Please Do Not Delete This Post. It is meant in no way to hurt anyone’s feelings but it is meant to bring up a very serious subject.

How can someone who claims to be a guide take people out fishing for profit using technique and location when this information was taken from somebody else. Guides spend many years on the water hunting for new locations, trying new techniques, and learning their quarry. Guides do not catch fish for the first time one year and take people out fishing for money the next. Especially when somebody else showed them how to do it.

It would be like having a real guide take me out fishing for on the mississipi river for walleyes showing me a few places to fish, then taking clients out fishing in those same spots asking them to pay me for it the next year.

A real guide is out looking for new places, trying different baits, tackle set-ups, and proving your theories by catching fish.

And in no way am I exaggerating this situation.

Mike T.
St.Paul, MN

My circle hook fishing for cats has been limited to channels with the occasional flathead taking the bait. With that said I have had excellent luck with the Gamakatsu Octupus Cirle in 8/0 (G20825). 25 pack for $8.25 (0.33 cents each). These hooks are tough as nails, super sharp, and light wire so they penetrate easier. I would estimate my hookup ratio at 98% and once hooked I have never lost a fish. I use the same hook for sturgeon fishing too. I have used the Daichi circle chunk lights and have not had luck and they are too expensive. Hope this helps.

Mike T.

I use a Kahle hook which is somewhere between a circle and J-hook. I have had good success with hooking in the mouth but do miss alot of fish. The Outdoor news had an article last year on the subject of quick strike rigs. Some anglers are in favor of mandatory use of quick strike rigs with tip ups. They claimed there are studies that show even with the use of circle hooks fish die do to delayed mortality. The action of the hook being pulled from the gullet can do damage. The only way to minimize damage to the gullet is to use quick strike rigs and immediatly set the hook when the flag goes up. Keep in mind that quick strike rigs are illegal in MN. It is considered multiple hooks. The way to get around this is by adding a small spinner in front of it. This way it is considered a lure similiar to a crankbait. This is one reason why the article was written. People would like to see this law changed. I would like to try quickstrike rigs this year. Does anybody know where to puchase them or do you have to make them?

Buschman,

Glad to hear you got your rod back. Good to know they float in case I ever drop mine.

Brian,

I have been very busy with my little boy who was born in Arpil. I hope to get out and hit the fall bite again this year. Maybe I will see you out there.

Mike T.

Did he get his rod back? I hope so, cause they don’t make those any more? There is treasure in those thar waters, ARRRRGGG me matey!

Since your motor is an EFI, the only “tuning” that can be done is replacement of the spark plugs and lower unit oil change. The service facility might do a fuel injection service which consists of running some cleaner through the system. If you are somewhat mechanically inclined, you can do all of this yourself.

Mike T.

Can you fish for trout without a trout stamp also?

Thanks,
Mike T.

Yes,

As in my last post I have seen dead cats left on the ice by people. If you find a group of other catters they will respectfully catch and release or take their limit home with them. It is mostly the uneducated people that participate in this activity as with all things.

Mike T.

I have ice fished the horseshoe chain for cats for the past three years. Plenty of cats to go around. If you hit it right you can catch 50 cats a day between a couple of people in the range of 3-5 lbs. Lots of the locals up there feel the cats have invaded their waters so you will find cats dead out on the ice. Kind of like some people who throw sheephead or carp on shore. I’ve only kept fish a few times. It is just super fun catching and releasing one channel after the other on a small ice rod! I can’t wait to get after them again this year.

Mike T.

Watch the derogatory language! Try and have a civil debate otherwise you sound extremely unintelligent and make everyone on this site appear the same.

Fished Saturday, caught 4 walleyes and 3 sauger 15-19″ with the usual dinks and silvers mixed in. All caught trolling raps.

Mike T.

Your brother-in-law should let the DNR know about this “sighting.” The federal government is planning on spending millions of dollars on a barrier to keep these fish from moving up the Mississippi. The northern most confirmed case was found in Lake Pepin. If there is an established population this far north it could have great consequences. Please tell the DNR your story. Maybe they won’t do anything about it, but at least you tried. These fish can destroy a fishery.

Mike T.

Sounds good to me. I need a new rod

Mike T.

Do I have to sign up in advance? Is the scoring system for 1 fish, meaning the biggest fish wins or multiple fish, meaning the highest total score wins?

Mike T.

I’m on board too. Give me an assignment and I will take care of it. I would like to give any assistance I can on getting this issue taken care of. Dirk, pm me if you would like my contact information.

