Memorable Catches...

[hanson]

Seams like everyone remembers and brags up the "big ones" that they have caught over the years. For me, 48lbs one very stormy night a couple years ago.

However, it seams like I more vividly remember a few other fish I lost, than the largest flathead cat I've ever caught.

One of those just happens to be another fish I attempted to hook on the same night I caught my personal best 48 pounder. The number of runs we were getting this night was unbelievable. Sinking hooks into fish was a different story altogether. I already had the 48 pounder in the boat and was seriously on cloud 9. It couldn't get any better. Little while later, my rod tip went "twannnngggg" with a reverb that echoed through the valley. The rod tip started to bend over and zzzz, zzzz, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!! There she goes!! This fish hit the exact same way the 48lb did. Everything about the bite was the same. I did the exact same thing as well until I went to set the hook and snapped my 80lb PP just like that! Whether or not this was the fish of a lifetime, I'll never know. All I know is it would have made that one night one of the most phenomenal nights I've ever seen!

Another story... This time it was my dad and myself in the boat. Dad had never, ever fished flathead cats before. We were set up on a very, very productive "big fish" spot when I heard a noise (that I know well) and looked over to see his rod tip swaying side to side in a major way. Dad had just crossed his legs and I thought he might have kicked the rod but he swore he didn't touch it. That was reason enough for me to pick the rod up and feel for anything going on.... Nothing. While I was holding the rod, it went thump hard, and the fish started to slowly move away loading the rod up. The rod loaded so much I had a couple short clicker bursts at which point I took the clicker off to thumb the spool. I was feeding the fish line when he went into drag race mode quickly downstream. I could not believe how much line this fish was pulling off my reel now. I was concerned about the wood downstream and told dad I had to hit him now. I did and this fish seriously sat me back down in the boat! I could not believe the resistance he gave me. I had him on for about 10 seconds at which point he swam upstream quickly and managed to shake the hook loose! I couldn't believe it!! Absolutely couldn't believe it!! This was going to be dad's fish to fight but the initial bite was fairly unorthodox for someone who's never fished flatheads before. Thats why I took the rod and planned to hand it off to dad until that fish swam upstream. By then... it was game over.

There are 2 other fish I can specifically remember as well that I didn't land. For those that know me, that was the night I became known as Mr. Breakoff.

It seams like alot of MN fisherman are concerned about limits (catching the most), size (catching the biggest), and everything being a competition. I gotta tell you guys that I love catching lots of fish, catching really big fish, and competing as well, but some of my fondest memories of the last 5 years cattin' are about fish that never even made it to the boat. Not even close!

I guess thats what keeps me coming back... the unknown. What exactly did I try to set a hook into? Whats in those murky waters? Its the 'one that got away' story and that keeps me motivated!

[CatManLee]

I hear ya man... It's amazing, with all the fishing crapp I own now, some of my most memorable fishing moments came back when I had very little...

I didn't have a boat...Had only a couple rods...A small tackle box half full of cheap assorted tackle...An old net with holes in it...etc. I didn't have any of the stuff I seem to "NEED" now, yet I still had lots of fun fishing!

I'll admit it's nice having the stuff I have now, but they are not needed, Things seemed so much easier back then...I would say a good portion of my "most memorable moments" come from the simple fishing I did, when first getting started.

[AceintheHole]

I was fishing down at black dog late may in 06 down by the last discharge. Throught out the morning I was getting a few fish carp, sheephead and a few small channels. The lure of the day was a 1/4oz jig with a white powergrub. The morning was turning to early afternoon when it happened. I was retreveing my jig when it snaged about 10' from shore, great another snag and another jig lost. As I tried to snap it loose it took off. Thinking to myself what in the world its going on I pulled back, game on. I fought what I was assuming to be a very large [PoorWordUsage]. Fishing with my walleye rod with 10lbs test there was not much I could do to move the fish. This game of cat and mouse went on for about 30minutes, I was slowing gaining ground then he would take off back down river. He would stop to take a break so I would do the same. Slowly working my way down to the cedar ave bridge to avoid being spooled, I was doing all I could to get the monster in. Time went on and now about 1hour into the battle the fish and myself began to trier. Slowly I was able work this horse toward shore and then I finally saw it a huge flathead. I think he gave up. With out a net I had to grab him which I did. Once on shore I was in awe. I first thing that came to mind was that I did not have camra with, so I weighted 46lbs. Gave he a smile and said thank you to the fishing gods and slid him back to the depths from were he came.

[ec30_06]

I broke off on a big fish last year too. Guess what line I was using POWER PRO. Seems to be a common theme. I guess thats why we should all pay more attention to little things like our knots and last couple feet of line. You never know when that big one is going hit. Look at the hog Darren got on cut bait last year.

