I hit this thread again in a little project I’m working on… those article links are so dead now I can’t even recover them using archive.org. Good thing I had most all of that stuff saved locally in one format or another!
I’ve had decent look with those Shakespeare SKP2000s, there’s an eBay seller that always seems to have some good catfish reels for sale…think he’s a saltwater guy. Just picked up a Tidewater freeliner spinning reel that was real nice from them. Ed-n-Carole. Sells a lot of reels, different makes.
Enjoyed following the various points being discussed, we don’t have a lot of sturgeon in Illinois but they’re a pretty amazing fish.
Definitely good for special fish species like that to hang around, don’t want them to be like the alligator gar where their range is vastly reduced these days. Illinois still has a 157 pound record alligator gar on the books, from something like 100 years ago. Have no idea when the last verified alligator gar catch occurred in Illinois waters.
Ask and ye shall receive..that was fast! Looks like you did have to go back a few years, I was scrolling through the list the other day and missed those two. About time for another one I think…
Nice videos Brian, enjoyed those!
Also available for Kindle (or read it using the Kindle app on apple stuff…). Both of these look like a great read, planning to check them out!
Ended up sharing a link in the C-P-R Catfishing facebook group too. I’ll probably get the Kindle version, I’ll post a review if I do. Now to decide which one to start with!!!
That’s the one thing I didn’t like about the 25# mono, lol. I alternate Power Pro and heavy mono. If the rod has more give, I use Power Pro. If the rod has less give, I use the mono.
I figure the stretch (or lack of) helps balance things out in the overall setup. If I was limited to one line, I’d go with the braid…which I didn’t start using until all the folks in this forum were always raving about it. It is great stuff, more expensive but sure lasts a long time.
I’ll definitely post a few reports about the Stren catfish line…
My question about the visibility relates my considering switching back to a swivel rig. For the last few years, I’ve been using the traditional (in Illinois anyhow) slip-sinker rig where the weight goes on, hook is tied, and a split-shot keeps the weight in place. Guess you could call it the one-knot rig.
To be honest, I’ll probably stick with the one knot deal because it’s faster to rig (especially in the dark) and it’s also the most fail safe (re: confidence!) way to go as well. I run an occasional float rig when I’m not fishing close to snags (or trying to keep the bait above bottom clutter), but the vast majority of the time I just use the classic slip-sinker rig. Been my go-to rig for bottom fishing since I was a kid.
12508896_1288129697879864_406863146218772591_n.jpg
You can also make a similar weight using a swivel and tag line. Put on however many 1/2 oz egg sinkers and whack the last one with a hammer.
Good deal!
I’ve been using a Tiger Lite heavy 1 pc spinning rod for a while, love it! My new “lucky”pole…
Wild!
I was searching about speed with a 14′ 6hp motor and hit this old IDO thread. After some quick calculations, figure I was getting 10-12 mph on the river last night with my setup, if I moved forward a bit it did help with the top end speed.
Interesting as Ralph’s comments were spot-on with my own experience.
Thanks… I’m shallow V small motor. That’s actually a bit of a drive for me, but we cross at Merrimac all the time on the way up to Devil’s Lake and I don’t know anything about the river downstream from there. Except that from what I’ve seen it sure looks fishy!
What kind of bait are you using?
I tend to like the single hooks and if the road is limber enough maybe just wait until they load up in the holder?
Shawn
THAT is a great fish story… and ultimately why we do what we do.
Love the name Scar too! WTG.
Boy, you keep that awfully clean Steve. Very nice layout. I’d love to have that much space!!!
I think each person probably has a different layout that works and it definitely evolves over time. I had rod holders across the back and on the sides of my old boat, but rarely used the side ones. Now, I have them basically wrapped around the back of my 14′ Sea Nymph.
Definitely good to have a dedicated space to measure and photo the fish. I have decking (the “flathead loft”) that’s marked off. IF I catch a fish, I can put them up there getting a quick measurement and photo. Of course, I don’t have all that floor space.
At the end of the day, it’s great to have as much as you can within close reach…baits, rod holders, terminal tackle, lights, etc. That’s why I have the small “fishing seat” in the middle…close to the rods and my bait bucket is right behind me when I’m anchored.
