I think I’ve been bitten by this "Catten Phenomonon"!!!! BrianK and I have been talking business off and on for sometime now. During the course of our chats, he said there is no better place to talk business than the river. Being that I’ve never fished flat heads before, I was more than excited to give it a shot!!! How could I turn this down, with the infamous Cat Master!!!!
Being I’ve never fished for "serious" cats before, just channels as a kid with crawlers and chicken livers, I told Brian that I was just there for the ride. Brian objected and informed me that HE was just there for the show. Being a pure rookie at this, I was a bit nervous, for I didn’t want to goof anything up, like loosing a big fish. But again, Brian said different!
With life jackets on and Mountain Dew in hand, I crawled into the boat to launch. Then Brian pulled out a blindfold, confiscated my GPS, and had me sign a non-disclosure agreement. Then when we launced the boat and headed down river, he started doing all these crazy circles, throwing off my sense of direction. (What kind of goof ball am I with here?!?!?!?!) After buzzing for about 10 minutes (seemed like hours of anticipation), the boat stopped and he said all clear. I removed my blind fold and the only thing I saw was a "cottonwood" leaf fall into the boat.
Brian pulled out the bullheads and hooked them up, casted them out and said: "There ya go, my work is done. I’m not grabbing a rod all night." I tried to argue that I was just there for the show, but he informed me different. This was my "initiation to Catten".
Well, when the smoke cleared……..and it was time to go home, the score was:
36.1lb
15lb
13lb
9lb
7lb
6lb
On the first run, I set the hook wrong and lost the fish.
On the second run, I set the hook and the Cat pulled drag on the 7000 winch with the drag LOCKED, and ran into a snag!!!! I pulled and pulled on the fish, but to no avail.
I was at a loss for words. Never had I ever had a fish on, where a locked drag PULLED out line and the fish went where it wanted to. This was "ME", putting the screws to this big kahuna here!!!! But my 300lbs at the end of the rod made her just wink at me and she head for troubled waters. The fish manhandled me like no other!!! She ended up going into the snag and got away…….
The third fish was the 15lbs and was my true first flathead. The fight was a blast!!!!!! Setting the hooks on these babies is a hoot!!!! Load up the rod and let em have it!!!! Now, that is MY kind of hook setting!!!
The fourth fish was the 36lb tuna. I was so amazed at the pure strength of these brutes. I set the hook on the pig and she pulled the rod right back like I was just a breeze in the wind!!! I thought the big muskies fought, but this girl would make mince meat out of any ski I’ve ever contended with!!!! Brian laughed, as I giggled like a little boy getting his first kiss. I pulled the fish up 2 feet from the depths, and she took back 4 feet!!! I took up 3 feet, and she went down another 6 feet, and decided to swim wherever she wanted too!!!! Again, this fish was peeling drag at her call, with the drag LOCKED!!!!! I couldn’t pull line out with my hand, but this underwater pig did it at her own will!!!!
We lost a few others and had a few runs. So all in all, it was a very busy night that went way too fast.
Brian;
I really want to thank you for the experience. I had more fun doing this than fishing any other species (yes, including muskies) in a VERY long time!!!!
Also, your company in the boat made the time go by WAY to fast!!!!! Thanks again, and I’ll return the favor when we go "MUSHY" fishing!!!!!!!!
Brian;
Last question for you. Of the 50,000, 50′ high cottonwood trees, how can you tell them apart? They all look the same to me!!!!
Don’t let Him (BrianK)do it Gary! Use the force and stay on the “GOOD SIDE” (FISH WITH TEETH)!
Nice to see you chasing multispecies! Congrats on the Kitty’s and great report Gary
AWESOME REPORT GARY! I’m gonna have to get out there with BrianK. I always like catching the 10# ones we got here in the Chippewa. I can’t imagine one that big! WAY TO GO! By the way did you guys ever get any business done
Don’t worry Rob!
The muskie and walleye gear is secured. But I maybe selling all my bass junk to buy Cat gear!!!!
By the way, they don’t have teeth, but a little one sure did tear up my finger on his sandpaper jaw!!!! Now I know why some of the “rookies” where gloves!!!
The cat lords were looking down on us favorable that night for sure. It was hard to talk business…with all of those clickers going off in the background!
Gary’s great company and I always get a kick out of the religious experiance someone new to catten gets when the good’en comes up to the boat
???Your a Mushy fisherman!??? I thought you were a bass master… No wonder you were doing those figure 8’s with the bullheads…makes sense now!
Brian;
In case you didn’t notice, I did confiscate that leaf and it is at the lab now for analysis. I’ll get the results back shortly!!!!
Figure 8’n the bullheads is what brought that tuna to the boat!!! I’ll teach you yet how to catch these bigguns!!!!
Gary,
Nice report.
You and Brian takin care of business
Had to be a true experience.
dave
I think we might be living in parallel universes. I too had only chased channels as a youngster with crawlers. In fact, until this year I thought crawlers were the bait of choice on a river. Then Fisher Dave shows me the ropes early this summer and I am hooked like a stubbern old flatty who doesn’t want to come ashore. It’s a fun way of fishing. I just wish Dave would be kind to my green carp history. Bass are people too.
