catfishing - Page 2

rockinmichigan · #11 03-09-2005, 11:06 PM

Bre5584, two questions...1)What were you using as bait? 2)What size line were you using? I geared up over the winter, this one rod and reel I'll be using for pike has 20 lb. line on it, but I may change up with it once or twice and set it up for the big cats. Also, do you usually just catch channel cats out there or do you catch flatheads out there too?

Lost in Iowa · #12 03-10-2005, 03:09 AM

HELLO your not alone. I live in south west Iowa catfishing is a good part of the summer time. I like to hit it just after ice out,it might be cold but the cats are hungry & so am I. We use stinky shad but they seem to like it. Once the temp comes up I switch to chicken liver or nightcrawlers sometimes small bluegill. Well it's getting late and I have to work in the morning hope to talk to you soon. ps, Time spent fishing can not be deducted from a mans life.

rockinmichigan · #13 03-10-2005, 03:16 AM

Lost In Iowa, I saw this one fella last spring, about a week after the ice came off the lake for good, catch some big channels. By the time I got there, he all ready had a good ten pounder in his whachamacallits, I know the name of it but can't think of the name, its those wire things that has a lid on the top, that you push down to put the fish in, then it closes right up and you can put the whachamacallit in the water. Anyways, I walked over to him and asked how he was doing, in which he showed me, then no sooner then 30 seconds after I asked him he had a big ol' bite, and he nailed it, a good fifteen pound channel cat that I netted up for him. Do you Iowans fish the Mississippi much at all, or ever? I haven't, but this guy I know in Minnesota fishes it and is always talking about the big ol' flatheads and channel cats that get caught in there.

Lost in Iowa · #14 03-11-2005, 05:49 AM

Hello Rockinmichigan I hve not fished the Mississippi Ido know a few guys that do and seen some of the nice cats they bring home 20 -30 pounders at times. The Mississipi is on the East edge of the state about 200 miles away. The Misouri is on yhe West edge about 100 miles away. I fish farmponds and lakes any more. Before my buddies and I settled down we would pack up and leave on friday come back on sunday morning [we had a lot of fun

] froze a lot of fish up for winterday blues

. We fished some of the smaller river closer to home. One of the local lakes has a catfish turnament. OOOOOOPs I'm runienc myo selfrunod foer

rockinmichigan · #15 03-11-2005, 04:31 PM

Lost In Iowa, I was tempted to enter this catfish tournament down in Grand Rapids, OH a couple years ago. I don't know what the rules were but I'd assume a boat would be needed, which I don't have. It was at this one state park there, which is about 45 minutes from where I live. Would love to enter one, because I hear at that park the channel and flathead cats get at least 20-25 pounds.

Lost in Iowa · #16 03-12-2005, 03:47 AM

Sounds like a lot of fun. I do have a john boat but dont get time to use it much.

Is the ice off up North? The ice is gone down here. A buddy of mine has been out and cought A few. He had to rub it in A little. I told him just wait I will make up for lost time soon [ I hope ] Well gotta go talk to you later good luck fishing.

rockinmichigan · #17 03-12-2005, 03:58 AM

As far as the ice goes, I'm not sure about the inland lakes, but I'm sure the ice isn't much on Lake Erie's shoreline. I haven't been able to get much done as far as scouting goes. I might try and get out there this weekend to find out about ice, so I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Lost in Iowa · #18 03-12-2005, 04:27 AM

Thats cool good luck and hope the ice is gone soon for you. keep in touch.

rockinmichigan · #19 03-12-2005, 04:30 AM

That's cool, I hope the ice is gone now, if not soon, because I'm really itching to do some fishing.

Bre5584 · #20 03-12-2005, 11:55 PM

Hey guys- Sorry I haven't been able to respond recently...

I do catfish on the Mississippi, but I also do alot of farm pond fishing. Mainly we use nightcrawlers on the river since our first priority is getting out on the boat and the second is fishing if we feel like it. When I actually go on the river to go fishing, we always use Sonny's Blood-scented Stink Bait- You can't beat it!
We also tried chicken liver back a few springs ago, but honestly, around here, if you wanna catch cats on a pole, you gotta do the stink bait.

So to answer your other question, rockinmichigan, I was using 8lb test... That's all I keep on my pole... If I was planning on doing heavy fishing, I'd switch it up a little. But as to my "fish that got away" I actually was fishing on a farm pond with a rooster tail (my favorite one might I add) and the stupid fish snapped my line and got away with my fav. lure. I wasn't happy.

We mainly catch channel cat around here on rod and reel, but if you set out some bank poles or trot lines, a few blues and flatheads show up also. They can get really big. We have stories around here of cats over 100 pounds that lay under our train bridge... There's also something called "grawping"- you guys may have a different name for it- but it's basically where these guys go and stick their arms down along the banks and wait for a cat to bite. Those ones they pull out are HUGE... That's a little too much for me, so I leave that alone. I don't really wanna get eaten by a fish.

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