1395957_1163279090364926_433196113304663043_n.jpg
05232015-flat.jpg
Congrats Steve. That’s the fish of a lifetime right there!
Still a great article and you can get to it via Archive.org. You can also use this technique in light current bottom fishing for catfish. Great piece from Turk!
https://web.archive.org/web/20030320191940/http://fishtheriver.com/articles/anchoring_art.html
I swear forces of the universe were conspiring against me yesterday… couldn’t catch the bait i wanted, never got my outboard put back together (but I did get my garden planted), etc.
Ended up hitting the river with the electric motor and suckers from the bait shop (which I don’t really like using for flatheads). Water temp was ready 68 degrees as last as midnight. Got a real nice channel cat early and a 29″ flathead a little after midnight. I was fishing man-made structure in about 7′ of water (which is pretty deep for the pool I was fishing).
Both fish buried the rods in the holder.
11262435_1129152147110954_8923990952624841646_n.jpg
Got pretty nice again this afternoon, couple more sunny warm days sure can’t hurt! Just those dropping temps overnight…thinking I’ll try to get over to the launch a little while before dusk so I can get some baits in the water before the temps start to drop.
Yeah, I should plan have a hoodie and maybe another jacket packed plus long johns (i’m thinking). You know hot coffee in the thermos. Good point BK!
The Sewer Supreme was a cattracker bait i was mixing with leftover Dunkers and that was crazy good bait too. Wicked Sticky had a better consistency, they market them all as Wicked Sticky flavors now so maybe they thickened up the formula of those other flavors. Since I fish live baits most of the time, I haven’t picked up dip bait in a couple years now.
I have a smaller boat (14’/55″ beam) I like the folding seats because you don’t have to stow them when you’re not sitting in them. I’ve used camp chairs at times, they are a bit more comfortable.
In my old boat I had some nice padded stadium seats, the boat I just picked up had some nice folding seats that came with. I attached a pic of what my present setup looks like (just need to add a bunch of PVC rod holders for the back and sides).
Shawn
11181401_1116576355035200_7024087649476749573_n.jpg
Nice sturgeon!!!
I have a Salt Striker Baitfeeder on a Tiger lite spinning rod (the 1 pc heavy action) myself. Great combo.
I guess there’s a few times where I will disengage the reels, but really most anytime I’m fishing a livebait I have the anti-reverse locked in. Great reels though, guess it’s always nice to have the line-out as an option when the pick-ups get real light and they don’t move away with the baits enough to load up the rods. However, my rods are secured in rod holders and don’t go anywhere. So even if I fell asleep, as long as the drag can slip a little I’m not losing any rods when fish takes off.
I like Sonny’s regular or blood flavor and I like Cat tracker Wicked Sticky a lot. I’ve used others over the years and mixed them together too. Really if you like dip worms either of the ones I mentioned are good in faster current the wicked sticky does really stay on.
I’ll use conventional worms in current, for still water I like the surgical tube worms with the holes.
Some really nice setups there, awesome!!!
It’s kind of a blank slate right now, but I did just buy it. Before I start catfishing I’m going to put some decking behind the rear bench and a shelf between the back two bench seats, somewhat like my old rig. And yes, PVC rod holders screwed into the rear deck.
I have some nice seats that attach to the benches too. I’m working on an old Merc 6hp (’61) and have a Minn Kota as well.
Here’s a shot of my old rig…this time the opening will be larger and centered. One nice thing, the beam on the She Nymph is a little wider than the GWB.
Nice rig, looks like a great deal for someone out there!
ROTFLMAO …thanks for the chuckles Josh!
instead of your fishing buddy, you just go with your effin buddy!
appreciate all the points being made here. Having grown up less than 2 hours from the St Louis area, I’m kind of familiar with a lot of the ongoing issues (seems like metro St. Louis has been a high crime area for decades).
It’s just a mess all around. And it’s very sad that even more senseless loss of life has occurred. All lives do matter, including police lives. That’s about all I have to say about that…
for night fishing guys, I could see it being a big help when rummaging around for things like hooks, sinkers, bait while fishing in the dark. If you’re using an led headlamp or flashlight you’re messing up your night vision anyhow.
Not saying I can’t tie hooks and thread on baits in the dark, but that little bit of light makes it a lot easier. I was using stick-on white leds, I think the rope lights are probably a better solution.
