# I hooked something really heavy and I don't think it was a bass, maybe a Carp?



## Kayaking_Kev

I got a question for you guys. Yesterday, I hooked something huge, way heavier than anything I ever hooked, even the 4.6 lb LM I caught earlier this year. I fought it for over 5 minutes and this thing didn't fight like a bass, it went straight to the bottom of a hole I was fishing on the river and just kept tugging and tugging, but didn't do much running after an initial run, it just sat at the bottom but kept tugging on my line until finally, it broke me off and I even had the drag set pretty good. There's usually about a hundred Carp in that hole hanging out and I've never caught a catfish out of this section of the river, although I know there are a few. Usually the Bass will run and run and try to jump a lot in the river and this just went to the bottom and tugged. I was using a Texas rigged Senko and I'm wondering if a big Carp would of ate it.I never caught a Carp before and it didn't really seem like a Catfish either. Wondering if Carp fight like that and if they would of bit that Senko? Thanks.


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## fishless

Kayaking_Kev said:


> I got a question for you guys. Yesterday, I hooked something huge, way heavier than anything I ever hooked, even the 4.6 lb LM I caught earlier this year. I fought it for over 5 minutes and this thing didn't fight like a bass, it went straight to the bottom of a hole I was fishing on the river and just kept tugging and tugging, but didn't do much running after an initial run, it just sat at the bottom but kept tugging on my line until finally, it broke me off and I even had the drag set pretty good. There's usually about a hundred Carp in that hole hanging out and I've never caught a catfish out of this section of the river, although I know there are a few. Usually the Bass will run and run and try to jump a lot in the river and this just went to the bottom and tugged. I was using a Texas rigged Senko and I'm wondering if a big Carp would of ate it.I never caught a Carp before and it didn't really seem like a Catfish either. Wondering if Carp fight like that and if they would of bit that Senko? Thanks.


Sounds like a flathead


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## Kayaking_Kev

fishless said:


> Sounds like a flathead


I don't think there are any Flathead in there. I think that I might of snagged a big Carp when I was raising my Senko up, felt it and set the hook.


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## bubbster

Big Turtle maybe?


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## 9Left

Well it sounds like you answered your own question if you see that many carp and have never caught a catfish...However, personally, from the way you describe the fight… It does sound like A hefty sized catfish.

In my experience, a carp will do anything he can to get away and make a drag screaming run as far as he can go...The catfish however, usually try to bury down to the ground and try his hardest to get under a log jam and hide


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## Kayaking_Kev

I'll upload the video tonight when I get home and let you take a look.


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## meisjedog

I had a carp eat a 4" Yum Dinger in Watermelon/ Red Flake(same/ little tougher than Senko) about two weeks ago. It stayed down and made my drag scream for about a minute before it got loose. The only reason I know it was a carp is because a week later when the water was crystal clear, I saw a carp chasing and going after my Dinger. I've caught carp on those little Gizit tubes in Coffee as well. I've also set the hook in a carp's side and tail - that is a line snapper!


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## Kayaking_Kev

Here is the video of it, it's the first thing, so you don't need to watch me catching 41 bass if you don't want.


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## DeathFromAbove

When I watched your video my first thought was Catfish


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## 9Left

The way it fought in the video, coupled with the fact that it hit a lure ....To me, that says Flathead


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## DeathFromAbove

9Left is right A carp would have been screamin drag outa there Not digging for bottom boatside


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## 1MoreKast

Team catfish. Go out and catch a few carp and notice their fight. They make long, drag peeling runs. Cats will just bulldog down.


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## Kayaking_Kev

Wow, I wish I knew even more now, this one will haunt me all year. I've fished that section at least 100 times in the last 2 seasons and never caught a catfish out of it, but I know there are a few.

How big you think it was?


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## hailtothethief

Yeah prob a catfish. Carp fight like steelhead. Catfish just use there weight to hold in place. Id bet on it. Catfish are strong but dont want to fight. They prefer to root in place. They are like the sumo wrestlers of fish.


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## meisjedog

A carp would have taken you on a "sleigh ride."


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## multi species angler

Not just any catfish either. I agree with FLATHEAD.


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## Kayaking_Kev

I went back to that spot this evening with some putrid chicken liver, but didn't have a whole lot of time. I did however catch a catfish, my first on that section in many trips. It wasn't the same one though, only about 16 inches and it was a channel catfish. Like I said, I don't think there are any flathead in that area, but I talked to a guy once who said he caught a 10 lb channel not too far down stream from that spot. I plan on going back soon when I have more time to spend on that spot and try to catch my PB catfish. I'll upload the pic of the catfish i caught when I transfer the files from my GoPro. So, I do think it was a catfish, but I have serious doubts about a flathead, thanks guys.


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## 9Left

Sooo... if you really want to get a little more serious about catching a bigger catfish ... switch it up and use LIVE bait ....like a small bluegill or a creek chub Or better yet, if crawdad's are prevailant in that river system, that's about the best river catfish bait you can use ...Ditch the putrid rotten baits... that stuff is for pay lakes. Step up your game and use live bait or If you must use dead bait....Catch and kill it, then put it on the hook immediately


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## Kayaking_Kev

9Left said:


> Sooo... if you really want to get a little more serious about catching a bigger catfish ... switch it up and use LIVE bait ....like a small bluegill or a creek chub Or better yet, if crawdad's are prevailant in that river system, that's about the best river catfish bait you can use ...Ditch the putrid rotten baits... that stuff is for pay lakes. Step up your game and use live bait or If you must use dead bait....Catch and kill it, then put it on the hook immediately


I don't normally fish for anything but bass, chicken liver was what was available to me at the spur of the moment fishing trip while deciding I was going to stop at that one spot and fish for a catfish while bass fishing a 3 mile stretch for bass. The last time I fished for catfish was at Indian Lake Spillway using cut bait. I've used live bluegill a few times at Bresler Reservoir with no luck. I would like to try for a big one at Independence Dam using a live crawdad though. I need one more fish for the Master Angler Pin, 26 inch catfish might be the easiest.


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## Kayaking_Kev

The Channel Cat that I caught yesterday evening at that spot.


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## bdawg

I'd say cat too. Every river carp I've caught has taken off like a shot as soon as it felt the hook. Usually headed straight for the 1st tree in the water to break off the line! One time, I was standing on that tree and it went right underneath! Darn near fell in the river! Lost the fish of course.


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## Kayaking_Kev

LoL, how the heck do you catch a river carp? I see them all over, sometimes in packs of 50+. Big ones comes right up to my kayak and just circle me as I fish. I had a couple big ones follow a squarebill back to my kayak last week, knowing damn well they weren't going to bite it. And if you do hook one, how do you fish it, with real loose drag for an hour?


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## DeathFromAbove

I catch a lot of channel cats in the Maumee River on bass baits Theyll hit anything that moves from crankbaits to spinners Some 10 lbers


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## Kayaking_Kev

DeathFromAbove said:


> I catch a lot of channel cats in the Maumee River on bass baits Theyll hit anything that moves from crankbaits to spinners Some 10 lbers


There's a section of the Blanchard River where I catch nothing but catfish on bass lures, right before you get to Ottawa.


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