Thinking Outside the "Box"! Different Live Baits for Catfish!

[Shack]

Be aware! This is not for the weak minded

Can you say cat and mouse?

Gives you an idea on who rules that tank and what catfish will put down their gullets.

[mplspug]

I am surprised that the Oscars appeared to have no clue what to do! That was crazy. Looks like fun though. A little topwater action for flatheads.

[Lowblazah]

good stuff shack! I love the part where he has it in the back of his throat crushing it on those grinder plates of theirs...that thing didnt stand a chance.

[wooduck26]

That was AWESOME! I guess that answers the question....Tail hook? Or Mouth hook?

[Tyler Holm]

Solid Shack...Solid

[Gordie]

thats awsome shack I've often wondered when I watching a marshrat swimming along if a big kitty would come up and grab it then start to wonder how I'm going to live trap marshrats and the next question as it was put mouth or tail hook.

[analyzer]

That's funny. At one time I had a largemouth and smallmouth(both store bought thankyou) in my 55 gallon aquarium along with a couple bullheads.

I picked up a feeder mouse from the pet store and let it swim in the tank, certain the bass would be interested.

Just like the video, the mouse swam around the tank (counterclockwise even):

1st trip around, nothing

2nd trip around, bullhead, who never feeds more than a couple inches off the bottom, goes up for a "look" (it really doesn't see well imo) the mouse hits the bullhead in the back of the head.

3rd trip around, bullhead lunch.

The bass, who are VERY aggressive with minnows, hardly seemed interested.

To answer the hooking question. My dad used to "fish" with a mouse for fun when we were little. He'd find a little cove up in Ely somewhere (on basswood normally). Then he'd string some monofilament across the bay hanging down near the water for a 'running-line'. Then he took a mouse, which he caught in the large mess kit pot (a little water so they can't jump out and a couple m&m's for bait left over night next to a rock where they can jump into the pot,will do the trick), with leather work gloves, so they couldn't bite through, and put a rubber band around their middle. He then put a large hook under the rubber band (not in the mouse at all), and run 2lb test line to a snap swivel which is hooked on the long "running line" stretched across the bay. The mouse looks like it's running on the water. You set the ends of the running-line a little higher, so eventually the mouse will have to turn around, and run back the other way. Make yourself a little lunch and watch the entertainment. The mouse just runs back n forth on the water top until "wham"...fish on. You can run a second line from the hook on the mouse, to your pole. Just make sure the drop line from the running line is very low test so it'll snap ez when the fish hits it.

I suppose that amounts to a "traut line" perhaps, but it was sure fun.

Northern pike and small mouth were the usual suspects. Unfortunately there are no catfish on Basswood to test that theory. We did have an overzealous snapping turtle ruin the fun once as well.

My best friend wanted to try it with a red squirrel, but I drew the line there.

[analyzer]

I would think you could put the hook through the mouse's ear, and just let it swim around freely. Unfortunately, I think it would drown rather quickly. Might work well in the lilly pads for big bucket mouth though.

[Shack]

Good info analyzer

wooduck26 and Gordy might have something here.

I posted this video cause I thought it was cool and wanted to see if I could gross anyone out

I have watched it about 10 times and I think this video gives a good depiction of how cats take down their meal. There is more to this video than you would think.

I know it is an (African I think) Red Tail cat but I do not know which one it is closest to with the fish around here. Flathead or channel. I would almost say flathead because of how aggressive it was towards a live bait but I do not know how hungry this fish was in the first place. I would love to see about three different take downs to get a comparison but this is pretty good to just look at.

Let's break this down

1) The cat see's its easy (distressed) target, and does a showing of its self to the target, but reevaluates the situation, and allows for a second attack. This could be construed as when our live baits start to go nuts before a bite.

2) From the take down the first thing the cat did was inhale the entire (large for the fishes size) bait.

3) A couple (either the mouse or the fish) spit outs and suck back ins.

4) The final crush blow to control its pray which leaves the head of the pray outward. If I was stuck in a situation like that my head would be out the free hole also.

5) The fish heads for cover to enjoy his/hers meal. Typical scenario of many catfisherman after a flathead (mostly) is hooked good. Runs for the wood or rocks.

6) Fish maneuvers its pray in it mouth to allow to head to go down the gullet (mouse’s tail sticking out of the cats mouths).

7) The fish finishes off its meal in private and then leaves its sanctuary back on the town.

Pretty cool I think. you could almost break it down more but this enough IMO.

I think the thump thumps we see on our rod tip is the fish (flats for the sake or argument) sucking in the live bait in and out of the mouth. The pull/load on the rod it when this fish was carrying away the mouse to its place of comfort. This is when the hook set should occur (IMO).

You can read into many things but I think this is a good video into how flats (and channels) take down their meal and our baits…..

[Gordie]

whats reallt cool is the mouses tail it looks like a extra whisker that the kittys got

[AceintheHole]

[mplspug]

To me that cat doesn't seem to use his eyes at all. The Oscars are definitely using their eyes, but to me it looks like the cat senses the disturbance and the second time around he is able to hone in on it.

[jr. borch]

nice job finding that info. might have to try that one day

[wooduck26]

Shack, I too broke that video down...and the one thing that stands out is.....how fast after getting the mouse under control he heads for his "safe place" that's a very interesting piece!

[nsnutter]

wow, that was a really cool video! What kind of catfish was that? Beautiful cat

[Gordie]

Shack, I too broke that video down...and the one thing that stands out is.....how fast after getting the mouse under control he heads for his "safe place" that's a very interesting piece!

makes you think about how fast to set the hook when fishing close to thse snags

[Lowblazah]

wow, that was a really cool video! What kind of catfish was that? Beautiful cat

Thats a redtail catfish. Pretty common in the amazon.

[Shack]

This one is long, but shows a flathead enjoying a bullhead lollipop

Not much, but shows for the size of a flat, what they will take down.

[pureinsanity]

I actually caught a baby mole and threw it in my tank of bullies. None of the bullies went to investigate however I have never seen them eat anything though. I have minnows leeches and crawlers I drop in. a couple leeches got sucked into my filter pump. they ended up as leech chop suey! so no more leeches! I think most tank fish wont go investigate until they are use to being a in a tank and not stressed out..

[Grant]

This one is long, but shows a flathead enjoying a bullhead lollipop

Not much, but shows for the size of a flat, what they will take down.

smallest flat from last year was a 13 inch on a *ahem* seven inch bullie.

the little glutton!

[ogrejce]

I think fish are like snakes, if there is a distress from prey they react and try to take an easy meal. I caught three pike in one day on tonka on a double cow girl that was bigger then them.

[Dennis Steele]

Very cool video!!

This just disproves many who call cats "bottomefeeders" and they only eat rotted food.

Cats by the contrary do have exceptional eyesight. Almost as good as a walleye. They just don't need to use their eyesight becuase their other senses are so well tuned.