Sunday Night chasing Channel Cats

Turk’s right about the channel cats. I was out last night and picked up 5 nice channels (28″, 27″, and 3 at 24″). They are just clobbering a slowly drifted cut bait along the flats near the channel edge in about 15′ to 20′ of water. The big boat traffic didn’t let up until about 10:00pm and it didn’t slow down the channel cat bite at all. If you want to catch some channel cats now is a great time – they are really fat, must be full of shad.

That’s a pig

NICE LOOKING CAT FOR SURE CAMANCHERO 15. I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE RED RIVER BY GRAND FORKS CAT FISHING (5 DAYS OF CAT FISHING). THEY DO GROW A LITTLE BIGGER OVER THERE. THEY HAMMERED THE CUT BAIT AS WELL. WE WERE FISHING WITH CHICKEN LIVER BUT THAT ONLY PRODUCED THE LITTLE EATERS. THE CUT BAIT (SUCKERS) WAS THE TICKET FOR SURE OUR LARGEST CHANNEL WAS 18 POUNDS. SEVERAL IN THE 10 TO 15 LB RANGE. WE FISHED IN THE 13′ TO 15’OF WATER AND 2oz SINKERS AND THE CIRCLE HOOKS. MAN IF YOU HAVE NOT TRIED A CIRCLE HOOK DO SO THAY WORKED REALLY WELL FOR US AND NVER MISSED A FISH.

OK, you guys are starting to make me want to go out and buy some more equipment. Looks like I am going to need a “dedicated” cattin’ tackle box!
I have two questions though. You cattin’ guys all talk about “cut bait”. Are you using chunks of bait, or are you putting slices in a live bait, so that it bleeds, and smells?
Second, what bait are you using, and is there a place in Hastings to buy some?
Since I am so close to this river, it would be fun to try this out, while the nights are still nice out.

Thanks for the help,

Rivy

Hey Rivy – We are using chunks of bait. I like to use large suckers if I can get them. I’ve also had good success using cut bullhead – they make some bloody fillets that leave a good scent trail. You can just chunk them like you would a loaf of bread or fillet them like you would a sauger or walleye and cut the fillets into chunks, usually about an 1 1/2″ to 2″ chunks.

Last night we had medium suckers and I just chunked them like a loaf of bread; cut the tail off leaving a short chunk of body, then cut the body into about 2 chunks and keep the head. You can usually get about 2 or 3 chunks from a medium sucker and still have the head. I use the tail by adding it to one of the chunks to freshen the chunk after it has been in the water about 10 minutes. The heads work too but I have more confidence in the bloody center cut chunks. I usually use the heads when I am getting low on bait.

We change bait about every 15 minutes to keep a fresh scent trail in the water. Keeping fresh bait going is important so don’t scrimp on using bait.

You asked where you can get bait. Suckers are available at any bait store. You can also catch your own bait for cutting. A lot of guys go out early and catch their bait before starting to catfish, usually targeting suckers, mooneye or bullheads.