Years ago I fished cats in resevores in TX. Just sat on the bank, bonfire, lantern soaking the liver, Chicken Liver I mean. Anyway, I am lookng forward to doing that here on the river. Preferably close to home, pool 5A or 6. Figuring on just finding an eddie or something close to shore and soaking some stink bait or large shiner or something. Any ideas? Too soon? Been no postings lately, what are you all doing?
no it is not to soon…. just not as much interest around her as there is in the south…. more room for you and I ……. but no it is not too soon,,,, I would concentrate on using sour baite… some use stink biate with success as well…. but I have been using cut biate that is ripe….. I fish pool 4 mostly ……. any questions send me a p.m….. good cattin…. mavzer
Its not too early for channels. I ogt a 21lb fiday night. The action is a little slow though with the cold water temps, but they are still catchable. Mavzer whats the deal for this weekend, is the tourney on?
Wow, a 21? That is a good sign. I was at the St. Croix on Sunday, didn’t catch anything. If you are going out this early, I would say finding a spot where the fish are active is the challenge. I was catching carp in a local creek a month ago, but I haven’t caught a cat yet.
So where do you think the best place to start looking would be? Near the channel by wing dams, slow water areas in the backwaters or up the larger tributaries? Remember, I am getting to the spots via canoe. I can get anywhere, just can’t ancor and fish where the big boats are.
Look for any areas with water running into the main river. The incoming water should be warmer and attract cats and bait fish. Good luck
Matt
shoot me a personal message and I can give you a few ideas of where to start. I plan on getting out cat’n this weekend. Pool 5a has some nice cats 6 i haven’t fished all that much cuz 5a is right on my doorstep.
a 21 pd channel??? That is freakin huge…..nice job bigtime,,,,,, The league strarts actually thurdsay night at midnight and goes to saturday at midnight ……. but I am sure most guys will head out friday night….. see you there….. anyone that is participating give steve vick or myself a p.m otherwise see you on the water…..
woolybugger,
It seems that the cats are in the brush and timber of the back channels …… anywhere were the current is a little slower you have to remember the water temp is about 51-56 degrees in most spots that have fished and that is still kinda cool….. they are not going to ruch out into the hard current…… slooooow current with timber and some nice mud-cut banks is ideal…. they gonna be eattin up them crawdads, frogs that are coming out a little sluggish…… try some sour stuff.,…. it;s been workin good…..(all forktails so far this year)
me and cyclone were out last night and he stuck a huge channel. one of the biggest I have seen in a while. It was 35″ long but had an impresive 23″ girth. It looked like a baby seal. I think that as soon as we get a few days of warm weather the cats will go crazy. You cant go wrong with cut sucker right now. It will out produce almost any bait, and from my experience it seems the big fish prefer it now. I would leave all the prepared baits at the store untill later on in the year. Now is not the time for that.
I do not think its too early.I have been fishing the MN with the water temps about the same as mavzer said(mid 50s).They have even been smacking my beetle spin while fishing for white bass.Spent about an hour last week actually targeting some channels and found plenty in the snags with reduced current.They were holding to the outside(in the current)of the snags,so they are not that sleepy now.And like every one else has said cut sucker was what they were taking allthough I think if I had had some nice stinky sour sucker they would have been biting better.
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