[crazyice]

I had a night on the 'ssippi last year, lost two bigguns at the boat, never did see them, just gigantic boils as they did one last dive. This was the night I learned just how tight you need your drag set for the hook set.

[Carp-fisher]

Back when I lived in Iowa, I used to fish a shore area of a reservoir that was loaded with 1 to 4 lb channel cats. So I would typically fish with chicken liver and light spinning gear. One night I was out there catching all the eater channels I could handle and I noticed the cut up remains of a white bass laying on the ground. Why not, I reasoned, and I put the bass head on my hook and cast it out aways. I knew that my medium action 8lb line spinning gear was way under gunned for a large kittie, but I was going to leave in 20 minutes anyway--probably wouldn't hook up with anything. After a couple of minutes, something big took my bait and ripped a whole bunch of line of my reel. I set the hook and that didn't stop the fish at all. 10 minutes later, I somehow managed the land my personal best channel cat @ 15lbs. I let her go and it was one of those experiences I'll never forget.

[hanso612]

Was fishing with a large crowd on the Class of 42 after bar rush one night. We had picked up some persoanal trainers from the health club we met downtown Stillwater. They wanted to try catching a giant cat so we eagerly headed upriver. We set up by the highbridge and immediately caught a turtle.

Big leaterbacks are fast and can even pull drag in heavy current, but you can always tell it is a turtle on the end of the line when you feel the twang twang twang of the turtles frantic clawing at its own beak.

I was explaining this to a wide eyed plastic barbie doll as I pulled the hissing turtle into the boat and used my pliers and the turtles own body weight to shake the leech covered terrepin into the river. Just then another rod popped and we gave it to the barbie doll.

I could tell when I handed it to her it was a large fish. The line had that hum that only comes when mono is stretched to the max and played by rushing river. The line eased from the drag in a slow steady creap like it was being pulled by a lococomotive leaving the station. Barbie's tanned ticeps ripped as she faught to stay in the boat. The fish ran toward shore and the freedom of cover.I yelled for her not to let it take any more line, but the harder she pulled the more drag came out. She paniced and handed me the rod.

I was able to put my back into it, and pump the rod to gain line little by little. But, as the fish neared the boat, the line would sing and I could feel the thump thump thump of something not quite catlike on the other end. Maybe it was a giant snapper or a sturgeon. The fish went on a tremendous run, pulling all the line we a had faught so hard to gain all the way to the bank.

I conviced Barbie to get back on the rod and do just as I had done. And so it went late into the night. Just as the beast was about to surface it would go on another powerful fun. Finally the line was pushed to the limits and were getting tired of this epic battle. Barbie surrendered and, I, in one last attempt to get the leviathon to the surface took the rod. I tightened the drag as far as I dared and faught the beast to the boat again,but could gain no more ground. The gunnel would tilt toward the black river or the drag would creep. I could hear the carbon fibers in the rod crackle and ping and knew I was at the breaking point.

I yelled for my buddy to pull up anchor and I inteded to drift downstream with the beast. The current would no noger be on it's side. As the boat broke free, and the drift back started, I began to gain advantage, my leg shook like Audrey Hepburn, and my stomach quivered. My bladder was about to burst-and then it surfaced. Not the giant cat of my dreams, but 100 feet of vine.

The laughter erupted from the crew. I cut my rig loose and humbly went back to the helm to eat some crow.

With the pitch darkness of a moonless night,and in the heat of battle,I had failed to notice that the shore was coming toward me and not that the fish was running toward shore. The anchor line had been in the port chuck and the Class had ferried out of the slackwater and into heavy current . When ever the vine was close to the boat the boat would be dragged out of calm water back into the heart of the river. 11 tons of boat pulling drag until the boat was once again in the outside bend eddy.

When you are over black water and using the bigest bait you can buy,all the nights of dreaming can get the best of you. Anticapatory premature close it is called in hunting and often gets someone hurt. Hans

[Slowhand]

Great story Hans. Call you Aquaman Tarzan.

[goblueM]

A few years ago my uncle and I were driving back to Minnesota from a canoe trip that ended at Lake Winnipeg. We'd canoed about 60 miles down the shore and then crossed over to Pine Dock. The wind had been in our favor so we made great time and had an extra day. Went to the locks on the Red at Lockport in our canoe, among all the huge boats and guys with monster catfishing gear. So here we are, using a rock and a rope for anchor, 7 ft medium spinning rods with 8 pound test, and no net, fishing the locks. And we caught more than anybody else! It was great fun, first we caught a bunch of goldeye for bait, which was fun in itself. Then he got a 35 and 36 inch (no scale) among a bunch of small ones, and I caught this guy (32 inches). Lots of fun, have make it back up there sometime

[HuskerBen]

I was fishing the Minnesota last year, hoping to connect on some chunky channels. I was hiking in to my spot when I saw a couple new logjams with some fishable water between them. I figured I'd try it out for a while, and then continue downriver.