Mike Turbak

Brian,

Are you sure you didn’t just put a small bullhead in a big bullhead’s mouth and call it a flathead . Just kidding, that is really crazy though. Did you let it go like that or did you take the bullhead out? If you did take it out it looks really jammed in there.

Cool pic,
Mike T.

Sweet! Thanks

Do you guys know if the 494 ramp is open?

Thanks,
Mike T.

I would like to say Both, but you said we can’t. If I had to choose I would say timber. I have fished any ol’ timber I can find before and haven’t had much luck. My spots all have a combintion of both.

Mike T.

I was fishing the main channel in a high current area using cut shad that I collected back in March. Unfortunatly my batteries in my GPS went dead as I was aquiring the coordinates. The coordinates were 45.????

Mike T.

I would also have to say I like a stable water level. Inbetween high and low. When the river gets too high, it can get dangerous out there. When the water is too low, there isn’t enough current to hold fish in predictible locations. I had the same problem as Dirk last fall. All of my spots dried up due to low water levels and low current.

Mike T.

P.S. I went out channel cattin’ yesterday evening for a couple hours. Caught one channel and had lots of biters. They just didn’t want to commit. It was nice to catch that first cat of the year.

Hey Dirk,

Could you direct me where you saw this on the in-fisherman website? I have been waiting a long time for the new catfish guide to come out. I love that mag. I also read the first catfish book and was looking forward to the second coming out.

Thanks a ton,
Mike T.

I believe what these guys are doing is perfectly legal. Though snagging is illegal, because they are using a “lure” is becomes legal. These guys may not be intentionally trying to snag these fish, they are probably trying to “catch” them. I do not condone what they are doing at all. I would never participate in such an act. I don’t think the DNR can do anything about it either. One way to protect our beloved flathead is through educating anglers about flatheads and their vulnerability during the winter. The ultimate solution would be to have a closed season on them during the winter when they are vulnerable in their holes. If the season was closed right now, then the people catching these fish would be able to get fined. Slowly but surely more and more catfish regulations are coming up around the country and hopefully a closed season on flatheads will come soon too.

Mike T.

I would bet money your top guide looks the same as mine. I runs 80 lb Power Pro and my buddy’s run 80 lb Tuff Line and their top guides are all doing the same thing. One guy I know replaces the top guide as soon as he buys a new Big Cat. He does it himself and it just doesn’t look too sturdy. A rod shop could probably replace it, but how much does that cost? You could almost by a new rod for how cheap they cost.

Mike T.

I love my Quantum Big Cat also. Catfish Connection’s 2004 catalog has a Zebco Big Cat rod. I think it is the same rod. All of the specs are the same and I believe Zebco and Qauntum are related companies. Do you guys have problems with grooves being worn in the stainless steel tip on your Big Cats. Mine almost a channel worn in it. I am worried about my line fraying. I would like to replace the tip with a high quality guide, but I am afraid it would ruin the rod. Those stainless tips are on there pretty good. I am really disappointed that St.Croix is dicontinuing the Classic Cats. I was planning on getting a couple through a friend of mine for a good price. I took Dirk’s advice today and called St.Croix. No more rods being made in the near future so I said screw it and charged 2 of them on my card. I figured if they aren’t going to be made anymore, better get them while I can. I don’t mind spending the extra money on a quality rod. Hopefully I will have it for the rest of my life. Unlike my Big Cat which might have to be retired soon due to the worn guide.

Can’t wait until summer
Mike T.

P.S. James I would have bid on the rod to support the site, but I have no cash

Hey guys, I just wanted to chime in on your scale discussion. A 100 lb scale would be nice to have for that once in a lifetime fish but scales are usually most accurate in the middle of the spectrum. What I am trying to say is that when using a 100 lb scale to weigh your common 10-20 lb class flats the scale may be off quite a bit. By how much who knows, I just know I wouldn’t trust it. My cattin’ buddy I fish with has a digital Rapala scale good up to 50 lbs. We’ve come close but haven’t broke 50 yet. When we do we think the scale will just say “To be continued” and watch the monster swim away.

Mike T.

Don’t worry, I’ll drag him out there!

Do you know if anyone’s fishing off of Hamer’s Point? I can’t wait until the cat bite starts!

I am interested in buying some of the angel eyes spoons. Is there only one size? I noticed from the picture on the website that the card shoes different sizes, but when ordering there is no option to chose from. Thanks for your reply, Mike T.

The posted hours say the ramp closes at 11:00 PM. Personally I would never leave my vehicle there after dark. I live very close to the Lilydale ramp and spend quite a bit of time down there. I always see glass in the parking lot and it’s not from beer bottles.