# how to reduce nibbles and get secure bites???



## ajangsta04 (Aug 7, 2007)

I've noticed that lately all my cat trips have been not too successful. Each outing consisting of up to 6 hours with no fish but tons of bites/nibbles. Is there something I should change up? Let me know what you guys think.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

ajangsta04 said:


> I've noticed that lately all my cat trips have been not too successful. Each outing consisting of up to 6 hours with no fish but tons of bites/nibbles. Is there something I should change up? Let me know what you guys think.


alot of the nibbels you are getting are turtles, they are bad this time of year.


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## ICB (Jul 4, 2009)

I have been down sizeing the bait when that happens to me. What are you using for bait? What kinda cats are you trying to catch?


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## The Yeti (Mar 17, 2009)

Usually means turtles, crayfish, or smaller fish (drum, carp, small cats, etc.). Downsize your hooks and bait or move - that's about all you can do.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Several factors here, so answers will be vague. 
Depending on types of bait, some are more attractive to other species like Chubs and turtles, worms and carp, minnows and crayfish. I almost always use shad for channels and live bait for flatties. this seems to normally get rid of the other species, ( Turtles will still hit the ut shad if your on a mud bottom) 

Could downsize not only the bait but also the hooks, I typically use a Gama 6/0 for channels and rarely catch one under about 2 lbs, but if I wa sin a dinker lake, say CJ Brown, Id drop down to bait the size of a nickel and circle hooks in the 1/0 size.

If using circles, then also go to a softer action rod. may also help. 

What watershed aand baits are you using as well as rod type, hooks size and type and all that stuff and we should be able to ster ya in the right direction. 

Salmonid


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## ajangsta04 (Aug 7, 2007)

i usually just target channels. i use the team catfish 3/0 circle hooks and use primarily chicken liver. my first experience with circle hooks was about 2 weeks ago and rarely had this much trouble (i was at a pay lake tho)

i usually fish griggs and hoover. does aving too big a sinker have anything to do with it? i found out that when using chicken liver, the heavier the weight the further the cast without losing the bait.


thanks for the responses


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## ohiohunter43015 (Feb 23, 2009)

The sinker could be your problem. Alot of fish will drop a bait as soon as they feel tension. Tie your livers in some old pantyhose and run the hook through the hose. You can throw your back out casting and never throw a liver off. Should help a little. Smaller hooks are the way to go though!


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

If you are using a slip sinker rig the size of the sinker should not matter much.

When fishing in a pond or lake I use a 2ounce sinker.

When fishing a river I use sinkers from 5 ounces up to 10 ounces, all on a carolina rig slip sinker rig.


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## dinkbuster1 (Oct 28, 2005)

chicken livers may be your problem, everything that swims loves them. i have even caught bass, farm trout, and suckers using livers. could be small suckrs nibbling away your bait and unless you are using a tiny hook you wont hook them.


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## AkronCATS (Nov 5, 2008)

I agree, you may be gettin nibbled on by bullheads or dink channels. Try small live blue gill or creek chubs. The bullheads and dinks won't nibble on those. I have caught channels as small as 18 inches on a 4-5 inch live blue gill. And IMO I don't ever care to catch a fish less than 18 inches anyway.


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## wargoth (Sep 11, 2007)

SHRIMP SHRIMP SHRIMP... scent and taste almost identical to crawfish, one of the Channel Cat's primary forage. Just grab a big bag of the cheapest, frozen, raw shrimp you can find at Wally World, drop them on a 4/0 circle and you should be good... depending on where you are fishing, if the bottom is super weedy, you might want to float them with a bobber if you are bottom fishing a fairly clear spot, I suggest putting an egg weight onto your line, tie a swivel, and then snell a hook and tie to the other end of the swivel... works wonders especially if you have a bait clicker reel. the fish can pick it up and run without ever feeling the weight till it is too late. Channel cats have a habit of picking up bait and running with it and eating it on the move, so it is a good idea to give them enough line to swim a bit with it.


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

start using bass for bait, that way whatever takes it is probably big.


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## wargoth (Sep 11, 2007)

Man, Monster, if you know a hole where the channels are taking bass for the love of god share!!!  I've only hooked into one that would even be able to handle little bass (4-5"), and that one was on the light side of 10#. Not to mention that most the lakes I fish for cats, bass are about 500% harder to catch because they are overfished


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

wargoth said:


> Man, Monster, if you know a hole where the channels are taking bass for the love of god share!!!  I've only hooked into one that would even be able to handle little bass (4-5"), and that one was on the light side of 10#. Not to mention that most the lakes I fish for cats, bass are about 500% harder to catch because they are overfished


just joshin on that one, i rarely use bass if ever, even though i don't fish for them i still feel bad using another predatorial fish for bait, dont get me wrong though, when the time is right there's always a time for everything


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## ajangsta04 (Aug 7, 2007)

lol

anyways thanks for the inputs. I have tried the slip sinker method and it works nicely. i will testing that setup with some cut bait this weekend and see how i do.


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## Pole Squeezer (Jun 21, 2008)

I agree with you, I was at spencer lake yesterday, and into the night. I had cut bait, and livers, and only managed 4 little bullheads, and a bat which latched onto my bait during a cast after dark. There was a guy out there who nailed 4 giants using shrimp, and i think he had some large shad minnows. I don't know if the minnows were alive, or not, but they were about 4 inches long. All of the channels he landed were caught on the shrimp though.


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## tcba1987 (Jun 22, 2004)

probably nothing that you are doing wrong the turtles are terrible this time of year.............id try using live bait that will slow down the turtles alittle...........either live bluegill or Creek chubs will work !!!


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