Catfishing at Cuttler

[plecopterahopper]

[font "Technical"][#0000a0][size 3]I heard a while ago that there were some good catfish being caught at Cuttler. Most of my classes were cancelled for friday so I thought I would go fishing and I was looking for somewhere that I could catch some bigger fish maybe I could try, maybe I could try for some cats. Does anyone know where to go and what to use. [/size][/#0000a0][/font]
[signature]

[HFT]

you may be a little early but my favorite place is at the base of the power plant with carp meat. it is 20' deep there.
[signature]

[PREDATOR]

Hopper, you can come fish in my back yard dude. All I ever get is the smaller cats but the neghbor kid hauls several six pound class cats out of there every year. That will rip ya a new one. You are out mowing the lawn and through your back yard comes the neighbor kid toting a big old catfish on his way home. Then the punk does it again a few weeks latter so you go give it a try and all you get is a bunch of ten inchers. I suck at catfishing.
[signature]

[aquaman]

big bait = big fish
[signature]

[ruger]

There's a lot of truth to that! When I used to fish lake mead for cats we would always catch the biggest ones on whole uncooked jumbo shrimp. At least 3-4 inches. Yea, they were expensive, but man did they produce some huge cats!

[Curtisfish]

My biggest cats (only 9lbs. so were not talking monsters here) have been caught on 2 baits. One is a whole 4-6" frozen chub minnow on a wire leader I make for Pike with a 1/0 Owner Salmon hook above a 2/0 Mustad treble fished in the Green River. The other is at Utah Lake using a bubble, a treble hook, and a worm. Two completely different techniques, same result. A whole lotta fun on the end of a pole. Try different baits to see what works for your particular water and fishing style. I've tried shrimp, blood baits, dip baits, minnows, worms, carp, doughs, and lures of all kinds. Yes lures. My wife caught a 17lb. Channel on a Rainbow Crocodile Spoon in the Green River. Then again, I don't think there is a fish out there that she (not me) couldn't catch on that thing.
[signature]

[plecopterahopper]

Thanks for the advice guys,

Are the cats active this time of year? I heard the information on another site that doesn't have any ownership for their actions. They said they were catching large ones just below the plant on rainbow spinners. Are they leading people on a goose chase? If they are less active in the cold, I don't want to try for them, I have had about as good of luck as Predator for cats so I need everything in my favor. Maybe I will wait for warmer weather to go for the cats.

I wanted to go Bear lake and chase some macks but my boat is still a ways away from being finished so I am bank bound for a while.
[signature]

[Hoobie]

I have read in a number of places that Catfish hibernate during winter but i have seen a few caught through the ice however not consistently.from my own experience they at least don't feed as much as in the summer.[unsure]
[signature]

[Hoobie]

Where do you live? I would like to fish in your back yard sometime[]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool]The GOB's (Good Ol' Boys) would have you believe that you need to fish for cats at night, during the summer. FACT: Utah cats can be caught all year...even below the ice. Been there, done that on Yuba, Utah Lake and Willard.

I started fishing crawlers, mackerel slabs and dead minnows for cats on Willard about mid February...as soon as some water started coming in at the south marina. Fishing off the bank, on the north side of the channel, I caught some of my biggest cats of the year before the walleyes ever thought about getting serious.

In the low water year of '82, I was kicking mud all the way out of the channel in my float tube, but found a large area holding channel cats about a hundred yards from the mouth of the inlet. There was actually still a cover of ice on some parts of the lake. The rangers motored out in a small kicker to see what I was doing and were amazed when they watched me catching decent sized channels. I also took home a seven pound roe-laden mama walleye on that memorable trip. It took a lengthy tubers' stomp dance to return the feeling to my frozen feet when I hit the shore.

The key was to fish with no sinker, a small to medium sized piece of bait and a sharp hook. The fish would often pick up and drop the bait a couple of times before running with it. But, the point is that they were there and they were actively feeding, in water almost too cold for walleyes.

The river below cutler also produces some big fish early. And, they will hit lures and jigs, if the water warms a couple of degrees and gets them active. Again, a piece of bait on an unweighted line will usually get better results.

I think it would be safe to say that you can leave your size 22's and 6X in your trout vest.

