cat spots in the metro

What’re your guys favorite spot for cats in the metro area? I just started fishing for cats and I’ve been catching them by the Ford dam but dont know where else to try

What side of metro

What size cats have you caught at the dam?

Are you shore fishing?

there are a tons of cattin spots in the metro. some are a lil more secretive then others but here are some community spots.
Mill Ruins area, Ford Dam (u already know), anywhere along Black Dog rd some even take bikes and fish along the bike path on the northside, Harriet island area…
google maps has help alot of peeps find shore spots in the metro

Unfortunately I’m confined to the shore :/ most of my cats have been in the 3-5 lb range usually caught from the mpls side although last night Iwent out to lily dale and raspberry island with no luck. I’ve been doing a lot of scouting of different areas bc I would like to target flatheads but have never before, a Muskie fisherman turnin in his gear.never knew there were many more catters in the metro area!

when targeting flats dont expect to catch anything. most flat chasers get shunked more then successful outings, but all it takes is one fish to make it worht it
being ur also a Skie guy i bet you already know about it

quite often flats and channels can be caught from the same spot.
fishing later into the evenings/night time gives u better chances. use big live baits or big chunks of cut bait.
SteveD recently posted the size of cut bait he uses when targeting flats.
1/2-1lbs chunks are pretty commonly used

also dont forget heavy heavy tackle #60-80 superlines is common, 3-8oz weights, #200+ swivels, 8/0+ hooks and big landing nets

have fun and welcome to the sleepless night

Oh yeah the sleepless nights have been coming more and more although im mostly goin out alone which can be kind of sketchy, I’m just going to have to keep on fine tuning my methods

One of the often over looked areas Will is rip rapped shore line. Dropping a 5-8 inch bullhead or an 8 inch sucker where the rocks stop and the bottom of the river starts is a proven winner. Flats will follow the edge looking for their next meal.

Hopefully it will be your bait.

Muskies are 10,000 cast’s..

Flatties can be 10,000 minutes ..

But like said above when it happens it’s worth it !!

Brian Klawitter wrote:

One of the often over looked areas Will is rip rapped shore line. Dropping a 5-8 inch bullhead or an 8 inch sucker where the rocks stop and the bottom of the river starts is a proven winner. Flats will follow the edge looking for their next meal.

Hopefully it will be your bait.

From shore you have to run a three way for this, with 6-8″ lead of light line on the sinker. Normal slip rig, fish will take it, you set and more times than not you have sinker slide right up into some riprap and there goes the whole rig and fish. With this rig you will get caught, but then a good tug busts that sinker loose here’s comes fish still. Can’t tell you how many fish I lost due to those damned rocks, not flatheads, but fish in general.

Shore fishing is another beast, since I started using my boat more its amazing the headaches you don’t have to deal with from shore.

I would love to get out on a boat sometime to catch some fish, I went down to lake Pepin today and ended up catchin some nice channels and I think I’m going to try mill ruins sometime this week

I have always had really good luck catching flats at Harriet Island surprisingly. It seems like every time I used to go there I would catch a flat. Not to mention my girlfriend caught a 32″ toothy bait stealing critters they call walleye off of an 8” bully. Raspberry Island isn’t bad either and seems to be more structure but always had better luck at Harriet somehow.

Thanks for the tips it seems like for flats I’m going to want to go farther down the river into St. Paul from where I’m from or up the Minnesota

Has anyone tried fishing underneath the franklin bridge? Since the closure of the bridge there’s a lot of construction going on and I’m wondering if all that structure could be holding cats

How far up are you willing to travel? I give out catspots, eye spots you can pry from my dead cold hand.

I’ve tried Franklin. Caught more walleye, bass and carp there, but I’m sure their are cats. It seems to run deeper upstream from the bridge and more flat behind it.

When it comes to shore fishing, it seems to be right place right time. I got skunked more often than not, but when I found them, it was usually in bunches.

Can you use Koi fish as cut bait,if so have I got a deal for you.

Breeding like rabbits or you done with them?

I’m pretty sure if you ski. Them and cut the heads off so they are beyond recognition your good.

I’ve been trying to find spots all over the river

should I be shipping them to FLA?

You can leave the skin on if you do.

Seriously, whats up with your koi?

Too many