12-28-2007, 08:49 PM
LOL, sounds like my kinda place. I do some Kayak fishing in the inlet and in the slews off the main river. Sometimes the best fishing is in a shallow water vessel like that. Many great fishing holes are only accessable by dragging the boat through the slop for a short spell.
If you've seen a catfish head the size of a dinner plate, i'd be willing to bet it's not a channel catfish . Average channel is only about a couple pounds. 10 pounders are a trophy. Bullheads are even smaller. If it's primitive like you suggest, sounds like there might be flat heads in the area. Get yourself a little larger fishing outfit with 20 pound line. Tie on a carolina rig with a 7/0 wide bend or Circle hook. Use a live bream or shad for bait, but really any hand sized live fish will work. Toss that out in a hole next to structure and see what happens.
![[Image: rig.jpg]](http://www.catfished.com/rig.jpg)
The above rig is one of many typical catfish rigs. A carolina rig is very similar. Instead of the tear drop weight, and egg weight is used. The little round guy between the lead and the swivel is a bead. It keeps the weight from damaging the swivel when they impact. Use a mono leader from the swivel to the hook, atleast 24" long. When you hook the live bait, insert the hook behind the dorsal fin and above the latteral line. This will keep the fish from getting stabed in the spin, thus turning your live bait into fresh cut bait.
Oh, and bring a net, unless you've got the balls to scoop him in the boat by hand. You can do this safely by lipping the fish just like you would a bass. Just make sure the weight of the catfish holds his jaw open, and make sure you have a good grip and dig your fingers under his jaw real good. This way you stay in control and the fish doesn't flop back in the water with the top layer of skin from your thumbs. [
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If you've seen a catfish head the size of a dinner plate, i'd be willing to bet it's not a channel catfish . Average channel is only about a couple pounds. 10 pounders are a trophy. Bullheads are even smaller. If it's primitive like you suggest, sounds like there might be flat heads in the area. Get yourself a little larger fishing outfit with 20 pound line. Tie on a carolina rig with a 7/0 wide bend or Circle hook. Use a live bream or shad for bait, but really any hand sized live fish will work. Toss that out in a hole next to structure and see what happens.
The above rig is one of many typical catfish rigs. A carolina rig is very similar. Instead of the tear drop weight, and egg weight is used. The little round guy between the lead and the swivel is a bead. It keeps the weight from damaging the swivel when they impact. Use a mono leader from the swivel to the hook, atleast 24" long. When you hook the live bait, insert the hook behind the dorsal fin and above the latteral line. This will keep the fish from getting stabed in the spin, thus turning your live bait into fresh cut bait.
Oh, and bring a net, unless you've got the balls to scoop him in the boat by hand. You can do this safely by lipping the fish just like you would a bass. Just make sure the weight of the catfish holds his jaw open, and make sure you have a good grip and dig your fingers under his jaw real good. This way you stay in control and the fish doesn't flop back in the water with the top layer of skin from your thumbs. [
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