Locating Cat Camp…Ice

[Tyler Holm]

Assume your trying to locate cats on a new body of water that you know has a good population of catfish. Let’s work through some details.

Assume this lake has a deeper channel with depths over 30’ with some areas of as much as 40FOW.

I have an idea of where some fish were just before ice-up, but it’s too far to walk so I can’t really touch it until we can drive on the ice. Basically I need to find a new area closer to the access point(s)

Does one just go out into the deeper water and start drilling holes and using a flasher to look for suspended fish? Would you suspect channels to be suspended over the deepest possible water in the area, or might they move up breaklines a ways? How shallow might they go? What bottom depth ranges have worked for you?

Is it feasible to consider that if you drill 20 holes in a semi-small area and you don’t mark a single suspended or bottom-locked fish, that you’re not in cat camp? Or do you basically have to put in some time to determine if cats will make an appearance?

Would you suspect cats to lie in current areas (channel ways), or favor areas off-current like deep bays?

Basically can one basically keep drilling holes until you find an area with suspended marks, or do you setup in a likely area and wait for the cats to move through?

[DTro]

You realize you might be asking a question that nobody knows the answer to right?

lol

My opinion is that if you were keyed in right before ice up, you ought to have a good start.

I know you said you might not be able to get to that spot, but......think about where those cats are. Why are they there?

Is it a deep hole and they are there for the winter, perhaps a hump holding some food. I don't think they do a whole lot of voyaging when the water temps gets below 40.

Find a similar area and start drilling.

These are just my opinions I have no facts to base these on, but I would say anyone who can successfully target the channels through the ice is probably somewhat of a pioneer.

Of course there are a few publically known spots to hold fish, but being able to pick lake X and catching cats would be a challenge I think.

[hanson]

Quote:

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Basically can one basically keep drilling holes until you find an area with suspended marks, or do you setup in a likely area and wait for the cats to move through?

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I think you have to find them. Unless you are fishing an area that you have had success in before, I wouldn't sit and wait. These things can be tough enough to catch when you know they are there.

Couple things to consider...

1- A hole is relative. Depth is as well.

2- Cat's won't always suspend. High pressure sticks them to the bottom and it becomes very difficult to catch them.

3- Timing. My favorite cat spots always have good morning bites, like 9-10am. You can fish and fish without catching one and all of a sudden... Bam! Game on!

4- Current is desirable.

Knowing that you are fishing a reservoir with a defined channel cutting through it, I would tend to focus on the channel edges, cuts and bends in the channel edges, and possibly deeper holes in the channel bed itself.

Dtro is right though, you are asking a question that might not have a definitive answer.

[Shack]

I would research the worst possible drug out their hole and its not herion!

What I have found is the shelves to an adjacent deep hole are key in finding catfish. The lures to be used are displayed in previous posted threads. Find them following lures up on flasher, you will get those cats during ice time.

I will be doing dome ice time cats very soon!

Good luck!

[so haaad]

Try deep holes with shallow flats, bars and other feeding areas close by. Cats are often light biters in the winter, but they still have to eat.

[katchaser]

It might be possible to sweep snow off the ice with a whisk broom and shoot through the ice to detect cats.

If not just drill holes large enough for the transducer till you locate cats.

[sjburnt]

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