Cats thru the ice.

[Bothun]

I have a river that runs through my backyard thats full of channel cats. I've never fished cats and am looking for advice thru the ice.

thanks

[south_metro_fish]

I have not had any luck yet but what I have read is jigging spoons and minnow heads or dead minnows. Most of what I have read is about lakes and how they seem to school in the deepest part of the lake during the winter.

They sure look like fun to catch through the ice though I might have to give it a try again this year.

[pushbutton]

do not know the specifics of the river......but if they do overwinter in it they will most likely be packed in the deeper pockets and holes(in smaller, shallow rivers they might make their way back to larger connecting rivers), and you essentially fish them the same as during the summer, only reduce the size of the bait/hooks. smaller piece of cut sucker, a fat head/head of a fathead, chicken livers put on your choice of hook/jig. they can be suspended depending on deep the hole is, electronics would be a great help. unlike the summer, the bite will be a LOT lighter.....springs or bobbers can be of great assistance for the smaller/medium sized fish. have fun and be careful!

[popriveter]

I catch a few in my favorite panfish lake. Always right at the bottom in the basin. The strikes are non-existent, I just have a whole lot of weight all of a sudden.

[ac777]

Do channels bite at night frequently?

[pushbutton]

have caught them both day and night, but on the system i have fished for them, the lowlight periods have been best.

[RiverFish]

I catch a handful of them every year on the WI river, usually just on the downside of dams in 15 to 20 feet of water. I usually get them fishing for walleyes and crappies on a small jig with a live crappie minnow either on a bobber or tip down.

They are fun to catch through the ice, they get your heart going, they fight pretty good.

[DTro]

I spend a LOT of time chasing cats on the ice. It's a blast! Sometimes you can get them jigging aggressively, but mostly they prefer a subtle presentation. We like to use bobbers and either a squished fathead or chicken liver.

Here's a couple of vids from last year: