Cats on the Chain

[Rebels75]

Any info on Horseshoe Chain and the Cat bite there? Last year towards the end of April I had a great time fishing 3-4 pound channels from shore. Just wondering if any of you fish this area and if a person should be looking at the end of April to try it again.
Thanks

[Guest]

Try posting this on the St. Cloud forum. I think that Chemist, Tom H and the rest would be able to answer it better through there. Besides I wouldn't mind making another trip up there myself.

[vern]

Hey Rebels75, the cats bite all year on the chain. We were ice fishing for them just a couple weeks ago. Did you happen to see the In-Fisherman TV show this weekend? Doug Stange did a short segment on early spring cats & I'm almost positive he was fishing Horseshoe. He talked about fishing the neckdown & bridge areas for spring cats. You should get some decent fish from shore soon, especially with the warmer weather coming this week. Try fishing cut-bait or crawlers around some of the bridges & the river channel. Vern

[maplegrovefisherman]

Are the cats active during daylight hours in the Spring?

[vern]

Yes, you'll catch plenty of cats during the day on the Chain. It has a large population of small to medium sized cats & you can find a few just about everywhere - deep water, shallow water, under docks, overhanging trees, in the river channel etc. Last year, I actually caught one on a white spinnerbait fishing bass in the shallow lilly pads. The few times I've been up there to fish open water cats, I never really figured out a pattern. There are some obvious spots with cover & current, but it's a little different than catfishing the river. I mostly fished cut-bait around bridge pilings, snags & overhanging trees near shore or the river channel which flows through the chain. Anyone have any hot tips on the day bite up there? Vern

[This message has been edited by vern (edited 04-08-2003).]

[Rebels75]

Last year I great luck just south of Richmond on the east side of the road in the shallows. Set up at 7:00 a.m. and filled out with five 3 lb. channels in 30 minutes on nightcrawlers. It was great fun.

[The Chemist]

I have only tried once one the Chain in the spring for cats to no avail but I didn't know then what I do now. I was trolling the river from the landing up as far as I could get before I had to turn around and go home but never made it to the bridge in Richmond but was close. If I get the chance I'm going to try some shore fishing this spring, I have another spot on a different lake that I have fished but tooo many carp there and I have never got a cat althogh I watched a kid pull in a snagged 10lber. and the area was only a 20x20 area.