# Finally picking up!



## barillms (Aug 28, 2013)

Switched up baits the past two trips out... Fishing the Pike Island pool. Smaller suckers we used live, larger ones used cut. Night & day difference vs. Bluegill. 

Brought in an 18lb 2oz last Sat at 9:50. Last night got a 21lb 6oz at 12:50am. Water temp is low 70s and they're feeding heavily.

This male fought harder than any 20lb fish I've ever caught. I caught him up in the mouth of Short Creek in approx 6-8 feet of water. I don't think they're spawning yet, but it will be soon.

The bite is ON folks!


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Way to go!! Haven't seen any cats that big down this way (Greenup) yet.


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## barillms (Aug 28, 2013)

Biggest I saw was a 42 from Pike Island dam pier. A few 30-35s caught last week. They're in there man, just gotta find good habitat. You fish good structure, and good habitat. Cast good baits.... If there's fish there, they'll find your bait.

We fished this same spot for 3 hours. I missed my first run. Then nothing for 2 hours. Tried casting in a new area of creek... Took about 30 min, then this guy came along.

20 min after this fish, I had a huge fast hit. He took about 10 feet of line in a split second. Wicked hard hit. By the time I grabbed my reel there was nothing there.


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## barillms (Aug 28, 2013)

The bigger fish most of the time don't play games. No tug tug tug, no line taps. They pick it up and GO! Most of the time you get a big hard fast run... It'll be a good fish.


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## pppatrick (Apr 21, 2012)

nice one!

the flats are definitely about to start spawning or maybe even some doing so already down in the greenup pool. in the past week to ten days i've gotten quite a few females bloated with eggs and males with busted up heads. my bud got a 35# last week, but for the most part, everything has been in 6-15# range this year.


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## barillms (Aug 28, 2013)

Heck yeah! They gotta be very close to spawning! Hit creek mouths up inside the creek a few hundred yards. I'm just hoping to catch a couple more biggies bf they're on the nests.

Its def prime time right now!! The water level has been stable, temp stable... That's what they need to spawn. 

They tunnel into muddy creek banks, if you have any steep banks try fishing there. Water is nearly 75


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## cumminsmoke (Aug 13, 2013)

I think its about time I blow the dust off my cat rods and get a few landed. Its been a while since I landed some cats. Good to see you found them


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

cumminsmoke said:


> I think its about time I blow the dust off my cat rods and get a few landed. Its been a while since I landed some cats. Good to see you found them


lol,,, Like ME TO AL???? 

Like I posted last week, I landed about 9 OR cats in an hour,,, they were chuck full of ripe eggs. And I think that all of our drag-screaming hits were gar.?
And we caught a cooler FULL of channels up BULA,,, using fatheads below a bobber 7' deep, along a muddy shoreline. They were dripping eggs.
*& OMG, were/ are they GOOD SMOKED!*
IT'S ON!!!! 


Hi Pat! I was wondering if your 'getting out' any?
I was checking every day for YOUR feeder creek sauger reports.


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## cumminsmoke (Aug 13, 2013)

Doboy said:


> lol,,, Like ME TO AL????
> 
> Of course I would include you partner. Weather looks like its shaping up to be crap on Erie this weekend so its looking like the river is going to be my spot.


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## pppatrick (Apr 21, 2012)

sorry bout that jerry, should have let you at least know i wasn't gettin out due to overtime at work. finally started to get some time off last month and by then i wrote em' off and started fillin freezer with the cats. 



@barillms

i've got a few prime spawning area spots. an old abandoned barge cell with a ton of wood, quite a few feeders. i figure by the time this pre-spawn flathead bite is over, the channels will be close to done with their business and that bite should pick up. but i sure would like that one biggie before the spawn. i've had so many little guys takin whole 4-5 inch gills, big appetites. nothin i can really do about that if they find it before their momma does.


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## barillms (Aug 28, 2013)

I had lots of 3-6lb flats in May. Caught a 12lb late May. Then boom June came and about a week in banged out two 20lb'ers back to back trips out. Water is WARM!! I hope they don't shut off completely! I'm just now having some fun!


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