Willow Cats

I saw a post on Willow Cats today…and rather than commandeer that post I thought I would start a fresh one on the topic of this mystical baitfish.

Usually about the time that baitfish seem plentiful, there’s just enough flow left in the Mississippi for it to qualify as a river, and walleyes seem hard to come by…I start to hear about the magical willow cat.

So this post is for rookies like me who want to know:

1. What is a willow cat?
2. Do they really work?
3. Why do they cost a buck?
4. Where do you get em in MPLS?
5. Has anybody used em on Pool 2?

etc, etc.

All you river rats chime in!

Jason

1. Willow cats are the common name for the Tadpole Madtom.
2. Yes they do really work and can be the absolute best bait during tough bites.
3. The cost so much because they are hard to get. The VHS ban on the Mississippi River bait collecting really made it hard to get them. They have to be VHS tested in WI, which makes them even more expensive. The majority of the Willow cats for sale come from inland lakes in the Brainerd area. They also have a fairly short season for catching them.

4. I’m not sure where to get them in Minneapolis as I’m from a bit farther south.
5. I know of guys who’ve used them on pool2 with good results, and I know folks who’ve used them as far south as Pool 18 with about the same results. They are a native species so it’s not like you’re introducing something they’ve never seen before. They’re just hard to get ahold of.

Thanks….how are they fished typically?

They can be fished many different ways, but the most common is on a live bait rig. A barrel sinker above a swivel with a leader typically 2-4′ and about a #2 hook. These are fished above wing dams, in sloughs with wood or rock, in scour holes and pretty much anywhere else Walleyes hang out.

One of the big keys is to keep them moving. If you’re fishing a wing dam, the ideal situation is to have just enough flow to move your cat along the face of the dam. Cast straight out from the side of the boat, and let the current swing your bait to the face of the dam.

You will lose a lot of rigs when learning to do this, but it’s part of the learning experience. If you leave the cats sit in one place to long, they like to swim into rocks, and that will break you off too. Patience is key to learning to fish with them.

This time of year, I usually run 1/8 oz to 1/4 oz barrel sinkers most of the time. There are also guys who jig them on the faces of wing dams and in deep holes. The most common way is the sinker and swivel method though.

Good luck.

thanks again….i’ve called a couple places but no luck so far. would be fun to give them a try.

J

You will not find them in a bait shop in the metro. Everts used to be the closest place to get them if he even has them this year. Most likely you will need to get wet to find them.

Haven’t used willowcats for years, we just don’t see them much down here. A few years ago I had one bury a barb into my thumb……..talk about pain! Are those things filled with drain cleaner or something?

Seriously, listening to the replies on keeping these little buggers moving to avoid buried snags along with paying a buck a shot makes me wonder…….has anyone used these with Draggin jigs ?
Just a hunch but thinking this could be a terrific combo

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Seriously, listening to the replies on keeping these little buggers moving to avoid buried snags along with paying a buck a shot makes me wonder…….has anyone used these with Draggin jigs ?
Just a hunch but thinking this could be a terrific combo

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Willow cats on draggin jigs work great. If you go back and read summer draggin report from Dustin and I on pool 4 June – September just about every fish caught using willow cats came on a draggin jig.

Is there anyone that could take some close up pictures of a willow cat along with a shot of the belly (of the willow cat not yours )

I have been fooling around with some hair jigs and it sounds like a good one to try. My leech one is coming around.

Thanks

is this it ???

MADTOM

Or is it one of the bull heads on that site?

I did find the madtom tadpole

madtom tadpole

Also here is the home page where I found this.

It’s pretty cool

wis fish ID

I am correct that if they are trapped in MN they are legal? That being said there has to be someone willing to drive to Brainerd to make some money?
Send me a PM if you’d like to help.
thanks,

Riverruns, this thread is from 2009.

But Everts Resort does have willows.

Jason, I would look to use these the same as you would with the smaller bullies on a 3way. Stay as light as you can get away with on the drop weight. 1/2 oz should be plenty. I would go with an 8 inch drop on a 18-20 inch lead. Use heavier mono on the lead line. 14-18 lb test. This will keep the bait in line and straigt off the 3 way. The hook is up to you. Those walleyes on P2 are not line/hook shy. Just worry about how the fish see’s the bait with no worry of them seeing the line. Those little monkeybutts are expensive!! so use about 6 lb test on your drop weight and if your bait is still finding the rocks slide a float on the 3 way and tie a bead in to keep the fload within 3 inches of the hook. This is what I have to do with bullheads at times to keep them busy. And will save on loosing baits to the timber and rocks. The float will allow you to slow down a bit in those spot on the spots too!

I “caught” one on Pepin last summer. It fell out of a big ole stick I snagged and landed in the bottom of my boat. I was curious…”hey, what’s that…is that one of those willow cats I’ve always heard about…let’s pick it up and OWWWW!” Holy crap that thing stung. My buddy nearly fell out of the boat he was laughing so hard. I think I’ve seen Hooked on Fishing in Rochester offer willow cats for sale; though that probably doesn’t help you up in the metro.

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Has anybody used em on Pool 2?

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Yes! And they do work very well.

-J.

You can dork rig them to.

Certified Willows and documentation that BK is certifiable.

It’s a WI law that they have to be certified VHS free to be sold.

I’ll get even with you someday Sgt Golf.

Wouldn’t plain little bullheads work just as well?

I know ponds where the bullies hatch and it would be simple to get thousands of 2-3″ bullies this time of year.

One would think so Tim.

But the rats I’ve talked to that have used both say no.

The willow cats have slime dripping from them, 100 x more then a bully. This is thought to be a reason they work so well.

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I’ll get even with you someday Sgt Golf.

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Gotta catch me baby. Bring a 4 iron

Getting a bit technical for me River.

From my understanding the bait dealer needs a cert to ensure the willow cats are vhs free in Wisc.

I don’t believe MN has the same rules, but I’m not sure.