Hey Guys, I am wanting to make a trip up to the horseshoe chain this weekend for some catfishing. How is the ice looking up there after the warm weather and rain? Any advice for catching cats?
Thanks in advance!!
My advice would be to pack a couple Tylenol in your pocket and drill holes until you need them. Find a school and stay on top of it as it moves around.
Go to the backside of Hammer Point on Horseshoe and check the 40 foot hole. It’s a community hole for cats and crappies. You’ll find some eyes mixed in. The cats will be suspended about 10–15 off the bottom. The Meth Hole area is hit and miss. Heading into the river portions is super sketch this time of year but can put you on major schools.
Cats bite like crappies, light and subtle. Fight like a brick. Fatheads cut in half work better than chicken livers 90% of the time. Red glow jigs with the tail-half of a fathead are my go-to. Many use foam ice bobbers that are cut down so that only 1/2” floats above the water.
I just moved another half hour away so I haven’t been out to the Chain but twice this year, but man do I love that body of water.
Yes…I fished the bottom for two hours my first year up there (at the meth hole) without a bite. Kept seeing these crappies swimming through 10-15 feet off the bottom.
Heck, crappies are better then nothing I figured…
All cats. The next hour I had ice 7 rod benders.
Leave the stink bait and livers at home.
Don’t be afraid to use live minnow either.
This is not the time of year to explore and stay out of the river portion until you have someone that has some experience that can go with you. It was January one year and on my way out on an atv there was a truck topper just above the ice. That fella left the landing just as I arrived.
Thanks for the great advice guys! We had a successful trip last night.
Drilled 50+ holes and did quite a bit of walking but we finally got on top of a school and landed 25+.
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Nice!
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