Favorite tips/advice received from other anglers

Got to thinking about a few of my catfish mentors, and some of the memorable quotes and things that stuck with me over the years…

“When he pulls, you pull…”
My cousin, the one who really got me hooked on catfishing, said that one. Wait for the fish to fully commit, then let ’em have it!

“Leave that snagged bait out and wait for a fish to find it”
I’ve heard this from a few astute anglers…MooseMJ, Tim Scott…it works!

“Making it too complicated is one of the worst things a fisherman does…”
Denny Halgren’s way of saying keep it simple.

“Bigger line diameter equals more abrasion resistance”
When I initially thought 30# superline was a good choice, guide Denny Halgren set me straight on that one. That superline was about as thick as 10-12# mono, nowhere near as tough around rocks as 20# mono. After that I started using 20# mono a lot more. Now, I use 80# power pro and 25# mono. The 80# has about the same thickness of 20# mono.

You could fill a book with quotes from Denny. Never at a loss for words, always an interesting perspective.

“As long as that jar of bait doesn’t explode, it should still be good.”

‘Mr. Obvious’

“I learn something every time I fish with someone” Chris “CatdadMN” Winchester.

“Catching fish is so over-rated” Dennis “Fishhead” Steele enjoying the sights and sounds of the river a while the lines remained still.

“If you set the hook and miss the fish, all that means is your hook was too small” Author unknown.

“Catfishermen, we own the night” James Holst

“I’m a catfish guy living in a walleye world” Briank after attending a MN DNR Roundtable a few years back.

“Don’t listen to those cheeseheads. Use your clicker” DirkW 2004 or so.. when talking about the pros and cons of using the line out alarm (two or more rods) on IDo.

“If you want to use two rod to fish catfish, go to IA” Unknown pike angler in a slightly heated debate about using two lines during the open water season in MN.

“Do you know what your asking!!??” Unknown WI DNR official when discussing closing the flathead season in the winter months on the Mississippi River.

Might not be the exact type of quotes you were looking for Shawn, but they came to mind.

Speaking of stink bait…

“Most people use way more than needed. Just a little Secret 7 will attract fish and bites” Jeff Williams Guide, bait manufacturer and cat fishing promoter.

“If I was fishing for numbers of good fish, I would use stink bait. If I was looking for the biggest fish, I would use cut bait”. Sonny of Sonny’s Super Sticky.

“After many many hours of fishing, using a treble hook (with stink bait) will do less damage to a (channel)cat then a circle hook”. Jeff Williams referring to my objection of using trebles for catching cpr fish. (He sells both)

Favorite Tips or Advice..
No matter how much you think that person is your good buddy and wont stir you wrong, they will!!! So take what people tell you lightly. Most the time they are lying and misleading you anyway…

Find what works for you, observe others techniques and adapt them to your fishing program if it works for you….

TRUST KNOW ONE AND BELIEVE NOTHING!

From an old timer watching me feed a fish line. ” They don’t have any hands, set the F$%^in Hook.”

While talking to a guy shore fishing who had a 7″ walleye in his bucket. “I caught a small one to, but I let that one go”.

Dr. Hook while talking with a very nice cross eyed young lady at the Wigwam Resort during the Sturgeon Excursion “She must be a great road hunter, she can watch both ditches at once”.

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Dr. Hook while talking with a very nice cross eyed young lady at the Wigwam Resort during the Sturgeon Excursion “She must be a great road hunter, she can watch both ditches at once”.

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What a trip that was

After a long streak of bad luck…then losing a fish in the wood…

“This is getting Fxxxxx old ” I’m not going to say whom said that.

Sorry, I keep heading towards quotes and staying away from the “tips and advice”. TRUST NO ONE…

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After a long streak of bad luck…then losing a fish in the wood…

“This is getting Fxxxxx old ” I’m not going to say whom said that.

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I’ll take credit for that one. I think I said a few more expletives, though.

“Start burnin’ that reel!”

Another quote from Jeff Williams on cranking down to set the hook with the rod in the holder…heard that in one of those videos…that’s been a good tip for me. When the fish takes off and you have a sturdy rod holder, just start cranking.

Guys like Jeff Williams, Denny Halgren, Dennis Steele, CatDaddy, James Patterson, Stu McKay, Glen Hood, Mike Cook…before the more recent generation of “catfish experts” came along…There’s an impressive pool of catfishing knowledge amongst those guys.

Before everyone started having jet boats, high-tech side imaging, custom built rods, and a lot of other specialized catfish gear…those guys had everything worked out on their own. I have to think there was a lot of value to figuring it all out without a lot of the modern short-cuts.

I don’t mean any disrespect to any of the newcomers, I’m sure the very old timers felt the same way about such luxuries as free-spool baitcasters, better drag systems, and other innovations of the 70s and 80s. Ok, now i’m sounding old…

“Why the hell did we bring Mike along”. I’ve heard that one a lot.

Back in the old days a guy I called “old fart” ( he didn’t mind)
Fred was his proper name…
Told me…”When ya feel’em..Hit’em right between the eye’s”

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“I’m a catfish guy living in a walleye world” Briank after attending a MN DNR Roundtable a few years back.

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Your favorite tip is youre own? Haha

“if you givem an inch you’ll go home hungry” “if you don’t bleed them you might as well eat mud” “beware the fish that comes to the boat easy” “Let the fat ones go so we can catch them again and they can make more fat ones” My grandpa was years ahead of his time.

My advice to friends that pick up a rod and then the bite suddenly stopped:

“When it doubt, set the hook.”

Fish when you can,life is short.

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“When it doubt, set the hook.”

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That is a good one, I’ve heard that a few times. As well as,

“if you’re going to attempt a hook-set, be swift and decisive. No hesitation.” I’m sure Denny Halgren told me that too, and that is another good one…

As far as tips, reel down until you feel the fish (tension) before setting the hook is another great tip.

I probably heard that before, but Stange/Hoffman talk about that one in Flatheads: Day on the River.

While I’m at it…

“Folks thing you have to use something dead and stinking to catch catfish. Nothing could be further from the truth.” Well, something like that. Otis “Toad” Smith.

Another old timer you could fill a book with quotes from…Catfish Fever still one of my top fishing videos in the winter rotation!

“Dang, I thought I could land big flatheads with my chanel cat rods.” Get heavy flat head rods,reels, hooks and lines, THEN go flathead fishin.

Catfish like stinkbait, all you have to do is add limburger and set in the sun.