Jordan River cats

[CatWhisperer]

Went out friday to the Jordan to try out my new 7000ic3's and ended up doing pretty good. I took a friend and his wife who hadnt had much luck lately and we tore up the cats. We ended up cleaning 15 nice cats. Two were 7lbs and the rest were all between 3-6. 73 lbs total weight. Fished from 4pm to about 10, threw back about 10 short fish besides the ones we kept, lost one real nice one. Picture kinda sucks, i need a new phone.
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[rctalbot]

It looks like you'll be eating well. Nice catching!
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[UtahLakeCats]

Nice man, you usually tear it up with the cats. Was hoping you'd throw back the bigger ones so I could catch them later.. JK, but seriously []

Tell you what - any cat you throw back that's over 24in or in the 5-7 range (proven by video), I'll pay you the amount of a catfish fillet at the grocery store. Have Paypal? That way you get your cat fight, get your fillet, and the cats get bigger on the Jordan. Seems silly, but I'm hoping to have good cattin' for years to come and selective harvest is how other fisheries have kept quality cat-fishing. You're also welcome to tell me to go jump off a cliff and mind my own business. [cool]

Anyways, gotta respect your cat skills!
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[TheWeekender]

Nice work! I've seen a couple of your posts and you dominate. That's also a very tempting offer. I also am a fan of catch and release...at least for bass, cutts, and bigger lakers. Have you ever fished the Jordan from 54th south-106th south? I haven't fished it much but just curious if the fishing is any good in that stretch or if I need to go closer to Utah lake.
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[TroutMan93]

I've fished it on 54th and caught a mess of mudcats and some dandy channels all between 18"-29"
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[CatWhisperer]

That is quite the tempting offer, i would feel a little bad about ruining someone financially though []. I normally throw back everything over 8 lbs but i might start including a few 6-7's in there. Im still amazed by the sheer numbers of 3-5 lb fish that I see pulled out of UL and Jordan though.

thanks for the kind way that you asked me to participate in catch and release, too often on here i see people cruicify others for keeping nice fish.
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[CatWhisperer]

Ive never tried around 54th but I am always looking for new spots so I might give it a go. I normaly fish closer to the lake.
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[FishMids]

Without giving away too much information...What is your rig and bait of choice?
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[John-boy]

[quote UtahLakeCats]Nice man, you usually tear it up with the cats. Was hoping you'd throw back the bigger ones so I could catch them later.. JK, but seriously []

Tell you what - any cat you throw back that's over 24in or in the 5-7 range (proven by video), I'll pay you the amount of a catfish fillet at the grocery store. Have Paypal? That way you get your cat fight, get your fillet, and the cats get bigger on the Jordan. Seems silly, but I'm hoping to have good cattin' for years to come and selective harvest is how other fisheries have kept quality cat-fishing. You're also welcome to tell me to go jump off a cliff and mind my own business. [cool]

Anyways, gotta respect your cat skills![/quote]

Does this offer extend to everybody? catwhisperer and myself could make you refinance the house if we go all out? -JK I fish with him and we send back way more than we keep!!!
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[CatWhisperer]

stink bait and tube worm/sponge
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[UtahLakeCats]

Haha you probably would put me under, with the numbers you put up. Yeah I never want to be a doosh about it - glad you're letting the bigger ones go. With the Jordan River having relatively no restrictions or selective harvest - I dunno how it will be 5-7 years from now. From what I hear from the older guys, 8-12lb cats were more common years ago. I'm just jealous of anglers that fish the Red River up north, where Channels average 20lbs - that would be a blast.

7000iC3 - those are SWEET. I use spinning reels for now, but I've had my eye on the abu garcia 6500c3, I love how it's way easier to set the drag while a fish is on, as well as the clicker. I use circle hooks, so I usually wait for my reel to run a bit, a clicker would be much better.
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[UtahLakeCats]

I would honestly put my money where my mouth was (within reason), I have funds in Paypal sitting there, but mostly I just hope people will get the hint. Either way, I enjoy the reports from you guys. I understand CatWhisperer is from back east and obviously brought over his cattin' skills, I'm sure you guys have a lot of fun - happy to see other catter's out there.
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[CatWhisperer]

I relaced two ten year old 6000's with the 7000iC3's and i couldnt be happier. They hold 300+yds of 50lb braid and holy SHART will they cast a mile. I have to really hold them back on the river, havent tried them on the lake yet but cant wait to. Clicker is the only way to go for cats too. [cool]
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[Utcatman]

I have played with clickers and bait runners for yrs and the best method I have found for sticking big cats is a 6/0 circle hook and a SLAB of flesh ... I don't pull the rod out of the holder until the rod is loaded up and they have hooked themselves... which is typically immediately after the initial hit... gotta love circle hooks in the corner of the mouth !!
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[Boatloadakids]

Keep talkin' Utcatman. Anybody who catches cats the way you do has got my attention

. I use octopus J hooks in 5 and 6/0 with a porterhouse steak size slab of carp meat and no weight... 12 lb. mono. I fish in the rocks and I give up a lot of hooks but I like the no weight feel with an open bail, two poles. I'm using more wb meat now that there are a few more of them around the launch areas in the early morning. The 3-5 inchers are more common now and they make good cat bait. I'm in the process of shifting over to a night shift rather than the early morning day shift. The skeeters are bad but I think the cattin' will be better. Target: anything that will come close to that 33 1/2 you caught.

I would divulge more of my super secret cat tactics but I'm off to Sportsman Warehouse to snarf up a big bag of 6/0 circle hooks.

BLK
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[CatWhisperer]

Thats the way we drift fish for the big blues back home except we use 12/0 circle hook and about half pound of skipjack doing about a .5mph drift and just waiting for the pole to slap the water with a 40lb+ blue on the other end. I have to say that the reason I enjoy using straight hooks/trebbles is I enjoy crossing those cats eyes, or ripping lips if you would after a long week at work. Since the military frowns on beating people anymore I have to take my frustrations out elsewhere.
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[UtahLakeCats]

Every time I've checked sportmans they don't have circles, I usually have to go to cabelas. I do similar to utcatman - let them hook themselves, which is usually the corner of the mouth. Its not 100 %, but I hook a lot more fish.
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[Boatloadakids]

ULC - You are right, couldn't find the circles I wanted at SW. Fired off an order to Cabelas for few packages of 7/0 Gamacatsu Inline Octopus Circle hooks in purty red color. Should be here in 5-6 days.

Look forward to giving them a try but I'm kinda with Catwhisper in liking the heave-ho of an exaggerated hook set with the J-hooks. Also like to watch the gkids on the trigger pull. Fun to watch.

Was at Bird Island this a.m. and caught lots of cats but nothing over 24-25 inches. Maybe the circle hooks will help me find that big 'un I've been looking for. Watch for pics. []

BLK
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[FishMcFisherson]

I don't know how you guys feel about Wal Mart, but they sell circle Gamakatsu hooks there. Probably cheaper than Cabelas, and you don't have to pay for shipping.
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[John-boy]

You will be happy to know Catwhisperer just sent a 9lb 28in channel back into the Jordan.
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