HERE'S A PIC OF SOME COLD WEATHER CATS AT WILLARD'S SOUTH MARINA. Largest 14#. Three over 10. Notice the higher water.


[signature]

[muskyhunter]

Nice pic Tube Dude, I would like to add one more thing, that has helped me in catching the bigger cats.I always leave my bell open so the fish dose not feel any tention on the line,usually they will pic it up and run then stop and chomp. I like to set the hook on the second or third run!!"BIG FISH RULE"M.H.
[signature]

[Tsadler17]

Last sunday I tried the bear River right by the bridge in Corrine. Is this a good spot, and I was using the blood bait?

Does this bait work well, I used it once at willard last year and had a small about 12 inch fish hit, but thats about it, but I didnt put much time into cats to be honest.



Thanks,

Tyler
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool]Almost any bait will catch some fish on some waters at some time. The prepared "catfish baits"...blood, cheese, chicken liver, etc....work very well in some waters. But, I have never done as well with them in Utah as I have with "natural" baits...worms, minnows and pieces of fish flesh.

Catfish are legendary for their non-squeamish appetites. I have been amazed at some of the things reportedly used as catfish bait...and at some of the things I have found in the gut of cats at the cleaning station. But, my experience has been that I catch more and bigger fish using live or freshly dead items from within their "normal" menu. In utah, this includes crawlers, crawdads (a vastly overlooked bait), dead chubs and carp minnows and various members of the perch and sunfish family...where legal.

Some guys do very well with sucker meat or carp meat. Again, the fresher the better, in most cases. And, even though it has a natural fishy smell, a shot of smelly jelly (anchovy) doesn't hurt. I have always done very well with mackerel strips. It is cheap in the fish markets, it has a great fishy smell and it draws cats in if you fish in an area for a long time. Kinda like legal chumming.

So, the prepared baits WILL work...but often not as well as the other stuff. They were originated in the south and midwest, where catfish fishing is more traditional. That is, muddy water, fishing at night and the fish more accustomed to feeding by smell. It's surprising how "sight oriented" cats are in some Utah waters. I have taken hundreds of cats from all over the state on a wide range of lures...including flies.
[signature]

[plecopterahopper]

Thanks for the help guys,

unfortunately, I ended up with company here so I didn't get to use any of your advice, I will file it away for later. Nice picture Tube Dude, with all that cold water fishing and success, are you sure that you aren't part seal or killer whale or something[].

It looks like I will be going to Bear lake instead tomorrow to see if I can shake the Bear Lake curse.
[signature]

[carpkiller]

When you do dedide to go i got a real good place, or rather there is a good palce in the bear river if you have a boat. If you start in cutler and find where the bear enters the marsh and follow the river upstream about a half mile you will see a couple of dummies on the bank. A farmer by the name of waterson owns the land and he doesn't let people enter on the dry side. He let is slip that there are several 10 lb plus cats taken out of the hole each year. The hole lies next to the bank from the dummy furthest to the west to the corner where the river splits. I found the hole with my fishfinder one day and the deepest is 21 feet. I anchor my boat just off of the shore and usually use chicken livers and have done alright. I find myself fishing elsewhere when the fishing gets good for cats. Good luck and holler if you need any more help finding the spot.
[signature]

[Hellsangler69]

TubeDude , that is a mess of fish . Never tried fishing for them this early . Looks like I've been missing out . I always fished for them back in Kansas with crawlers, live minnows or gold fish . It took me a while to learn how to fish here in Utah when I moved here in 1984 .Never really tried fishing for channel cats here yet .Kinda turned into a trout junkie . Thanks for the info .
[signature]

[ChinCheck]

Were exactly is cuttler at, and is the fishing any good?
[signature]

[muskyhunter]

Yo, ChinCheck Cutler Dam is just south west of Newton over in that rocky canyon,everthing that backs up toward the east is considered Cutler Reservor.There is a boat ramp in Cache Jct.I have launched there several times and headed west up toward the dam(about 2 miles) and done pretty good for cats,you must be carefull because the water is not very deep in several places,less than 3'.As for bait any cut bait,frogs or good ol crawlers as well as shrimp will work good!!"BIG FISH RULE"M.H.
[signature]