cats are on fire!

[ch312]

we headed down to nanticoke in search of white bass and perch...nada.

 

decided to try for some catfish and we sure made the right choice. big bullheads and a couple small channel cats really liked our little 2 inch shiners about 18 inches below our floats along with a couple sheephead. i was using 6lb line and a heavy fish broke me off and is probably still swimming around with my float.

 

then there was the real excitement for the day...float goes down and i set the hook...ZIIIIIIING the drag was just screaming until it broke. after a timed 15 minute fight on that 6lb line and a reel that the drag broke (had to pull line out by hand when she ran) my dad netted a 14 1/8 lb channel cat took a few pics and revived her for a couple minutes. i sure didnt expect to catch a big cat on a small 2" minnow...

 

just looked at the pics now and she looks small in the pics. i guess i didnt do the typical stretch your arms out to make em look bigger pose

 

[Terry]

I have never caught a cat that big

 

sounds like it would be fun

nice going

[Greencoachdog]

Live Shiners are like candy to large Catfish and Smallmouth Buffalo... I could post some pics of the ones I've caught on live Shiners if you'd like.

[johnnyb]

It's not that it looks small in the pic....it's like my buddy always tells me "your scale's no good! Subtract 5 lbs!!!" Nice fish...must've been a blast getting that beast in on such light tackle

[CLofchik]

....after a timed 15 minute fight on that 6lb line and a reel that the drag broke (had to pull line out by hand when she ran)......

 

 

Shimano?

 

It's still a nice fish for June.

[aplumma]

Good catch that is a nice Channel cat their. Thanks for returning her to the water they are in the spawn up their now and stock like that is a good thing to have.

 

 

Art

[splashhopper]

interesting about the minnows... we were bottom bouncing for walleye on the Thames ( near Midlemess) yesterday with a 1/4oz belel sinker and a live minnow on a bait hook about 8"off bottom...

caught two catfuish as well

 

not nearly as big as yours,, but was just as surprised to get them..

[NAW]

Nice catch

 

Did you get a nice meal from the cats? Their a tasty fish.

 

What depth of water where you getting them in? You said they where hitting a minnow 18" under the float. I'm assuming you where fishing shallow water.

[Rich]

Live shiners were THE cat bait this year. Anywhere from 2 - 5 inches long got all the biggest cats.

 

That's a good one. I never fish them this late in the season, always switch over to carp once June hits. Guess I should still be givin' the cats a little hell.

 

Also never fished that creek for cats, but always thought it looked good. Guess now I know!

Edited June 17, 2009 by Rich

[ch312]

rich, there were 15lb+ carp coming clear out of the water the whole time we were in there. even some of the big cats were coming out of the water. im assuming this is because of them fighting in the shallows while spawning? all of the ones we caught were pretty roughed up from other cats...they sure like it rough eh?

 

our boat was sitting in 5ft of water and most fish were caught in about 2-3ft of water. i tried out a cut smelt on the bottom hook of a pickerel rig with a 2" shiner on the top and didnt catch a single one on the bloody smelt. water was very muddy so i figured the smelt would out produce the live bait...guess not. the spot was packed full of cats. you know theres a lot of them in there when your floats goes under 15 seconds after hitting the water

 

 

and yes the cats were very tasty. tossed them in cornmeal/cajun, drizzled some melted butter over them, and baked in the oven. first time ive ever done fish in the oven like that and it was some of the best fish ive had.

Edited June 17, 2009 by ch312

[TJQ]

Very nice.. but where are the cats that are on fire??

[CLofchik]

I tried smelt for Grand R. cats earlier in the year and didn't get much action on them either, but in Hamilton frozen salted smelt beat out pretty much everything else. Huh funny that.

 

I would've thought they'd be done spawning by now, or do smaller rivers spawn later than the Grand? Other than Dunnville I've never really hit Erie cats, might take another shot at them if they're still around. Is there any shore access in that river?