catfishing and baits

[Norfolkboy]

Well done on your catches

What is fatback? A type of meat?

[fishfarmer]

Fatback is the layer of fat that is cut of the top of bacon when a pig is butchered. It might be called something else in other countries. In the southern united states you can by it for about 85 cents a pound at a grocery store. Though I am not sure what anyone would use it for in cooking and you cannot even buy it in northern states.

[fishfarmer]

I don't know about Dorset, but if you hit a local tackle shop they should be able to tell you where to fish and what to use for bait. If that dosn't work you can take a Topo map of your area and just start fishing all the bodies of water in some sort of order and mark on the map where you catch cats. I would use two pole rigged with two hooks and a slip sinker. Bait each hook with something different and see what happens. If you don't catch a cat in an hour then move to the next location.

[eljeffo]

I'll share with you how I do it.
1st:I use fresh chicken livers and wrap it in a square of cheesecloth; tie it off. makes a little bundle.(I usually make these up before I go but it's not manditory)
2nd: Run the line through the bundle (I use a baiting type needle but a sewing type needle would do)
3rd: Tie on a large enough treble hook and neatly slide the "bundle" onto it (making sure that the barbs are exposed and un-obstructed)
4th: Experiment with your weights cause you want it on or just above the bottom. I like to use those dropshot type weights on the leader just above the hook (in-line).
I hope that someone will try this and let me know how this works on your favorite fishin' hole. Works like a charm and best of all there are absolutely NO tangles!

[master_angler11]

went catfishing last year used minnows caught 23 yellowbullheads

[Bigdave]

Originally Posted by fishfarmer

I think this site needs a new thread for catfishermen, so I am starting one. I am interested in where people fish, what they have caught, and what they use for bait. If you have any ideas for stink, punch, or other homemade dough type baits please post them. I tryed using a playdough recipe that I found on the internet this week. I replaced the water in the recipe with tuna juice and took what I came up with fishing. The verdict is this; it will stay on the hook for the first cast and the fish just eat it off the hook without picking up the hook. So it needs work, but I am putting that one aside for now as I have other ideas I am working on. I will let you know how they turn out.

Have you tried Boilies? You make a paste with the desired flavours etc then roll them into balls and boil them for 3-4 minutes depending on the bait just to form a hard skin. This deters small fish from wittling the bait down and only the larger fish eat them. To 'hook' boilies mount them on a 'hair' rig this is a small attachment of line or braid or even dental floss which is attached to the hook and using a baiting needle you thread the bait onto the hair. A loop at the other end is were you can secure the bait with a small plastic stop or a stiff piece of sedge grass even. We have been using hair rigs in the UK for a long time now and they really work! You dont have to use boilies, other baits can also be mounted on the hair. Anyway good luck mate and tight lines.

[Omahayank]

A buddy and I have tried them. We have to make our own. They arn't generally available in the US. Though I believe they are in Canada. We got Nothing so far, but we haven't given up yet!!! We're in the process of trying some different recepies we got on the net. We've made baiting needles and such. We've read of your sucesses and we're Determined to make them work here.
We've got an OLD flood control reservior up north of the city. It so old, silted-in and shallow, nothing can live in it but Carp and Catfish. We want to try it there sometime this summer.

[Bigdave]

Hi Big Dave again, another good bait to try for carp and cats is luncheon meat. If your reserviour is shallow and silty try float fishing. A waggler set up over depth and slightly under shotted so theres a good 2 inch of tip showing. You can either cut the meat into cubes but ragged chunks are better if the fish wise up to it. If you have to have a long cast swap luncheon meat for bacon grill, I dont know how available it is over there but I would think you have it or something similar. Also lightly fried luncheon meat can be good and fried ox and pig liver. Liver is tougth but it messy! Any how good luck and tight lines!!

[Woodsman]

Chiken livers work great.
First tie a couple up in mesh simular to a large roe bag for trout.
Then place bag on a stainless hook.
Next put bags & hooks back in styrofoam container & leave out in the sun for a couple of days.
Indivually freeze on disposable cookie sheet.
Use frozen. Will quickly melt after hitting water. Will draw fish in from great distances.

For bullheads dew worms work good.

For larger channel cats 6"-12" fresh deadbaits on quickstrike rigs work great. After killing the bait slice it up some. Will catch fewer channel cats than the chicken livers but the average size will be larger.

For eating I prefer the 2-5 lb. channels but the fight of a 20 lb.+ channel is hard to beat.

Good Luck

[baitmaster]

omaha i see you been hunting down different recipes for making boilies
you said they are not readily available but these guys should be able to help in making and getting hold of boilies http://www.americancarpsociety.com:8...ypr_7reels.jsp

tightlines

kevin