Catfishing

[skyhightree1]

I haven't went catfishing much this year and when I go it's normally at night during the summer. I want to take my wife catfishing but wonder since the dramatic water temp drop in the fall months do they still bite pretty good?

 

[HDRider]

Worst day (night) fishing beats the best day working. It is always a good time to go fishing....

Seriously, I thought pressure drop effected fishing more than temp change.

 

[tripleBfarms]

They'll wear out some chicken livers hot or cold, rain or shine. Down deep where they are, the water temp is always the same, nice & cool. When I used to go alot, i would get food scraps from the local greasy spoon, and fill up some burlap sacks, soak em down with the water hose and leave them in the sun all day. When they get good and ripe, take them to the lake and throw them out as far as you can. Go back later that night and fish over the sacks, and you'll fill up your stringer. The smell and the juices will draw them in. They'll suck on the side of the bag, but they cant get anything out but just a taste. A couple of bags will hold fish there for 3 or 4 days. I also wrap my chicken livers in panty hose. Cut a 2" x 2" square piece, put in a piece of liver, then fold up 1 corner at a time and hook it over the hook. The barb keeps the pantyhose from slipping off, and the bait will last much longer.

 

[Kingfisher]

Yea when it gets cold they tend to stack up in holes. I allways like to fish a spot where a creek comes into the river or lake after a little rain. I'll use a bobber w a worm and have had a bit of success with that method. Just remember " no wheelies!"

 

[Ouachita]

October has always been the best month for catfishing. I think they do like black bears around here and become somewhat dormant during the winter. Not hibernate, but they do seem to go on a feeding frenzy in Oct and early Nov. My favorite is to trotline with lamb heart. 2 years ago a neighbor caught a 106 lb. cat out of the lake near my house.

 

[greybeard]

Hard to find sometime, but when I go over to Lake Livingston, I like to use chicken hearts. Perfect size already right out of the package, tough enough to stay on a hook, they freeze well, and if I'm serious, since they are mostly hollow, I'll stuff them with a bit of Danny King's Punch Bait. I don't know about the lakes and rivers right now since I haven't gone lately, but night time temps dropped into the 40s last week, and that didn't seem to affect the ones in my pond when I fed them each evening. They're still on the feed like stink on a cow pile. It takes a lot of sustained cool temps to drop or change the water temp even a couple of feet down. A cold rain with lots of runoff will affect it more quickly than air temps.

 

[J&D Cattle]

Hard to find sometime, but when I go over to Lake Livingston, I like to use chicken hearts. Perfect size already right out of the package, tough enough to stay on a hook, they freeze well, and if I'm serious, since they are mostly hollow, I'll stuff them with a bit of Danny King's Punch Bait. I don't know about the lakes and rivers right now since I haven't gone lately, but night time temps dropped into the 40s last week, and that didn't seem to affect the ones in my pond when I fed them each evening. They're still on the feed like stink on a cow pile. It takes a lot of sustained cool temps to drop or change the water temp even a couple of feet down. A cold rain with lots of runoff will affect it more quickly than air temps.

That Danny King's is the stinkiest commercial bait I've ever smelled. Ex father in-law sells live bait and would get that stuff in. Geez, the thought turns my stomach.

 

[greybeard]

Hard to get off your hands too-----don't even think about wipin 'em on your pants either. Wife gets eye-rate when I do it.

 

[skyhightree1]

Worst day (night) fishing beats the best day working. It is always a good time to go fishing....

Seriously, I thought pressure drop effected fishing more than temp change.

Thats a very truest statement about the fishing beats the best day working lol

Yea when it gets cold they tend to stack up in holes. I allways like to fish a spot where a creek comes into the river or lake after a little rain. I'll use a bobber w a worm and have had a bit of success with that method. Just remember " no wheelies!"

lol the only thing I hope gets wheelied is her rod with some cats.. I want some to fry up I like fresh cat the ones in my pond are about 1-5 lbs so we are going to some big lakes and the river around here to try to get some big ones.

Thanks for all the replies - Grey they have a ton of hearts here in the grocery stores right beside the livers never thought about using them. I make my own stink bait but it has problems staying on the hook in the summer I take cheap packs of hotdogs and cut them into chunks put in a bucket with a lid with a bath in vinegar for a week or 2 in the heat then put on hook they love it.

 

[M.Magis]

Fall is the best time for catfish. As the waters cool, they dramatically increase feeding to prepare for winter dormancy. This is particularly true for flatheads, but channels cats feed heavily as well, even though they stay somewhat active through the winter.
Here's a picture of a few of us on a fall night last year. We only took pictures of the flatheads, as that's all we're interested in. All rod and reel. For some areas this would probably be a normal night, but for around here it was outstanding.

 

[skyhightree1]

Nice... Thanks for posting the pic. Did yall eat them?

 

[M.Magis]

No, we catch and release all flatheads. They aren't exactly rare, but the fish we're after (> 40lbs) are very hard to catch. We may fish 8-10 nights in a row, all night long, and not catch one. So when we do we always put them back. I would like to catch some where they're more populated just to try it. I hear flathead is excellent eating.

 

[skyhightree1]

No, we catch and release all flatheads. They aren't exactly rare, but the fish we're after (> 40lbs) are very hard to catch. We may fish 8-10 nights in a row, all night long, and not catch one. So when we do we always put them back. I would like to catch some where they're more populated just to try it. I hear flathead is excellent eating.

I tell ya what I wouldnt be able to get them skinned and filet fast enough for me and my kids. Kids love catfish nuggest fried in batter with ketchup I prefer tarter sauce. My wife can't eat fish shes allergic but she likes catching them.

 

[slick4591]

A few years back my brother started marketing his stink bait from his web site. He called it Bells of He!! and I don't think I've smelled anything worse than this stuff. Some guy from Louisiana decided to give it a try and ordered a pint (which is really a half pint because of the room needed for pressure build up). He had a PO box and he was three days in getting by to pick it up. He told my brother that when he walked into the post office he could smell it. Apparently, it blew the first day while in his box and the postal employees were never so glad to see him. :lol:

 

[Fly-guy]

Fall is the best time for catfish. As the waters cool, they dramatically increase feeding to prepare for winter dormancy. This is particularly true for flatheads, but channels cats feed heavily as well, even though they stay somewhat active through the winter.
Here's a picture of a few of us on a fall night last year. We only took pictures of the flatheads, as that's all we're interested in. All rod and reel. For some areas this would probably be a normal night, but for around here it was outstanding.

Only two things wrong with this picture, wearing jackets and the absence of me holding some of those fish with you. Nice fish! :tiphat:

 

[M.Magis]

Thanks. If I recall, it got down into the 30s that night. As much fun as it is to flathead fish in the fall, the weather can be unpleasant. Trying to sleep on a cot by the lake with just a light sleeping bag can make for a long night when it gets that cold. Throw in some wind and a little rain and it can be downright brutal.

 

[Fly-guy]

That reminds me of a boy scout campout our troop went on during Christmas break.. We took the kids up to a state lake in western Kansas with about four inches of snow for a winter camp. The first day was a cool 30 degrees, great hiking, fishing and roughing it in a scout cabin without electricity.

I started out sleeping on the front porch and just before sunrise it dropped down to - 4 degrees. I moved inside for what good it did and it was the first and only time the kids were ready to go when we said "let's go".