I had been there for about ten minutes when my rod tip started bumping. I grabbed the handle and waited for it to bend the rod over. It did. Fish on. I picked up the rod and started reeling... Oh, man, this is a big one. Maybe my biggest yet.

I fought him for a few minutes, desperately trying to steer him through the cover between the logjams. I saw him boil the surface... the size of the boil was enough to get my heart racing even more, but when I saw the tail slap the water, I could see it was a good flathead. I pulled as hard as I could, trying to horse him out of the water before he could get to the timber. I watched as my line zipped to the edge of a big fallen tree, and that's where it all just stopped.

My rod remained doubled. I pulled... nothing. Eventually, I realized that he had wrapped me up on a limb, and that was it. My heart sank, my knees shook, and I had to sit still for a while so I could catch my breath. I pulled out the broom handle and broke the line free.

I wound up catching a few good fish that day, but I remember that fish more than any other from last year.

[DTro]

I've told this story before, but several years ago when I first moved to Shakopee I was boatless, so I spent A LOT of time shore fishing. I was pretty much a regular at the pier on O'Dowds everyday.

I heard some stories of large Catfish being caught out of the MN river, and I was always eyeing it up when I drove over it or taking a bike ride on the trail there.

I read a few posts from Dennis and Dark and a few others about tactics to try and areas to look for. I noticed one spot in particular that was easy to access and looked "fishy".

So one day when I was over at O'Dowds floatin a large sucker, I realized my bait had went belly up so I was out of luck.

I was around noonish, but I said heck with it and drove down to that spot on the river I spyed a few days earlier. Rigged up my medium pole with low profile baitcaster and 12lb test mono. Grabbed a sucker slit it up the belly and tossed it out.

Kicked back and enjoyed the scenery.

About 15 minutes later my rod twitches and I set the hook into a good fish. Bring it up the muddy bank and it's a 17lb Flatty. First one ever! All by myself and nobody to take a picture with my cheap disposable camera.

I think hey, that was fun!

Throw on another sucker. Wait another 10-15 minutes.

Rod loads up slowly and I'm sure a log a has floated into it, so I pick it up and give it pressure and I realize I've hooked into something.

Well, I fight this thing for a good 15 minutes, back and forth, than all the sudden it just surfaces like a submarine (I swear it spurted water).

I take a look at it and just about faint......now what am I going to do?

I pull gingerly so that it starts to come towards shore. I get its head closer and try to reach down with one hand while the pole is in the other hand, now almost up to my knees in sloppy mud. I hear a loud SNAP. Not only has my rod just broke, but the hook has popped out!!! OH NO!

I make a desperate lunge at it and barely grab the bottom lip.

I hear some cheering. I look back and a family riding their bikes has come upon me and watched the whole thing.

The father helps me up back the bank with the fish and was able to take a few pics for me.

I'm full of mud from about the thighs down, sweating, shaking like a leaf on a tree, fish in one hand, broken pole in the other, and a permanent smile on my face

Didn't have a scale with me, but I measured the length at 45", somewhere in the low to mid 40's for weight I would guess.

Not my biggest, but by far my most memorable.

After that, forget about it, I was hooked.

The next day, I mentioned the story to a co-worker and she said, "Hey you should tell that story to Brian R....he Catfishes"

Brian R= PapaGrump

The rest is history

[new_kid]

My most memorable is not my biggest it is actualy just a small fish but the situation was perfect. The fish was about 15 lbs and caught in September while walleye fishing with my girlfriends son it was on his 6 foot medium action rod with 8 lb test and all i did was set the hook and sit back and watch the two do battle since her son was only 7 at the time it was a good fight

[LPCrowRiverFisherman]

On the Mighty Crow River last year in June I was fishing with a buddy, and it was pretty slow, carp, suckers, and a couple small cats. We were about to go when I thought I'd try one last thing. I jigged a crawler up and down along the concrete wall of the bridge. I wasn't really expecting anything. I thought the biggest cat all year would be around 5 LBS, I had no idea how the summer would end up. But as I was jigging upward my bait stopped, I thought I had a snag, I tugged up harder, it moved, it felt to big to be a cat to me. My first thought was 5-6 LB Carp. I went down to the shore, and fought. It surfaced and I got the shakes, when I got it in I felt so relieved, it was a 8LB Channel. Ended up being the biggest of the year. Other notables were 2, 6's, 1, 6.5, and 2 7's, not as much of a surprise anymore.

