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What do you Red river boys do this time of year when the channels cats seem to peck at you baits and are difficult to hook?? I’ve made my cut bait pieces a bit smaller and went from a circle hook to a straight hook back to a circle, etc. When they are pecking and I do hook up they arent always the fiddlers I think they are. Some have been 4-5 lbs. Any ideas?? I could go from 10-20 channels an outing to…well, way more, if I could just get my hook up ratio higher. Thanks.

Dirk,
I know exactly what you mean and I would say we have that same problem here this time of the year. I really do not change a thing though, just keep moving until I find more aggressive fish. I have tried everything from reducing hook size to reducing bait size but nothing seemed to help so all I do now is move to another spot and hope for more aggressive fish.
We are lucky here on the Red, it has such a large population of catfish that we can always find some hungry fish. Over the last six days I have yet to fish a spot without getting some sort of bite. And I do not stay in an area long. I would guess in that time I probably fished close to 150 spots and have had at least some bites at every place we dropped the anchor.
If you do find something that helps you hook more fish let us guys here on the Red know too.
Good Luck,
Dennis

Yup, them peckers can be a pain. You KNOW they are there, yet they still dink around……..fustrating …….yup.

I have tinkered with a method to stir these lookers into being hookers. It may sound “Goofy”, but it works, I have convinced many folks after they try it while on my guide trips.

First my “Theory”.

Cats have two main things going for them,. There ultra-sensitive sense of smell and taste. If it has a smell or a taste, they know about it as soon as it hits the water. Their other is there sense of hearing or feel. A catfish can hear that crayfish creeping over the gravel in pitch black muddy water and zone in on it with easy.

So..I thunk on that a bit……and came up with what I call “Knuckling”. This is a simple knock with your knuckle on the fore-grip of the rod to send low frequency sound waves down the line to Mama Whiskers to hone in on.

OK……..sure sounds kinda Crazy….smells of a “Snipe Hunt you say…ya…well maybe…but it works Eh.

Many times if them peckers are feeling up a bait, a bit apprehensive, a “Knuckle” or two will trigger them to commit and make a run. You do not knock away tell your knuckles get raw, just once in a while. Five raps, thats about it. Dull thuds not metallic clicks, use the knuckle. Low range vibrations travel farther underwater. That is why the military uses ultra-low frequency’s to communicate with subs, they travel farther.

Da-Side story. Steve Smith from Berkley tackle, Bob Jensen, and I were filming a show for “Midwest Outdoors” on the Central Red River last season.

The cats were a bit pecky, so it caused me to do my thing, “Knuckle” up a piggy…or at least try. They looked at me………..they both sat there…….wondering what the hey? Then Steve finally said “Ed what are you doing?” Yup..he thought…he is nuts. I told him my theories on it, he said..”OH”…and that was about it.

Bob on the other hand was keen on giving it a go, he did, and the cats were cooperative. After Bob and I caught a bunch by “Knuckling” I noticed Steve was slyly starting to give it a shot.

Steve see’s a pecker……..sties the “knuckling”…..pauses…….WHAM……….piggy cat smacked it right off the bat, about ripped the rod out of Steves hands.

So much for that “Ah…It’s only a tiny kitty..Eh Steve?” He became a believer by the end of the trip. On that day it did make the difference between lookers, and hookers.

Give it a shot, see if it helps.

Honest..it’s not a “Snipe Hunt” thing guys………..Really.

Hey Eddy, I’ll have to try that “knuckling” thing sometime soon. We had a lot of those peckers up on the Red last weekend. I figured they were mostly sheepshead, but Stu said they were probably cats. I wish I would have tried your knuckle trick. I’ll give it a shot on my favorite small river next week. We usually get those power runs, but there are always a few peckers too. I always discounted those as bullheads, but maybe they’re not. I better try some “knuckling”. Vern

Give it a go.

It is based on solid theory, some serious biology, and a dose of Backwater Eddy-BS.

Cats are like a walleye in many ways, they like a trigger at times. Sound is often that extra trigger to get that kitty to rock on a bait.

I have used it up North, worked very well, especially at night when fishing with pronds and shrimp. They sniff-sniff..tap-tap, then you “knuckle” them a bit and WHOOP-there she is……We—We–We.

I think it is especially effective in dirty water, helps them zero in on the target after fallowing the scent trail to the general area of the bait. If they think it just may wonder off (the wounded bait they smell), they THUMP/CRUSH it hard when they do spot it, just to be sure it will not wonder off.

I have a friend who does Flatheads, and he is now sold on it. Flatheads I think key in on sound even more, being primarily live feeders by nature. Yet Channels are top predators when they get in the mood to tear up the neighborhood too, never underestimate the tenacity of a Sumo Channel on the prowl.

I havent “knuckled” flatheads but I have had some serious hits just after I’ve jiggled my line to get the bullhead moving again. I’ll give it a try.