Artificials for Catfish?

[Blue Kayak]

In the APRIL 21ST STURGEON EXCURSION thread, Barnyard posted the following:

"I've always read that you catch sturgeon with gobs of night crawlers. I've been thinking about experimenting with Gulp crawlers.

Has anyone tried them for sturgeon or caught sturgeon while using gulp for walleyes????

They worked last year for cats."

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I'd like to ask the same queston for catfish. Have any of you ever caught catfish on artifical bait? If so, what was the type of bait? Was it channel or flathead? Was any scent sprayed on the lure? If there was a large bullhead or sunfish made of gulp, do you think it would work for cats?

One of the techniques for catching flatheads in winter is to use heavy jigs with plastic baits and spray on a scent. However, I believe that they are actully snagging the flatheads, so I am not talking about catching them on artificials using this method.

Barnyard -- I hope you'll read this and respond. Do you feel the catfish you caught on gulp were similar in size and numbers to the ones you caught on crawlers? Were they channels, flatheads, or both? Thanks.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've caught channels accidentally on a plain jighead/twiter tail while fishing for walleyes before. I know Dennis Steele was playing around with a large spinnerbait for flatheads last year. I'm interested if he ever succeeded in catching any on it. Dennis?

As far as a large Gulp! bullhead or sunfish, I wouldn't put much faith in it catching many flatheads. Genererally, the livlier the bait for a flathead, the better. Your not going to get that with a Gulp! bait unless you are talking of a swim bait, but them again, I don't think a lot of catters would cast swim baits for flatties.

[Dennis Steele]

Cats will take artificials for sure.

Is it the best way to target cats? Most of the time I doubt it.

I have caught lots of channel cats pulling cranks, pitching jig and plastics, and casting spinner/spinnerbaits.

I also always seem to end up getting a few flatheads each spring while fishing walleye as well.

Contrary to popular beleif, cats can see very good. At times they will feast on small invertibrates in the water column as well as chase minnows. Of course you have to have some kind of water clarity.

Most of the time the MN River is just to turbid to target cats with artificials. Most of the cats from the MN that I have caught, have come early sring in the clearer creek mouths or late in the fall when the river clears a bit.

On the MIssy, however, its not uncommon to get a few cats when fishing for smallies. My brother called me last season saying that he had boated over 30 cats while pitching spinnerbaits and even buzzbaits for bass. (Made a convert out of a stuborn bass guy!)

Appealing to all the cats senses would be the best way to go. A smelly, lure that produces sound, and has the proper profile would up your chances quite a bit. And maybee thats why I get a few flats every season fishing walleye? I use bright larger scented plastics with either a rattle or a spinner for vibration.

Last couple seasons, I did experiment with bass and musky sized spinnerbaits and large crankbaits for flatheads with very little success. (Little meaning no success! )

I haven't given up yet. I think I just need to work harder at it.

I found out why I ended up a cat man. I would rather relax and watch a rod tip than cast a big heavy lure for hours on end!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Thanks, Dennis, I alwyas meant to ask you about that spinnerbait, but always forgot!

[DTro]

Quote:

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I found out why I ended up a cat man. I would rather relax and watch a rod tip than cast a big heavy lure for hours on end!

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I hear ya there. I was over at Gander in Lakeville tonight and stumbled upon the Muksy Innovations "Super Freak" baits. I just about walked into another display while doing a double take. My God, it's like throwing a bowling pin.

[barnyard]

We were using Gulp minnows vertical jigging for walleyes on the Miss this past fall and stumbled onto a couple of spots that held lots of channels.

It was funny. Walleyes and smallies were taking baits really soft, almost like dragging through the mud. The cats would THUMP them. We caught a few 5-6 lbers and I had one fish spool me. Every time I put pressure on it, it took more line. It broke off when I had about 8 wraps of line on my reel. Very cool.

Anyways, there will be 3 anglers in my boat during the Sturgeon Excursion and I was thinking on Saturday, one of us will start with either a gulp crawler or a few of those little gulp angleworm thingys and the others would use real nightcrawlers.

I would imagine that the gulp should do as well as real crawlers, but until I've experienced it, my plan is to bring quite a few crawlers.

My experience with Gulp so far, is that it is replacing livebait for walleyes and smallies. I wanted to try the gulp maggots for perch this winter, but.........

If the gulp works, it would save on bait and rebaiting. We super glue the hooks to the crawlers and frequently one worm lasts the whole freaking day.

So, that's what I was thinking when I originally asked the question...

We stumbled on it last fall and will certainly try gulp crawlers for cats on the chain next summer.

Tom B

[barnyard]

And to add what other have said....

I was a die hard muskie guy for 10 years. I even edited the Muskies, Inc. magazine for 3 years.

It is sooooo much more enjoyable to sit and shoot the breeze and grap a rod when a fish comes to me, than it is to lob heavy baits, chasing after fish.

I have been talking about trying Sturgeon for 3 years now and am really pumped to catch and photo a few.

Tom B

[Blue Kayak]

Tom -- Thanks for sharing your experience with the gulp products. I'm going to try it in the Minnesota River. Good luck on the sturgeon excursion.

[DARK30]

It sure can be fun when the conditions are right on the Minnesota to allow the cats to sight feed...It happens more often than you would think. My personal best line class record was a 31# Mudeye that grabbed onto 6# mono sporting a 3" white Mister Twister grub. That fish was in the Blue Earth River sitting in shallow water. It was in ambush mode and headed straight for deeper fast current at the hook set...all I can say is "Battle Royal" for twenty minutes!

I do fish another river where you can actually target channels with crank baits (and have good results). Nothing quite like standing belly deep in waders while cranking for channels with an attitude!

[fiskyknut]

I fish on the Roseau river fairly often thru summer, this is a trib of the Red. Barring big rain events it can run fairly clear and you'll catch Channel cats now and then on cranks and such. Get them every now and then on a flyrod as well and thats a riot. One of those jetboats would be a good thing for that river for sure.

I've done alot of Sturgeon fishing up here for many years and have never heard of anyone using gulp.....Never know till you try but for now I'll stick to real baits!

fiskyknut