02-16-2007, 02:06 PM
Dude, you're all over it tkishkape! [cool]
Now, i'll assume that the inhabitants are channel cats. This is where the worms and chicken livers would be quite effective. A little trick with the chickenliver, freeze them first. They work just as good and they'll stay on the hook better and remain fresher for longer. Channels like deep holes, structure, and a mild current.
Blue cats tend to appreciate a little bit more of a stronger current, and still hold in the deep holes, but don't need structure. I've caught huge blues on the previous mentioned cutbait, right in the middle of a current rip in a sandy bottom hole. Also, for blue, make sure it is FRESH cut bait. Channels will eat the stinky and old, blue's and flatheads like fresh or alive.
I use the same or similar rigs that tkishkape uses. The only difference is that I use wide bend hooks instead of plain shank hooks. Kahle or wide bend both work well. I also like large circle hooks on occasion, especially when I use live bait.
I normally target flatheads, which requires live bait. Here, you won't catch any live bait until it warms up. There's no shad in my local river, it's bream or nothing. Usually, the tackle stores on larger scale rivers and lakes carry live suckers or shad, places like Santee Cooper that are world renown for big cats. If you can buy live bait, and know there are big flatheads in the river, that's the way i'd go. I dig live bait. [cool]
Also, make sure your equipment can take the abuse. Hooking into a 60 pound blue or flatty is like hooking into the back of a slow moving cow. Cats are torquey, so don't be fooled by thier sometimes slow movement. I say sometimes because i've had big cats make blistering runs, enough to damage a lesser rod and reel combo. [
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Now, i'll assume that the inhabitants are channel cats. This is where the worms and chicken livers would be quite effective. A little trick with the chickenliver, freeze them first. They work just as good and they'll stay on the hook better and remain fresher for longer. Channels like deep holes, structure, and a mild current.
Blue cats tend to appreciate a little bit more of a stronger current, and still hold in the deep holes, but don't need structure. I've caught huge blues on the previous mentioned cutbait, right in the middle of a current rip in a sandy bottom hole. Also, for blue, make sure it is FRESH cut bait. Channels will eat the stinky and old, blue's and flatheads like fresh or alive.
I use the same or similar rigs that tkishkape uses. The only difference is that I use wide bend hooks instead of plain shank hooks. Kahle or wide bend both work well. I also like large circle hooks on occasion, especially when I use live bait.
I normally target flatheads, which requires live bait. Here, you won't catch any live bait until it warms up. There's no shad in my local river, it's bream or nothing. Usually, the tackle stores on larger scale rivers and lakes carry live suckers or shad, places like Santee Cooper that are world renown for big cats. If you can buy live bait, and know there are big flatheads in the river, that's the way i'd go. I dig live bait. [cool]
Also, make sure your equipment can take the abuse. Hooking into a 60 pound blue or flatty is like hooking into the back of a slow moving cow. Cats are torquey, so don't be fooled by thier sometimes slow movement. I say sometimes because i've had big cats make blistering runs, enough to damage a lesser rod and reel combo. [
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