Another one, in early September, after the dam had been opened and the water let out and subsided some me and some friends headed out. It was a good day Catfish and Carp wise. Again about to leave, I hooked into something that I'm pretty sure was a carp, I fought for about 5-10 minutes and never saw it, I was getting anxious to see it, and as it was about to come up, snap, that was a bad feeling, I fell to my knees. My guess was a carp that was pushing 15 LBS. My best was 13.5 the fall before.

Just a little note, I used 8 LB test all summer. And where I fished, you can cast across the river with ease, so not seeing a fish for 5-10 minutes is crazy, especially when the water is knee to waste deep.

One last story, but is not a catfish, but to me is worth putting out there. How many people have a last cast story. I got mine last year. The day was meant to be a Walleye fishing day, but turned into a carp snagging contest. It was about 1:00, it was the middle of November and we were about ready to go. I said 10 more casts, these casts were meant for the last chance walleye. I just didn't think it would actually happen. I said last cast, and about half way back I hooked into something, what I saw next made me as happy as can be, because I was expecting a small carp at the end of the line. When it got near the surface, I about freaked out when I saw it was a Walleye. It was my biggest one ever, 21" may not sound big to most of you but to me it was something special, especially after fishing that river all year, and only getting a few walleyes, 16" and under, the second biggest was pulled out by a friend 18".

[Caesarfishinguytoo]

Well I would have to say my most memorable catch (to date!!!!) would have to be not even a catch of mine at all...but one my brother had a couple years back. We were newbies to the sport and really still are considered noobs being we will be going into our 4th year of fishing these flatties!! Anyway...it was about 11:00pm on a June night, My brother, me and a friend down at what we call the secret spot...we only have a few shore spots and even my Dad don't know about this one yet. Things were going like any other night...got a run or two maybe even hooked a fish by now..can't remember...but then it hit...first the thump and then all of sudden the line starts running like no tomorrow. My brother picks up his pole after it ran for awhile...let the line tighten, felt the fish and set the hook and baammmmm, you knew right away this was something big...now you have to understand our biggest flat to date was a measly 12 to 15 lbs...he fights it for what seemed like an hour, but was about 15 minutes...I get the first look at the fish when it flops about 8 feet from shore and I knew it was going to beat our previous best...we get this fish where it can be netted and the first thing I say is I think we need a bigger net...The noobs we are we don't even have close to a net big enough for a fish this size...my friend gets the head into net and I grab the tail and help haul it in that way...we were like kids in the candy story..we got the fish on the scale and although it isn't close to the fish people have caught here it still is our personal best @ 37.5 lbs...and to quote my brother on the story he told our family "I think there were even some man hugs being done that night"...It was great and we have been hooked on these fish ever since...can't wait to hit the river again this year for these wonderful fish!!!

Also, we have now learned that we need to support these big fish with a second hand instead of the double jaw grab!

I just want to thank all here on FM for the great tips we have received...without them we still would be fishing with nightcrawlers under a bridge catching carp, sheephead and the occasional 5 lb channel cat!!

[hanson]

 Originally Posted By: Caesarfishinguytoo

...and to quote my brother on the story he told our family "I think there were even some man hugs being done that night"

Thats awesome!! It happens. My policy is what happens on the river stays on the river.

[dsm95]

Well I just got into catfishing last summer around july and last October during that unusual 80-90 degree stretch we had in the beginning of the month and right after the large rainfall we also experienced, a friend wanted to go to a lake and fish but I didn't hear from him so I went and bought some large creek chubs instead, the action started right away at around 6 pm after about 20 minutes of my bait being in the water this is what I brought up

in my excitement of catching my first catfish over 20 lbs I took a crappy pic and quickly released the 32 inch flathead not realizing I took the crappy pic. Several hours went by and I got my next fish

not to shabby right around 10 lbs. Then at around midnight the last fish of the night hit hard!

35 inches and around 30 lbs. I guess I would call them Mankato Metro cats as I caught them right outside of city limits. I had a good season caught lots of young fish wich is a great sign for the fishery. I also caught lots of 20 plus inch clicker buzzing channels on live bait too.

[ec30_06]

I'll always remember this one. I was out alone 2 days after the first BPCL night in a spot that I ran out of bait in during leauge. Started out with a 21lber and then this 45.5lber came to play. What a battle trying to get that thing in the boat. With the strong current I wasn't able to net it like I did the 21. I eventually got hold of its mouth, or did it have ahold of me? Any way off I went to find Darren and Brian for some pics.