I have never caught a catfish in my life the
thing is that i have lived withing biking distance of Utah lake lincon beach. After hearing all this talk about kitty fishing it makes me want to go out and give it a try!! What are some secrets for them cause i would like my first time to be positive[
] Maybe i could even go learn from a pro cause i know there are a few on this board who are!
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I advise you to bring a couple different kinds of bait to see what is working best on that day. Carp meat or white bass meat is a must, and a good second is regular old nightcrawlers. After that, you could get some frozen minnows, shrimp, etc. I like to use a two-way swivel and hook two different types of bait on at once. Usually this is carp meat on one and a worm on the other. That way, you can see what's working faster. Early morning and evening of course are best. If you are on shore, any of the Lincoln Beach dikes will do.
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I have found that a fresh piece of shrimp and a good-sized nightcrawler on the same hook has worked best for me.
Try using as little weight as possible on a Carolina rig. Don't feel like you need to cast your bait out a mile from shore, as it seems like the kitties like it shallow.
It's a good idea to leave the bail open on your reel after you've casted out the bait. Once you know a fish has taken the bait, if you let your line spool off your reel for several seconds before setting the hook, you'll have more hookups.
That's about all the advice I can think to give.
Good luck.
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When I go out I would radther be in my toon or my small alum. boat so I dont have to deal with the crowed and be comfy so that way if the fishing is to slow to handle i can check for holes in my eye lids
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[#505000]As a dedicated kitty hunter, I use no weight, 4/0 size hooks, carp meat, minnows, white bass, and when using cut bait I like to use a chunk no smaller/bigger than what would cover a 50 cent piece.[/#505000]
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[#505000]I agree whole heartedly with PrinceFisher, in that you need to fish with your bail open and let them run for a second before you try any hooksets.[/#505000]
I[#505000]'m a little clueless in some of my fishing terminology so I don't know what a Carolina rig is, but I usually tie a swivel to my fishing line and then 18 inches of leader off the swivel followed by the hook. [/#505000]
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[#505000]Also at Lincoln don't ignore the inside of the boat launch area. I have caught a few channels, and I have also seen walleye caught between the dikes. [/#505000]
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I either fish with a bobber or with no weight. Between the two, if it isn't too snaggy, I believe leaving the bobber off works a little better. I always use a quality swivel, because catfish will sometimes spin as you reel them in. Be aware that catfish will fight much harder and longer than most trout. They will often explode when they see the shoreline or the side of a boat. With this in mind, don't have your drag set so tight that they snap your line. I have started fishing almost exclusively with 4/0 circle hooks. I find that I hook a high percentage of my bites, and that about 80% of them hook themselves in the corner of their mouths. However, I do miss the fun of setting the hook. I used to fish exclusively with shrimp, but lately I have been fishing with shrimp (with and without crawler added), whole chubs, cut chunks of white bass, 1/2 perch (cut-lengthwise), and crawlers. The larger the bait the fewer bites, but one has a better chance of catching a huge cat on larger bait. I have been able to catch catfish all day long. Most of the time I will anchor my boat and cast into the shoreline. I am often fishing only a couple feet from the shoreline (sometimes even less) and at times in water that is less than 1 foot deep. If I were fishing from the shore, and the area I was fishing was rocky or even if it had gravel, I would definitely try one rod (I use two rods with a two-pole permit) only a few inches from the shore. On that rod one better leave the bail open, or count on losing the rod or having the line snapped off.
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Hey there, oh "Carp Punishing One." The type of setup you described in your post is essentially a Carolina Rig.
In relatively simple terms, a Carolina Rig consists of a sliding sinker or weight on one's main line above a swivel that is tied to the end of the main line. To the other end of the swivel is tied a length of leader, with the hook tied to the end of the leader.
Here is a good site that describes and illustrates different types of fishing rigs: [url "http://www.bassfishingusa.com/Rigging/rigging2.html"]http://www.bassfishingusa.com/Rigging/rigging2.html[/url].
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[#505000]Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!! I've been using a Carolina Rig for years and I never knew it.[/#505000]
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Try using a little smokey hot dog. Cut it into quarters and tip the piece of smokey behing a night crawler.
This has worked very well for me this year.
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There are many ways to catch them kitties.Everyone has their own techniques.Personally i have been using some big red shiners i caught at scofield .I use my walleye rig and my wife uses a bobber and both methods work perfect.I dont leave my bail open because of the way i rig my minnow.I have been averaging 5-6 lb cats on every trip.They end up hooking themselves .Have had some biguns break me off too.Hope this helps.I am out at lincoln 2-3 days a week sometimes.After softball tournaments are over i will be doing a lot of friday night cat fishing.Maybe i will see ya out there sometime.
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