channel cats tight to shore

Water may be super high on the Rock, but the channel cats are on a real rip using dip bait (especially Sonny’s) The whiskerfish are trying to stay out of the current and hanging tight against the shore behind current breaks like big trees. Remember Roller Derby when they would all get in a line and go round and round the track ? That’s what it’s gotta look like down there on the bottom downstream from major snags. It was tough finding spots where you could anchor up this morning, but if you could find a spot where an 18 lb anchor would hold ya there were fish. Tried four such spots. On the fourth one took a limit of 10 eater size cats in just over an hour–and got home in time for breakfast. Couldn’t keep two lines in the water! Not using much weight–a 1/4 oz. egg sinker. However, have modified the dipbait presentation by using two worms, both clipped into the snap swivel below the egg sinker. One is a “sknny” Super Devil worm about 3 1/2 inches long, the other is a little worm that Sonny himself gave me that is tied on a #6 single longshank hook with plastic about the size of a pencil lead. 8 out of 10 came on this worm. Believe the bigger worm pulls ’em in with the scent and they eat the smaller single hook.
With the Rock still pretty much at flood stage the habitat parameters required to attract catfish are pretty narrow—like a short linear area directly downcurrent from an obtstruction like the big cottonwood which broke the current flow along the bank enough to attract a PILE of fish.

I suspect the “slower” moving stretches of the Rock like the area around Traxlor Park in Janesville and between the dam in downtown Beloit and Corp. park 2 miles upstream will also produce. Gonna check this out tomorrow, probably. Will probably do a column on high water cats for the Janesville Gazette to run Sunday, june 20 if this pattern continues to produce.
Sure conditions are generally tough right now…but to fish or not to fish is NOT a question. Fishing is an essential bodily function like breathing, or…other essential bodily functions !!!

I am most interested in your two worm rig, but as usual I’m a little confused. Is the 2nd worm attached to the snap swivel with mono as typical dip bait worms are or is this worm “wrapped” to the long shank and the hook eye snapped to the swivel?
Anxious to try it.

Thanks,
Charlie

Great report Ted. How do those cats taste?

Charlie, the little single hook dipbait worm has a leader, just like other dipbait worms. I just clip it right in the snap swivel with the other dipbait worm. The leader lengths are slightly different, so the bigger super-devil worm and it’s leader lies behind the little worm when casting or fishing. Think I might have a couple still in the packaging. A guy out of Iowa makes them, and markets them thru Sonny’s Dipbait. Will look around later this morning and advise if I can find any.

Ted, your response clears things up. Because I lose so many in the snags, I “roll my own” dipbait worms and feel I could probably make the smaller worms you described in your post. As I said earlier, sure am anxious to try the two worm rig.

Thanks,