cat fishing rod

I have started getting into cat fishin on the Miss and I need to upgrade my equipment. What would be a good middle of the road rod/reel combo for flatheads? Recommendations?

How much are looking to spend? You should post this over in the catfish forum. There’s a bunch of good cat guys that probably have some recommendations. If Your near MPLS stop in at Moore’s Bait & Tackle, Bob has a lot of cat gear.

I would suggest taking a trip to Moores Bait. Bob can set you up with pretty much anything you need for catting.

I’ll move this thread to the cat forum so this thread can get in front of the right crowd.

Cabela’s KingCat series are a decent rod (even though they are white )
Price is good anyway…… Kingkat combo

I heard Everts may have just what you are looking for and at a reasonable price

I like graphite for flatheads. You can get by with a cheap heavy fiberglass but I like a bit more control especially fishing close to cover. I have a couple St Croix premier musky rods that weren’t bank breakers.

i use a inexpensive rod from Fleet Farm – 8ft Shakespeare Alpha series, it was like 15-20 bucks. but i bought a good real to go with it – Okuma Epixor 50 spinning reel with a bait runner. that cost me $85 at Moores. Check out Moores, they are actually cheaper on just about everything, even compared to Cabelas, Gander, etc.

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Check out Moores, they are actually cheaper on just about everything, even compared to Cabelas, Gander, etc.

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It’s nice that a place knows what a person is talking about too!!

Obviously, you get catfish guys who love fiberglass rods, and guys who like graphite rods. I’ll just suggest get a combo that “feels good” and you’re very comfortable using.

A nice balanced combo that suits your fishing style is the best way to go.

For what it’s worth, I have a few graphite rods and a couple composite/fiberglass. If your fishing live baits with J hooks the graphite rods are nice. The more flexible glass rods are more forgiving if you’re using circle hooks (I don’t use them much). Regardless, I still like a fairly soft tip section (top 1/4 of the rod).

Shawn

You can’t beat a 1 piece graphite rod.

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I have started getting into cat fishin on the Miss and I need to upgrade my equipment. What would be a good middle of the road rod/reel combo for flatheads? Recommendations?

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There is some very good recommendations above and it is a loaded question.

In my opinion there is many factors to consider when buying a rod. Now picking up a $10 cat rod will work and work well, depending on what a person wants out of a rod and how often it’s going to be used.

Once or twice a year or maybe your not sure cat fishing is for you…The best rod for you is the least expensive rod on the market. Most cat guys started off with one rod, moved on to the next step up and sold/gave away their first rod if they’ve enjoyed catten.

It seems now a days that there’s always a new person entering into the sport and looking for a starter rod.

Here’s a few things to consider~

Channels or Flats?

The more experience catters will say they are not interchangeable. Although many of use used one rod for both when we started out. Just a matter of budget.

We’re talking flats here, so let’s stick to them.

Shore or Boat?

When I fish from shore, I’ll chose a longer rod, say around 8 feet. Longer if I’m regularly casting a distance.

I prefer a shorter rod while fishing from a boat. Around 6’10” or 7′. They are much easier to handle in a boat than the longer rods and work just as well in fighting a biggun.

Since the length of casting can be controlled by the anchor, a long rod to get the bait out a distance isn’t needed.

Mono or Braid?

Do you have a preference?

Mono stretches, braid doesn’t. Keep this in mind if your planning on fishing in a boat. Twenty or 30 pound mono will stretch the lenght of your boat when the sinker or hook get hung up…and this will happen!

Mono is more abrasion resistant than braid, some will say. If your planning on fishing rock areas, mono should be considered over braid.

I fish wood cover, snags and trees mostly and 80 pound PowerPro is my first choice. One of the most asked question I hear is “why are you using 80 pound line when the fish you catch are only up to 40-50 pounds?”

When a cat feels that hook, she’s going to head for the nearest cover. If she makes it, it’s game over for my boat. The trick is to turn the cat and work her towards the boat and the Beckman!

So what does this have to do with which rod to buy? If I fish with Mono, I’ll use a stiffer rod for hook setting. Remember, the hook need to be pulled out of the live bait and into the cat. Mono stretches. The stiffer rod compensates for the line stretch.

Braid transfers “feeling” to the rod. A graphite rod ends up being your telegraph to the bottom of the river, your bait and sooner or later, Mr. Whiskers. With very little experience an angler can feel what kind of bottom you’re fishing, if your bait is still there and working, if there’s weeds or other debris on your sinker or line.

One point to remember when fishing with braid and graphite. The angler can feel everything that’s going on at the other end of the line and the cat can feel everything that’s going on at the end of the rod. The angler that carefully picks up the rod and lightly feathers the spool to ensure the cat’s still there when the hook is set will land more fish than the person that grabs the rod out of the holder which tightens and then creates slack in the line.

Manufacturer’s Reputation?

Something to consider when making the more spendy purchase. Each person will have to define “spendy”.

Is there a warranty? The lower price rods are, well lower price for a reason.

Is there an over the counter exchange should something happen to your favorite rod?

Price Point

Here’s another question you’ll have to answer.

Back in the ’80’s the Favorite Wife gave me $300. for a fly rod that I was drooling over for a few years. You know, the only time I thought that rod wasn’t worth every penny was when I was counting out the cash to pay for it. It is still my favorite fly rod.

