Mankato area

[Aj10]

My family is heading down to mankato this after noon and the river goes down by where we are staying so we are going to try for some catfish.Would nightcrawlers work or would cut bait be better.Also what should i use for sinkers to get it down to the bottom.And what size hook is the best.Any info would be awesome.O yea i should mention that we are fishing from shore.

[hanson]

I would go with cutbait. Pick up some medium or large suckers from the bait shop and cut them into 1" wide chunks or so. Nightcrawlers would work too but you'll end up catching a variety of rough fish too. You're going to need a good sized hook, maybe something in the 4/0 size. For weight, 2-4 oz depending on the flow of the river. I prefer No-Roll sinkers. They seam to stay in one place better and don't snag up as much.

Mankato is in Flathead cat country so you never know when a big boy is going to grab your bait, best be prepared in case that happens.

Good luck to ya.

[Aj10]

Thanks alot Hanson.You sure no alot about catfishing.

[rushing]

I take it you want channel cats? Hanson's advice is great! Wouldnt hurt to try your suckers alive first before cutting them into cut bait. Also bring some nightcrawlers. It saves the day if you wanna catch something and nothing is biting on cut bait! Good Luck!

[hanson]

Quote:

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You sure no alot about catfishing.

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I don't know about that. There is alot to learn and I try to be a good student. The basic technique is very simple and more or less a waiting game. Its learning the rivers and where the fish like to be and being there when they are hungry that becomes the difficult part.

Like rushing said, don't be afraid to try your sucker minnows alive first, you might not know what is going to eat it.

[Aj10]

Thats exactly what i did at first.And as we were leaving to go back to the camp site i was reeling it in and my bait was shreded in half and all of its insides were gone!My dad thinks it could have been a snapping turtle or a big cat.IT was a blast even though we didnt catch any.We had alot on but they took us into the snags or found a way to get off.

[rushing]

Glad you had fun! Thats what it all comes down to anyways!