can someone help me catch a catfish?

[Guest]

Never been on a river...kind of seems like a "secret society" to me. Fished lakes my whole life. But I have a strong desire to begin fishing the St. Croix. Drag some worms for roughfish/CATFISH...or whatever the heck will eat a worm in April-June.

Can someone guide me in the right direction for what I should look this time of year to get my first "kitty"? Most importantly...hoe deep? I'll be fish the areas just north and south of hudson. Thanks...

[Crawlerman]

I'm hoping to explore that area of the St. Croix more this year, Cats make great eatin, and the St. Croix is about the only river in the metro that you don't have to worry about glowing green after eating the fish. Mississippi is getting better, but I still won't eat out of there. There are some lakes in the Metro stocked with channels, but most of them need to be fished at night, and most of the acesses are closed at night, and I'm sick of getting kicked off by cops. I'd be interested too in finding out where the cats hold on the Croix, though I'll prally do a lot of exploring on my own once my boat returns from the shop...

[EBass]

I've caught a few cats this year. All in slack water/eddy area in a deeper hole. I used crawlers. The bite was better before all the rain last week. Since all the rain all I can find are yearlings. I fish the Mississippi and the Crow so far.

I have caught some decents ones in the day, but night time is when the big boys go out and eat.

Fresh cut sucker works great to.

Hope this helps.

[Aquaman01]

I'm new to riverfishing, but I find I have the best luck when I bring a kid. Cast out, and then while you're thinking about your next move, the kid will require your services re-tying their rig, opening a pop-can, untangling a Gordian Knot, or helping them check the bait - that's when your rod tip will indicate a strike! No need to set the hook - as the Sucker will have inhaled what he'd been slurping on for the last 15 minutes.

seriously -I am new to it, but what I do when I go is remember that all river fish look for their food upstream. After that, try to figure out where your target lives, and what your target eats.

If you don't want to think about it too much, a big crawler is a good all-around river bait weighted slip-style with a swivel between egg and leader. Don't under estimate a carp's desirability as a catch. They are the most sought after gamefish, globally speaking. They may not fight as furiously as a LM bass or northern at first, but they have stamina and brute muscle.

Now maybe a real River Rat can take over and offer up a more seasoned response.....

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Aquaman
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Peace and Fishes

[Mr Special]

Aquaman01, What do you mean lucky with the kid. Didn't you catch one heck of a BUZZ with us at the river.J/K But dragging a worm on the St.Croix will catch anything from a sheephead, sucker, catfish to walleye, bass, and even a sturgeon. The only downside is that you might catch more sheepheads than anything. With warmer water temps everyday the cats will be more active and you might want to try cutup suckers or whole. Remember on the St. Croix you can use two lines.

Good luck

[Guest]

How deep are we talking? 10-15 ft?

[Guest]

floodwood has catfish depending on where you live

[Guest]

Try oxbows, marsh's off the channel, and feeders creeks in days to come.

Cut sucker and/or a quality dip bait Like Junnies' Cattracker extra-sticky will get you gobs of channel kittys to play with.

Use 3-way rigs with 6-7 O/T Gamakatsu Circle hooks or wide gap offset hooks. NO TREBLE HOOKS as they snag up too much and cause undue damage to fish intended to be C&R! Make the drop from the 3-way 10# mono and the leaders and main line 20# or even 30#. I recommend Berkley IronSilk in 25# or Berkley BigCat in 15-40# test.

The Lindy Pole Float system is a good plan too, especially in feeder creeks or oxbows. They have a new lighted version that is a very cool unit for night cat'n. Cats feed a lot in shallows early on as the water warms. So floats rigged with fresh cuts are often the hot ticket in this situation. Tickle the bottom with the bait or run it short, experiment tell you hook a hog.

ABU reels, E-Glass rods in the 7-8' range, and go catch some piggys..We-We-We.

Good cat'n & remember, little cats are the best and safest eaters (14-22"). Them big cats are best left in the rivers to get even bigger!

Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 04-29-2003).]

[Crawlerman]

I didn't think it is legal, if I remeber correctly, to fish a single baited trebble hook in Minnesota anyways; It has to be part of a "lure". So I think those cat worm things can still be used, but.

[Guest]

Dip-bait worms for paste baits can be rigged with single Chank hooks, and in my opinion work better.

The Cattracker Tubie 2000 style tube baits can be rigged with kahle, circle, or True-Turn hooks with ease. The trick is to add a pair of beads to the line above the hook to hold the tube in place.

Depending on what hook option you do wish to use, that will dictate the amount of beads, or pill floaters to add to the line above the hook.


If you use the wide gap kahle, or circle type hook on the tube baits, you don't need the bard. No gut hooked cats doing it this way. If you use trebles on these dip baits the bambi cats will gobble them to the gut faster then you can say "Here kitty..kitty..kitty".

A very very good worm dip bait is this product. I helped to field test it to see if it would catch fish in the fast waters on the Red that I often fish. It stays on better then any dip I have ever used!

Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

Backwater Guiding "ED on the RED"

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 05-04-2003).]

[Walleye_GFA]

Eddy,

I've been looking for a good dough bait here, I usually use "BJ's" which is AWSOME for cats, but I used it down south where the temps are warmer... it just makes a concrete ball here...

Where do you buy the bait you recommended ??? Im assuming here since there is a picture of it... maybe I will try a few jars...

Yes it is ILLEGAL to use a trebble here for dough bait, but YOU CAN use the tube with a trebble (I asked a "park" CO, you amy want to ask a State guy)...

Back to subject... My kids love to use the stink baits since they catch such a good number of fish...

Wally

[Aquaman01]

Cutbait? - Please elaborate.

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Aquaman
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Peace and Fishes

[Walleye_GFA]

Cut bait means taking a whole shad or the like (not carp or game fish), cutting into strips and using for nait... the guts and head are great as well...

Too bad we cant sue parts of game fish for bait cause crappie heads and guts are AWSOME for cats... shame to let them go to waste...

Wally

[deadeye]

I second Eddy's dipworms, I use them all the time and I have great success with them. I usually use that cattracker stuff or sonny's dip bait. Either one works well so it comes down to whatever you can find easier. When I lived in Iowa sunnies (legal to use as bait there) were the hot bait for catfish. You would go and catch a bunch of little ones from a farm pond and use them live for big cats.
><>deadeye