After saying that, the worst recommendation is running out and purchase the most expensive cat rod on the market. That rod might not be the best rod for your application.

Take your time, fish with some friends and check out their rods, see what type of rod is best for your type of fishing.

For the type of fishing that I do, out of a boat and in the type of area that I fish, very woody snaggy areas…the St Croix Premiere PC610HMF 6’10” H Mod. Fast action is my go to flathead rod.

Filling a Garcia 7000 C3 reel with 80 pound PowerPro and placing it on top of the St Croix Premiere gives me the winching ability to pull a cat out of the thickest of wood cover to the end result.

The end result is the smiles for the photos!!










<img src="/wp-content/uploads/bbu_images/fishing/post_image

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Here’s a few things to consider~

Channels or Flats?

Shore or Boat?

Mono or Braid?

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And to add an important feature that Brian did not cover —

White rod or Black rod?

White rods are known to catch HUGE fish, while at the same time be visible at all hours of the day against either a dark sky in Belle Plaine or a well-lit night sky in St Paul.

Oh yeah…forgot that one!

The three rods I consider my best, which are always in my starting rotation, are South Bend 7′ heavy action (some would call them pool cues) white rods that cost me $9.95 each at Farm & Fleet. They’re both the cheapest flathead rods I’ve ever encountered, and the most ideal for me – and I really have decided that flathead fishing is for me, so they are a permanent option!

And I’ll be like BrianK and show you that they work:

There you go!

Just goes to show that it’s not that expensive to get into catten.

Lots of bacon on those flats Matt!

This is getting good. For me my mainly channel cat fishing from a boat the best rod ever made is an Ugly Stick medium heavy in 6 ft or 6 foot 8. Mine are 6 years old and still going strong with heavy usage. The were like 26 dollars each. Get a decent reel with a good drag system.

What? No pictures?

I leave the equipment fixation (AKA a gizmo-fetish) for the walleye types. Catfishing is relatively simple, i.e. slip rig, weight, hook – it is not like buying a car. Good rods are the Berkley Big Game ($25ish) or UglyStick ($25ish) I use both regularly. Too long of rods are hard to handle in the truck, boat, etc – a 7.5 ft med-heavy rod will fit in your pickup box perfect.

I’m still waiting for the IA boys to jump in on how to chose a green limb.

Now that weddings and other non fishing BS are over, I feel a few new pictures will be shortly forthcoming.

Here comes the pig channels!!

I agree with Pug on the one piece rods. 1 pc 7′ MH.

One of my favs in an older Abu ultracast composite casting rod. But, I have a Shakespear Catera spinning that’s MH graphite (a light MH) that’s pretty nice as well. I’m using 20# for most, so I don’t need a pool cue.

I also like to use the same rods for channels and flats, some guys use different set-ups. Again, all comes down to what feels good. I have an 8′ rod (Offshore angler) that’s got a nice action, plenty stout, but it gets cumbersome in my small boat. I’m taking my shorter Cabela’s Classic Graphite rods in it’s place next trip out…

Shawn

If you look at the number of posts per species, or look at the number of posts per respondant to your question, you’ll realize that you’ve asked your question to a passionate group. While not everyone has a go to catfish manifesto, like IDO’so own B.K. Kozinski, their answers are similar. Just less detailed. Pay attention to Brian. Also, read each and every post by Steve DeMars. Each answer by them, or most any other poster in this forum is earnest and backed up with experience. I have a truck with an 8 ft bed. Long rods fit fine there. My boat has a rod\gun locker with that can hold a 5 1/2 ft. rod. I favor two piece rods. If you can narrow down your fishing preference, price point, and ability to manage or transport your rig, you’ll find just the answers you’re looking for. You’ve found a great place to ask questions and get them answered and a superb species to fish. Good luck and post pics.

i prefer using a longer rod, like 8ft, for easier pick up of slack line. and i like all the leverage i can get on a big fish. just my personal preference is all.

what i can tell you from my short “cattin'” experience, is to save a few bucks on the rod, and spend it on the reel. i used a combo from fleet farm last year, and it came with a reel that did not have a baitrunner. now, i caught fish with it, and it can be done, but it was a pain in the thats why i went and spent the money on a good Okuma reel at Moores, and i like it much much better. not only does it have a baitrunner, it has a better drag, it is made of metal not plastic, and has more bearings. no comparison between the two.

i did put this reel on my fleet farm rod, and have had no issues with it. I took my old reel and picked up another cheaper rod to put it on. now, i have a second rod to either have someone else use, that doesn’t have one, or i can also now fish two lines on the border waters.

just my $.02

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is to save a few bucks on the rod, and spend it on the reel.

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New thread!!

What should a person look for in a bait caster or what should they look for in a spinning reel?

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i prefer using a longer rod, like 8ft, for easier pick up of slack line. and i like all the leverage i can get on a big fish. just my personal preference is all.

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Point of clarification, the longer the rod, the more leverage the fish has. A lot of guys love 8′ rods, and I know some who occasionally use longer. For float fishing (live or dead baits) they are great for long distance hooksets. I like 7′ myself, but I’ve looked and some 7 1/2 and 8.

Shawn