Question for you catmen out there

I have recently started targeting catfish, channel cats in particular. I have been getting frustrated, I am constatly watching my rods go tap, tap, tap with no hookup. I am not sure if it is small fish or not. I know that big fish are in these areas I have hooked into a 37″ flathead and numerous 30″+ channels. Is this normal? I don’t want to downsize the tackle because of the big fish. I am using 3 oz. no roll sinkers and 3/0 to 5/0 circle hooks. They work perfectly with the bigger fish, just wait til the rod bends over and then wrestle it out of the holder.

I’m certainly not an expert on channels although we’ve caught quite a number of them.

I was talking to the owner of Sonny’s Super Sticky a few years ago. He said if you get a lot of nibbles in Sept., move. They are what’s called “fiddlers” or very small channels. His instructions explain when using stink bait, that if there isn’t a (good) bite in 15 minutes, move to another location.

Hope that helps.

That is what I figured, I have been moving when that happens. Thanks for the help BrianK.

I aways imagine something like what’s at the 23 second mark of this video down there chewing.

Those little ones are the best eaters. You can catch a big fish on a small hook but not the opposite. I use number 6 or 8 trebles most of time when after channels. Sometimes it is a lot of fun to downsize and get a nice mess for the fryer. So get the blue gill rods out and that is when you find the big one. I see a lot of people on here use flathead gear for channel cats and there is no sport in that. Using gear setup for 80lb fish to catch channels is just an excercise in winching fish out of the water. I use medium heavy ugly sticks and 20lb power pro but the fish run very big here compared to the river.

Yeah, that makes sense. What’s weird is that while that was going on on one rod I caught this with the other…

Not odd at all. Those big flathead cats would love a fiddler snack about as much as they would a bluegill or bullhead. Even more reason to catch a few small ones. Free bait.

Quote:

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I’m certainly not an expert on channels although we’ve caught quite a number of them.
if you get a lot of nibbles in Sept., move. They are what’s called “fiddlers” or very small channels if there isn’t a (good) bite in 15 minutes, move to another location.

Hope that helps.

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thats what i go by i hundred percent

In the last week we have had some channels crush our bait – don’t know if its from the warm weather, but thats what I suspect.

At my local lake they are following the shad around. I think my new lesson this year is catfishing is 95% location. Your hooks sound fine to me.