Yeah bait fishing just doesn’t do it for me anymore. I need something that will test my tackle. I get a kick out of the bass guys acting like they fish for game fish.
I know what you are saying Gary! I only have one 20 lb flat caught in my short cattin’ career; but that cat fought like a freakin’ freight train. Very addicting stuff!
I had to turn Brian down for a trip tonight and now I’m really regretting it!
dd
Man, great fish!!!!!!!
I might have to get out and give them kitties a try
Good work Brian, you are THE MAN!!!!
DD:
If he would have taken you to the spot he took me (wherever it is), I think you would have been in the money.
Funny thing was that Brian was telling me he hadn’t caught anything over 10lbs for a week…………..The guy is just way to modest on his skills!!!
Nice fish guys
Allways a blast when you are worried about breaking off 80 lbs test.
Might be the wrong word here…The “skills” come from many catters (and a couple green carp fisherman) on and off this board that put in a ton of time finding spots “like” the one we were at and were willing to share (and some that weren’t willing to share.
)
To all of the folks that share….
Niiicccceeeeee fish Gary
Way to go Gary, nice flathead, it does sound like briank is the master of the flatheads up there. I’ll bet your not going again hey?
PS Gary?
Remember, with that nice kitty bite…you won’t need a flu shot this year…tentnis either…
There aint no cure for a cat scratch fever, except to itch it!
The river by night is an awesome sight! You guys really got them good!
Tuck
Tuck…the river by night….was what I was thinking all night tonight. Walleye waves to start out with…then glass smooth on the way home. It was awe..inspiring. Eagels, racoons, bat’s and a couple skeeters. It was one of those nights I’ve been waiting all winter for.
‘cept my camera had too much moisture from last Saturdays down pour and wouldn’t turn on!
So…no pictures…but here’s a couple that didn’t get posted by Gary..from the other day.
This was Gary’s first cat…I think. I tried to explain that if they bite down on you..it doesn’t hurt…but he kept calling out for gloves! I hide them prior to leaving the dock…
For the record, I’m not sponsored by St Croix Rods or Hooked on Fishing out of Rochester…But I do talk about what works.
I had two custom St Croix catten rods made for me last summer. Here’s one in action. The silver is a little reflective tape that FlatheadWI turned me on to…Great idea for night fishing!
Mike at Hooked on Fishing is great at putting a custom St Croix together for you. When you say “custom” I think expensive…once I found out the price, I ordered two!
From Green Carp to Mushy fishing, a St Croix custom rod deserve to be looked at before you buy!
Hmmm…sounds like I’m sposored by them…doesn’t it!!
Hey Brian,
Gary looks a little scared there. He’s not such big tough guy after all.
Kooty, if he was scared…he didn’t show it. He picked up his first flat like a pro. Stuck his hand in his mouth like he does it everyday…
But he wouldn’t giv’em a goodbye kiss…so I guess your right…he’s not a big tough guy!
Yep, I actually think that was the pic when “I” was getting “BIT”.
I kept telling Brian that “HEY, he is biting me!!!”.
Brian was: “Yeah?”
I was: “YEAH!”
Brian was: “So?”
I said: “He is BITING ME!!!”.
Brian: “Yeah”.
Gary: “YEAH!!!”.
Brian: “Wait, let me get a pic.”
Gary: “Brian, this kinda hurts!!!”
Brain: Yeah?”
Gary: “YEAH!”
Brian: “Wait, I got to get a pic.”
Gary: Brian, this is starting to hurt……”
Brian: “Yeah?”
Gary: “Brian, I think he is eating my finger?!?!”
Brian: “Yeah?, Hold on let me get a pic, say CHEESE!!!”
Gary: “OUCH, YOU SONOVA!@_#%*&!!!!”
Fish released.
For the record, in case anyone is wondering, all the fish were released and my finger is healing nicely!!!!
now thats funny
Nice job Brian and Gary! I think I had a couple tears roll down my cheeks reading that beutiful poetry…
I suppose the poster child is gonna want a raise after all this publicity???
Congrats guys and thanks for sharing!
Yup Wade…10% increase…but as my dad always says…10% of nothing, is still nothing!
PS the gps/locator I bought from you has saved me a number of times of waiting until morning when the fog lifted. Nine miles is a long way to go when you can’t see!
Although I try not to…I trust it completely for navagation!
Brian
Nice job with the kitties. I have to take a cat trip on 3 this week. No people, just need a photo fish. Would I by any chance know where you caught these? Sorry to ask just trying to do some pretrip scouting without burning gas. Talk to you soon. Chris
If you take me a long…I’ll show you!
See PM.
Gary in the piture, I feel it does look like fear and not pain,when you bass fish all I saw was smiles,be happy fish for bass.
I just want to start off by saying this report was awsome.
Next I’d like to say that Brian K. is the cat master. 
I’d love to figure out how to do the kitty katting. Where does a guy get bullheads. Or do ya have to catch em.
Bait of choice???
In MN bullheads 7 inches or less are the bait of choice with 6 to 8 inch suckers being #2….In other states where legal, bluegills are #1…check your local laws that may apply to your area…
Dang..sounds like a government message!
PS…if you find a place that sells bullheads…LET ME KNOW!