Catfishing

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toddmc
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Re: Catfishing

Post by toddmc » Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:32 am

G40 wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:01 pm
Drop a live Bluegill under a big bobber at Night, You'll be surprised how shallow and aggressive giant cats feed at night. ;)
If you don't want to use live bait, hotdog is the deal.
The kids do the bluegill bobber thing in one of the tiny golf course lakes by the house. I did it when I was a kid. The dummies near me use ultralights and 4lb. line to catch the bluegill though, and turn right around and use the same combo for double digit cats. The catfish run them around the entire lake stirring up sediment for several minutes. This destroys the bass fishing for another several minutes while things settle down! I either need to start catfishing, or leave the lake while they are fishing. :( Luckily there is another two lakes nearby.
I have had huge cats eat small bass that I am reeling in. There was one infamous cat about 30 pounds in one of the golf course lakes that I used to live on. It had all kinds of hooks and lines hanging out of its mouth. It ate a bass about 13 inches that I had hooked on a 3/0 worm hook and plastic worm. I was able to land the cat. The poor bass didn't make it. I have caught big cats on 10 inch bluegill pattern glide baits also.

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slipperybob
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Re: Catfishing

Post by slipperybob » Fri Apr 02, 2021 10:58 pm

mrpao wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 8:46 pm
Do yourself a favor and don't buy any of those cheap fiberglass catfish rods.
I don't know why people and manufacturers think everyone wants fiberglass for catfishing. I find it more fun to use inshore tackle instead. Get a few nice inshore rods and reels. It will make the fight more fun.
My catfish tackle consists mainly of inshore spinning rods and baitrunner type reels. They don't have to be expensive but the graphite rods will be more sensitive and responsive.
I concur with this method. I've never figure out why I would use a fiberglass rod for catfishing. I admit that's how I started with them fiberglass rods but I've done so much better on graphite rods. I actually prefer the graphite rods as they do a much better job of turning a fish around and guiding them right into a net. Even sometimes just catching a huge catfish while fishing for a pike on such gear and the experience of catfish on artificial lures is something else.
slip bobbing is the laziest way to fish

G40
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Re: Catfishing

Post by G40 » Mon May 03, 2021 1:06 am

toddmc wrote:
Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:32 am
G40 wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:01 pm
Drop a live Bluegill under a big bobber at Night, You'll be surprised how shallow and aggressive giant cats feed at night. ;)
If you don't want to use live bait, hotdog is the deal.
The kids do the bluegill bobber thing in one of the tiny golf course lakes by the house. I did it when I was a kid. The dummies near me use ultralights and 4lb. line to catch the bluegill though, and turn right around and use the same combo for double digit cats. The catfish run them around the entire lake stirring up sediment for several minutes. This destroys the bass fishing for another several minutes while things settle down! I either need to start catfishing, or leave the lake while they are fishing. :( Luckily there is another two lakes nearby.
I have had huge cats eat small bass that I am reeling in. There was one infamous cat about 30 pounds in one of the golf course lakes that I used to live on. It had all kinds of hooks and lines hanging out of its mouth. It ate a bass about 13 inches that I had hooked on a 3/0 worm hook and plastic worm. I was able to land the cat. The poor bass didn't make it. I have caught big cats on 10 inch bluegill pattern glide baits also.
That's crazy! Because of the shape and how hard their mouth is, Bluegills are a perfect snack for them to eat.

Also you'll also be surprised how many bullfrogs they will eat. That is part of the reason they get up so shallow at night in the warmer months.

toddmc
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Re: Catfishing

Post by toddmc » Tue May 04, 2021 12:45 pm

G40 wrote:
Mon May 03, 2021 1:06 am
toddmc wrote:
Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:32 am
G40 wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:01 pm
Drop a live Bluegill under a big bobber at Night, You'll be surprised how shallow and aggressive giant cats feed at night. ;)
If you don't want to use live bait, hotdog is the deal.
The kids do the bluegill bobber thing in one of the tiny golf course lakes by the house. I did it when I was a kid. The dummies near me use ultralights and 4lb. line to catch the bluegill though, and turn right around and use the same combo for double digit cats. The catfish run them around the entire lake stirring up sediment for several minutes. This destroys the bass fishing for another several minutes while things settle down! I either need to start catfishing, or leave the lake while they are fishing. :( Luckily there is another two lakes nearby.
I have had huge cats eat small bass that I am reeling in. There was one infamous cat about 30 pounds in one of the golf course lakes that I used to live on. It had all kinds of hooks and lines hanging out of its mouth. It ate a bass about 13 inches that I had hooked on a 3/0 worm hook and plastic worm. I was able to land the cat. The poor bass didn't make it. I have caught big cats on 10 inch bluegill pattern glide baits also.
That's crazy! Because of the shape and how hard their mouth is, Bluegills are a perfect snack for them to eat.

Also you'll also be surprised how many bullfrogs they will eat. That is part of the reason they get up so shallow at night in the warmer months.
Them suckers will eat anything! Every time that I am on Lake Havasu, and I stop to talk to my guide friend that is fishing live shad, he catches a few catfish also. Their mouths are big like a largemouth. I have seen them go after ducklings. I don't think that there is a lure category that I have not caught at least one catfish on. I have caught so many on the bladed jig that I am finding it harder to be nice when I am releasing them! :D

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