barge docks etc etc I use to use no more than 30# mono then I got sick of poppin my line in the rocks when fighting a fish. none of my fishing rods are siff,I use circle hooks and need a light tip with a heavy back bone so the fish can load the rod and hook itself,I also have no problem casting as far as I need to. when your tournament fishing you dont want to have to worry about your equipment failing on a big cat.
now when Im drift fishing I use lighter stuff..usually spinning reels on M-MH rods spooled with 10-20# mono but thats when I dont have to worry about pulling a 50+lb cat out of a log jam or other heavy cover.
oh and spider sucks only braid Ive found worth a dang is power pro.

So I see. Thanks for the answer. Never fished a tournament and don't plan to. Like to fish at night on the river to relax and drag a few bigguns into the boat just to turn them loose again. If I want cats to eat I go to a local creek and catch 1 to 5 pounders on light weight stuff.

BTW, I wouldn't eat what comes out of the Ohio river on a bet.

 

[Turn Key]

Noodling is the way!

YouTube - funny noodling redneck fishing catfishing

 

[RelicHound]

So I see. Thanks for the answer. Never fished a tournament and don't plan to. Like to fish at night on the river to relax and drag a few bigguns into the boat just to turn them loose again. If I want cats to eat I go to a local creek and catch 1 to 5 pounders on light weight stuff.

BTW, I wouldn't eat what comes out of the Ohio river on a bet.

I dont eat fish from the river either. if I want catfish to eat Ill go fish a pond or lake some where and catch em on UL gear.

 

[Hatchrooster]

Why are you guys using such heavy line? I'm yet to see a heavy line that would cast worth spit, especially spyder wire. I never use over 20# Stren with 9' rig rods and 6500C3 reels, and like I said earlier, I've caught a 73# flat. Took at best 15 to 20 minutes to get him in the boat. I see too many guys try to use very stiff 6 to 8' rods and because of it they need a heavier line. These 9' rig rods let you get away with much lighter line and give you better control both casting and landing a catch.

Well some of the places that my buddy and I fish you need the 30lb or bigger with medium heavy rod's with a soft tip.We fish log jam's in the big rivers and if you don't have the big line and the drag tightend down then he'll be gone.That's one of the reason's.

 

[Hatchrooster]

Sorry, but does anyone eat these monster cats?... Nothing thrills my wife like getting into a mess of channel cat which average 2-4lbs and make for some fine eating....I understand the thrill of the hunt/catch but curious if you monster cat catchers eat your catch or is it more like, going for your personal best/trophy cat (which I can appreciate too)....

Alot of the time we'll throw anything over 20lbs back.I've ate flats up to 30 or a little more and they are good.My wife and I prefer Flatheads over channel's or blue's we think they taste a whole lot better but thats my opinion.

 

[Hatchrooster]

A man here in GA caught a record Blue cat last week.It was 80lbs and a few ounces.

 

[AF92venger]

I have a ***SECRET*** place that I go too!! The BIG pond is fed from a nearby LARGE creek and there are 2 other ponds that connect to the big one!! We have caught a LOT of 10-15lb cats of of it!!

Its alwyas fun chasing them cats!! =)

 

[Hatchrooster]

A buddy and I supposed to go Friday nite to a few place around where I live.So I hope we get something.