Tough Start

I’m having a tough start to my Cat season. After a few nights of ZERO Flatheads in the boat, it was time to try the Channel Cats to relieve my craving for catching tackle busting fish of the best kind, CATS
This is my first cat of the year and it was just a tease. The little guy came from one of my favorite wing dams and took a cut sucker on a circle hook. 3 others of the same size followed, all before dark. This had me thinkin’ for sure I was in for a treat when the sun would go to bed but it wasn’t to be.
After dark I moved all over hoping to find some bigger channels with a results of 1 quick slam I anchored in timber that normally would produce channels, and drifted a sand flat on the boarder of the main channel moving from 8 – 15fow with nothing coming to the boat after dark.
We have a water temp of 69 degrees on pool 8. The river seems to be in no hurry to warm up this year.
What ever it is I have done to the Cat Gods I sure hope they forgive me soon I have the need for cranking in a freight train

Good Luck on the water

Bret

Thanks for the report Bret! Nowhere to go but up. I know a guy who could get you some nice big Bullheads….

They’re turning on – I’ve caught two flatheads in the last two nights – not fast by any means, but it’s a start. The water temp you mention is very high for May 11. The readouts for water going through the dam are about 60-63 right now which is also high for this time of year. The 69 degree water must be flowing out of backwaters where it sat and caught some rays when the water was higher.

Anyways – for me this is the earliest I ever get them – my previous earliest fish was on the 11th of May several years ago – this year I got one on the tenth. It’s going nowhere but up from here.

Mosquitos are out in full force already, though!

Thanks for the repot bret!

Dont get too frustrated, its very early. The action has been consistant lately for us around here… slow, but a run has been happening every night for someone for more than a week, mostly to no hook up?

Channel cats have slowed down from their early spring frenzy and have realy spread out.

Getting the 1st flat in the boat always seems most difficult every year, after that our confidence goes up and the fishing seems to get consistant soon after.

Way to go Buddy. Nice channel kitty I’ll get out with you yet one of these nights.

Thanks for the words of knowledge and encouragement. I’m just going to have to swallow another patient pill
I’m thinking the first warm up that we had way to early this year threw off my internal calendar

We will have to get out after work this week one night Mike C. Lets hope I don’t get sick on you again

Hang in there Big Guy!

May 13 was my first flat last year…then nothing until June. It was a long stretch of fishing most every night from the 13th until June.

If I lived in WI I would have two cut baits out and one live bait…until “the big wham”….then it would be live freight train catchers on all three rods.

Hang in there, Bret. The St Criox bite is slow too. I want to be there when they start biting so I will put up with the early season skunks. Twins game starts at 7:10pm so it may be a good night to get out. That darn south wind howling up the river is a pain though. Well, like they say – “You can’t catch’em if your hooks aren’t in the water”.

I am in the same boat with you

I was out Saturday night, no runs and at 11:30 the T-Storms chased me off the water. I had planned on pulling an all nighter, and had the sleeping bag in the boat, but I don’t really want to see what lightning can do

On a side note, I was able to mark a few spots that will be fished next weekend, and got to talk to Dean for a little bit

The lake water is 61 degrees in the bay where I was. Channels are on the rampage. Sonnys 7, cutbait 0 (1 pike hit a sucker head they don’t count)biggest was 8lbs. I had a lot of bites that they spit out before I could set a hook. This often happens early. In two weeks they will hit it and not let it go. I was getting bit in 3 feet of water at 9:00am to high noon.

Kev? Do use those Tubie Worms…with the trebles?

Farmboy, I’m at Everts now…and if it wasn’t for the wind and storms a brewing…I would be getting ready to head out. I SMELL Flathead!

Yup, Only I throw out the too light leader they provide and replace it with a 30lb big cat mono shock tippet. I do use trebles and I avoid deep hooking them by setting the hook as soon as the bobber goes. Every fish I saw was fat with eggs. Gonna be a good year.

They look like this

Tubes for channel cats

I run 20lb PP high vis, a lit Thill walleye bobber, Egg sinker, swivel, shock tippet to the tube. I have tried circles with this rig and found it wanting. You can’t let them have it for long or they will swallow it. If you are trying to fish a lake for Channel cats you can’t beat this rig.

Quote:

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Farmboy, I’m at Everts now…and if it wasn’t for the wind and storms a brewing…I would be getting ready to head out. I SMELL Flathead!

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Man, You must just be rubbing it in Sounds like the next few days is going to be bad weather

Got my fingers crossed Mike C and I are going to give it a try tonight after work. Not sure if the water temp has come up at all Cloudy days and cool nights have not been helping any Oh well, it will be better than watching the tube at home

So if I remember correctly from BrianK’s video last year, cutting the sides and smashing the head of a large sucker will at times produce the flatty’s. I’m thinking between the 2 of us there will be 2 suckers over the side tonight along with some fresh gills.

Cut sunfish works great too Bret.. If your running live gills on a couple lines, and are reserving the other 2 lines for cut suckers.. you may want to reconsider and put out a cut sunny out on one of the cut bait lines.

Wait a minute.. WI guys can use 3 lines each! Sunfish everywhere!

Minnesotans are deprived

Leave the suckers at home. I only use them when I can’t find bluegills or bullheads anywhere. Both are superior to suckers cut or alive.

Thanks for the responce guys, ya just saved me 5 bucks