# COLD Water River Channel Cats



## tcba1987 (Jun 22, 2004)

I know weve discussed this subject on here before but i thought it would be interesting to our new members and beginning catters to hear some advice. What areas do you look for to try in rivers this time of year ??? What bait do you recommend ?? What style of hooks and rig ups do you all recommend ?? 
ANY other advice ??? Just figured id get some conversation started here in the catfishing section for us die-hard catters !!! 

Ive never had much luck in the colder water months for channels here on the Tusc but i always look for the deepest holes i can find and use a slip sinker rig (2 oz) and a 4/0 Gamakatsu Inline Circle Hook baited with a piece of cut bait (either frozen shad or bluegill). i think the earliest after Jan `1rst that ive ever caught a channel cat from the Tusc was mid-March !!!


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

I always have better luck in the winter with high water conditions, the rising water makes em think about eating and then they move towards the banks and eddys to get out of the strong flows, Ive had many double digit days all through the winter. I always use cut shad/frozen and usually rig a slip sinker ( 3-4 oz) on a 6/o Gama circle hook. Sometimes the winter bite is light but when they are right on the banks ( 1-3 ft of water) they usually are very active in the middle of the afternoon.

Salmonid


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## catfish_hunter (May 31, 2005)

If it hadnt have started pouring earlier today, i was headed to one of my favorite feeder creeks to try it out today...But when it started rained that ended my thoughts on that real quick... Oh well...Spring will be here before we know it!! I cant wait!!!


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## GMRcatman (Mar 16, 2008)

I was going to reply but Salmonid said exactly what I do. I had pretty good success today fishing for channels set up like he posted. The only difference I sometimes do is scaling back the size of the hook if the channels are biting lite. I seem to hook up with a lot more without the fish swallowing the hook. Gama Octopus circle 3/0 to 4/0. The last two years I have caught more and bigger channels in December, January and February than at any other time of the year.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

i try to look for sharp bends in the river with deeper holes close by. it seems that if you can find them they like to school up, i aslo like to go out when the water is high and look for current breaks, i use a number 3/0 hook with chicken liver and med sized split shot about a foot up the line. i'll toss it out about three feet and let it drift down into the slack water behind the current break, it usually dosen't take long. i'll spend fifteen minutes roughly in each spot if nothing by then i'll head down stream to the next break. i'm fishing in the northern scioto by the way


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## bigcatjoe (Sep 6, 2006)

Northern scioto you say? Im currently attending OSU and i can't stand not fishing. I was thinking about trying to olentangy soon, seems to be a few nice bends around my area, and im not too far from the olentangy/scioto split. I fish the scioto quite a bit also, mostly for flatheads. Ever fish the tangy?


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

no but i have been wanting too, i have a real good friend that lives on it in delaware, seems to be allot of shallow water though, just from what i have seen. maybe we should get together some time and get on some cats. kinda been thinking of chasing some saugeye this weekend then if i don't do any good then i'll switch up to catfishing


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## bigcatjoe (Sep 6, 2006)

Hmm ic. I know the river is alot wider here than near delaware. My fishin buddy goes to ohio weslyan, in delaware. I did some research and I found a few low head dams on the tangy. One of which is listed as nearly 400 feet across and 8 feet high? I know its south of where I'm at near the confluence with the scioto. Hey sounds good to me, I'll take any chance to fish I can get with this cabin fever I have going.


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

there is a low head here in prospect where i live can be extremely good fishing if you know when and were to fish, a friend and myself went last year and caught over 130 crappie 92 of which we kept all being over 11'', there is another one in green camp about 15 miles north of prospect i have heard it is pretty good also but have never fished it. let me know when you want to go i have weekends open pretty much, i am thinking of heading out sometime this weekend not sure exactly what i'll target just want to get out


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## striperswiper (Oct 14, 2008)

its rare that i fish the olentangy seeing that im bout 2hrs away but i do make trips to delaware round nortin sporting goods,i have fished farther south and caught channels up to 20lbs on a slip shot sinker 1 1/2oz about 1' from a 4/0 circle hook w/ cut crappie for bait i fish in deeper holes and in curent breaks


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## Trophy Hunter (Dec 7, 2007)

A good cold water pattern for channels this time of year happens when certain variables coincide. On 2/13 the water temperature in the river increased by 10*F in a matter of two days from 36*F to 46*F. The night before the low temperature was greater than 50*F with a steady rain and the river had crested. That morning the river level just started to drop from five feet over pool. By the time I left school it was a beautiful 60*F sunny day. The sharp increase in water temperature and high water concentrating the fish into a small area made all the difference that day.

Needless to say it was fast and muddy. I know that back eddys and current breaks are good in high water but even better are man made structures that completely break the current such as dam walls and bridge piles. I moved around until I found some fish. In about two hours I caught two decent channels in the two to three pound range. One was well over eight pounds. The fish were caught on cut creek chubs on a 5/0 Owner SSW hook and split shot.


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