Another Horseshoe chain question…

Seeing the post regarding the Horseshoe chain resort got me thinking of a trip I been wanting to make. I don’t want to hijack Robby’s post so starting my own…

I’ve been wanting to go up there with my kayak and specifically target cats. I know the Catfish in the chain get a lot of bad publicity from the Walleye folks as they’re arguably displacing the Walleye population, or at least coming up on the end of slip bobber and lindy rigs more often than Walleye are. This is not a post to argue that – but hopefully I could make a few Walleye fisherman happy by taking a few cats home to smoke or blacken-up on the Blackstone with some jambalaya!

My question is, aside from pretending to fish for walleye, what’s the best way to target lake cats? It’s something I’ve never done before. I grew up bottom fishing the MN river with crawlers and the occasional chicken liver or stink bait, but I have to think when the water’s a little more vast, the techniques might change. I realize it’s still a river but I have to think it fishes more like a lake. Anyone willing to share a few Horseshoe catfish techniques to get a guy started?

Several years ago I was slow trolling a shoreline (no houses on it) pulling a small DareDevil for Pike. I really couldn’t keep them off the line. I suppose there are better ways but thats what worked when I was there. I would also try a chrome / blue Rattle Trap trolled. Flash & Sound.

Good luck, let us know what worked.

It’ll be pretty easy. I think I used crawlers or cut bait under a bobber fishing on top of points. This was over labor day weekend one year.

There was a kid in the cabin next to us who went out on the dock after sunset and he caught them one after another on chicken liver.

Thanks guys! Man, there’s gotta be some big competition for food if channels are hitting lures regularly. If I can get there I think I’ll focus on live a few live/dead bait options near any typical structure. Sounds like they’re not picky. I’ve seen cocktail shrimp used, too. Let ’em sit in a baggie on the floor of the kayak, get nice and stinky!

Big gob of crawlers under a float pretty much anywhere will get you bit, focus more on deep holes or in the current areas or bridges.

Focus on Koetter lake

Have a friend who is a cat guy, says it is a myth that they like rotting food, the chain is a very interesting and diverse system, I would fish it alot if it were closer to me. Good Luck

I know summer cat fishing is different than hard water fishing, never fished cats in the summer but I simply use fatheads in the winter.

tim hurley wrote:

Have a friend who is a cat guy, says it is a myth that they like rotting food, the chain is a very interesting and diverse system, I would fish it alot if it were closer to me. Good Luck

Rotting food? Or stinky food. Channel cats love stinky food but I’ve never used rotting or heard any one use rotting food.

I want to go to this chain. Where is this lake?

Near Cold Spring/Annandale area.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tim hurley wrote:</div>
Have a friend who is a cat guy, says it is a myth that they like rotting food, the chain is a very interesting and diverse system, I would fish it alot if it were closer to me. Good Luck

Rotting food? Or stinky food. Channel cats love stinky food but I’ve never used rotting or heard any one use rotting food.

I want to go to this chain. Where is this lake?

central Minnesota, Stearns county. Starts in Richmond ends in cold spring. Just out my back door…. Almost.

Well he said to let it sit in the bottom of the Kayak and get nice and stinky. They do like a smell we have used chicken livers and gizards both smell, gizzards stay on your hook better, cut bait is what the catters use I believe, my favorite way to catch them is on a spinner in a foot of water.

There are some videos on YouTube that show a fantastic Slip Bobber and Raw Shrimp pattern in the late summer. It looks like a lot of fun and I have friends that have been very successful doing it. Basically work the shorelines edges.