Cut Bait

So which part of the bluegill do you use to catch cats? Or which part works best for you guys?
Thanks

I don’t use bluegills since I live in mn and there not legal. Any part would work, you could fillet a side off and use it or cut a fillet into smaller strips or cubes. You could cut the whole bluegill into 1/3 or 1/2 depending on how big they are, or if you want to fish for flatheads just use them alive.
The method I use in mn is I use a whole 6-8″ sucker or creek chub and cut the tip of the tail off and part of the head and rig it up with Steve Demars hooking method.

Take Care and Tight Lines!!
Kevin

Use a scissors and cut them into inch square chunks. The only part I don’t use is the tail fin.

I’ve had good luck catching some smaller 6″ or so Sunnies for bait in the marina I keep my boat at. They make great cat bait – I just cut them in half with a game shears. I hook one rod up with the head hooked through the lips. I take the back half and snip off the tail and hook that chunk on another rod going through the skin near the spine. Some days they seem to want the head and other days the back chunk is the ticket.

I’ve been trolling those chunks using a 3-way rig and picking up some nice channel cats. Hook about a 1 oz slinky weight on the bottom of the 3-way swivel. Use about a 30″ leader with an 8/0 circle hook. I put a small bobber about 4″ in front of the hook to float it up out of the snags. I’ve been trolling upstream at about .5 mph. Let out about 75 to 80 feet of line – you should be able to see your rod tip bouncing as the bait slides along the bottom. I tight line the rods placed in rod holders and the channels will hammer the bait and hook themselves.

Thanks for the tips guys, that Steve Demars hookup is pretty neat(had to google it) and for the 3way I’ll be using the sinker slider. Will give this a try tomorrow

what is the point of a slider sinker on a 3 way? I would think all you would have is a short 1ft dropper with some weight on it, and then your leader at your length of choice (12-18″, maybe less with cutbait?) Seems like a waste of the sinker slider tackle.

Slinky weights, not sliders. They are specially made form river fishing to get bait to the bottom ad saver terminal tackle if they snag.

How to make your own…

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what is the point of a slider sinker on a 3 way? I would think all you would have is a short 1ft dropper with some weight on it, and then your leader at your length of choice (12-18″, maybe less with cutbait?) Seems like a waste of the sinker slider tackle.

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I’ll be using a sinker slider instead of a 3way ..

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for the 3way I’ll be using the sinker slider.

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I use sinker slides on all my slip sinker rigs so I can change weights quickly and easily. The drifting/trolling rig is not a slip rig – I want a set leader length so I peg the sinker on a 3-Way swivel so I know how much leader is out there.

You can use the sinker slide if you don’t have any 3-Way swivels and it will probably work fine. I’ve used the sinker slide and it works but sometimes if you are using a bobber to float the bait up off the bottom it will pull additional line through the sinker slide and your bait will float too high. I prefer to use a 3-Way to attach my Slinky Weight so the leader length is pegged and won’t pull additional leader length.

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what is the point of a slider sinker on a 3 way? I would think all you would have is a short 1ft dropper with some weight on it, and then your leader at your length of choice (12-18″, maybe less with cutbait?) Seems like a waste of the sinker slider tackle.

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I’ll be using a sinker slider instead of a 3way ..

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Not really a good idea, if you hit slack water your sinker will hit bottom and your cut bait (lots of drag in the water) will pull line and keep lengthening your leader.

Go buy a $0.89 pack of 3 ways at any bait shop or even walmart. They are a lot cheaper than sinker slides also.

You guys use sinkers?

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You guys use sinkers?

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Wouldn’t need them in low water typical of late July and August, but the water’s still way high.

Like Matt said you won’t need sinkers in normal late summer stable water. The weight of the cut bait will sink it right down. Right now I’m pulling upstream in current with a float on the leader. At about .5 mph the 1 oz seems to be about right to keep the bait in the target zone and I seldom get hung with the slinky weight.

I imagine I could just drift with the current without a weight and just the weight of the cut bait would sink the bait OK if you want to avoid the sinker. I may try that tonight and see how that works. I’ve used snagless hooks in those situations in the past and they have worked good to avoid snags.

I remember when Dan Gapen came out with sliding sinkers back in the late 70’s that slid over the bottom, man it feels like that was along time ago.