I am thinking about going out to do some cattin’ this weekend when the weather warms up.
What do you guys think – is the water colder now after the snap? Do you think fishing will be productive at all? Is some of that debris out of the water?
Just wanted to know you guys’ thoughts. Thanks!
You might do OK. I don’t start down here for a few weeks yet and I start on the lake in the warmer north bays. There is a ton of winter kill in pipe right now that you will be competing with. I was out a week or so ago and the dead shad where everywhere on pool 9.
Hope you do well up there, man. This cold snap down here has really sucked so far….I was catchin all kinds of fish, and already have 4 flatheads in the boat so far this year, but now…..some of the lakes around here have lost 6-8 degrees, all the way back down to 44 or so! Oh well, it’ll just make the fishin season longer.
I would think it would be worth it, especially if the weather warms a bit and the sun pokes out. I’m thinking they will be relating to shoreline current breaks.
I read an article not too long ago about shallow water spring cats. It said to find flooded grassy areas and the cats will be there.
I am probably going out on Sunday for a while, provided the forecast for sun and 50s doesn’t change. It’s going to be more of a scouting trip for me.
I actually just checked the weather and they updated it. 45, 51, 55 and 58 on Sunday. That should turn the fish on a little by Sunday. And a quick check of the water temps actually shows them already trending up to near 40 in the last few days. The elevations are slowly dropping. What it means to the bite, I don’t know.
I’d say get out there and give it a shot. Some of my best days happened when I expeced it to be slow. Don’t expect it to be good, and you won’t be disappointed.
I was planning to get out this weekend, too, but I’ve got some non-fishing relatives in town. But as soon as they’re gone, I’m out the door with my cat rod.
I went out last night with a friend in the rain and wind and sleet and…. Hammered em! In about 2 1/2 hours we caught around 15 or so. We were using cut sucker and frozen emerald shiners. They wernt to shy about slaming the bait either. We almost lost one rod to a 8 lb channel.
Dont wait for fair weather, get out now!
I don’t like fishing open water in temps below 50. Yeah, I am a wuss. Part of what I like about fishing is relaxing in nature and I have a hard time relaxing in those temps.
Sometimes ya got to suffer to catch some fish! 
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I don’t like fishing open water in temps below 50. Yeah, I am a wuss. Part of what I like about fishing is relaxing in nature and I have a hard time relaxing in those temps.
Wow, you miss out on a lot of great fishing, not good, GREAT, if you shut er down at 50.
Dressed appropriately it’s no problem to relax, hell even sleep in those temps
I would have went out again today, but I got to watch the kids!
Next time out try some emerald shiners, they are in all the local rivers and the cats love em!
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I went out last night with a friend in the rain and wind and sleet and…. Hammered em! In about 2 1/2 hours we caught around 15 or so.
Hey! I’m someones friend! 
I didnt keep count, we caught quite a few. I would guess I got close to 10 in the hour I was there.
As for fishing this weekend guys.. I’ll be fishing until this weekend, and I will fish this weekend too! I am tired of sitting around the house looking at the weather channel saying “Man, It sucks outside”.. the temperature is only a couple numbers, most the time when we get off our lazy rears, it actually doesnt feel all that bad outthere and it sure beats sitting around at home! This week is too cold, next week it will be too hot. You guys wait until its just right.. I’ll be catching fish when and where possible, cold, hot, wet, or *seasonal*.
Go fishing!
Water temps in the 50’s? Our temps went from low-mid 40’s to 34.9 degrees as of a couple days ago. 50 degree water? Bust out the speedo’s and go for a swim!
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Bust out the speedo’s and go for a swim!
Umm let’s put a hold on that vision for right now…please.
Now Dave has me thinking that I should get out…yup…next week for sure! 
Got this honey hole creek with a bunch of cats in it…unless the bass are too thick again. 
Dave and I had a good time eating sleet… Well at least I did! I was glad the wind died down a little after Dave got there. It was blowing around 35-40 MPH! Then once the sun set the rain and sleet started. Throughout all this the fish were still hitting pretty hard, Slack lines and all.
A couple more weeks and the Flats should be starting to bite.
Marc
Looks like Sat is my day for trial runs on the remodeled boat and breaking in the new toys. Of course I will be wetting a line. I got my hog channel spots picked and I bet they are primed.
Good luck to you guys.
Make sure to get some pics.
Ive been wondering were you were Larry! Hows the new and improved cat boat? Hope to see you on the river soon!
I reiterate. I am a wuss. 
I concur with Marc on the shiners. This is the time of year I use up the shiners that didn’t get used on tip ups. After they die, I put them in an ice cream pail and salt them. Big cats are always after an easy meal this time of year. You can do the same thing with Winter kill shad if they collect somewhere easy to gather.
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I don’t like fishing open water in temps below 50. Yeah, I am a wuss. Part of what I like about fishing is relaxing in nature and I have a hard time relaxing in those temps.
By ‘relaxing in nature’ you mean passing out drunk in a lawn chair, don’t you? 
Hey now, just cause I like to have a beer or two…
yeah. 
I may fish a little Saturday too. I am thinking some backwater slab crappies.
we’re tryin to get this saturday also we’ll see what happens we’ve had a pretty good start so far but let hope the wheather hold out
I went out yesterday in North Minneapolis. The bite was slow, but I did manage my fist cat of the year, about 3 pounds.
This guy was definitely a North Side cat, he was pretty beat up and hit like a ton of bricks. I thought they were supposed to bite LIGHT this time of year!
Welcome to the site River Runner Z!
Ron… shad are impossible to come by right now unless someone has a few left in he freezer 
I will be out today trying to hunt some down, but I failed yesterday. These high water levels and temp variations have left it difficult to get baitfish too.
I’ve got a couple bags of shad
I hit the Upper Miss via Riverpro yesterday. Really sllloooowww. Lots of nibbles, but it was tough to connect. I doubt that many of the nibbles were cats. I ended up with 2 kitties and a nice redhorse.
I have two bags of shad left. Hopefully they thaw out nice and fresh and aren’t freezer burnt. Went out yesterday for 4hours. First tried for crappie and they weren’t in the area I caught them before. I hope that is just because it was early and the water is high, because I’d love to get on them again. We then went to MR and Chris caught 1 missed a few others. Saw some guys pulling some in too.
I went down to Moore’s yesterday to get shad, but sadly he was out. I got some frozen shiner, though, and they did the trick to catch at least on kitty and a couple other bites.
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I went down to Moore’s yesterday to get shad, but sadly he was out. I got some frozen shiner, though, and they did the trick to catch at least on kitty and a couple other bites.
Funny how those little guys can work just as good if not better from time to time than shad. They are tied for second with sucker in my book, with shad being number one.
Went down to M.R. today, not so much as a nibble not counting the sheephead that were picking at my bait. I was there from 3pm to 630pm.
Anyone else have any luck?
yep, today was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time.
It’s bass season!
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