# Too late for channels?



## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

I did really good with channels this summer. Decided to go out today to try my luck. Is it too late in the year for success? Can I hit my usual spots or does the colder water make them move? My homemade stink bait kept me on them this summer, I would imagine it would still work in colder water or not?

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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

You can catch channel cats all year, though I can't say they'll be in the same place.


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## samfishdyt (Sep 15, 2010)

Only one way to find out, if it doesn't work out move to another spot. I hit one of my normal channel spots last night. Water was swift, no success, so I moved down to some slack water, and had great luck.


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

Got skunked, not even sunfish, oh well.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Are you fishing small rivers, big rivers, ponds, lakes or payponds?? all will have different answers, we been getting a good fall bite lately in the lakes but fish have started moving closer to deep water, the river fishing for me lately hasnt been good ( Ohio River) but the river was rippin the last two times down there, ( up like 6 ft and full of all sorts of drift! so conditions were not exactly good) Channels are easy to locate in smaller rivers ( GMR, LMR, Stillwater etc) where they concentrate in mud bottomed slack waters in late fall and into the early winter. The mid and late winter bite ( water temps from 30-38) are much more harder to pinpoint as the fish are still biting, just very light and smaller fresh baits work best and a lot of practice on when to actually set the hook comes into play. 
Good luck
Salmonid


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

I catch my biggest channels in the winter time. Cut bait is the way to go. You might find them in some of the same places you did this summer but they will be moving around as well. If you find the bait you will find the fish.


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## AbuGarciaFan (Jun 21, 2010)

Me and my uncle had awesome luck with channels today at our usual spot.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

TOMC and myself got into about a dozen channels today at Eastwood Lake, ( see seperate report Ill post later today) water temps were 54-55 and the bite was suprisingly good for being in a high pressure weather pattern.

Salmonid


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## samfishdyt (Sep 15, 2010)

Got out Wednesday night from 9-1a not ideal times, but I had obligations. Me and a friend fished the same slack water as last time, but this time there was a lot more. Within 30 minutes 6 over 20 inches and one under. After that, nothing. I'm sure if I would have moved down to the next one there would have been more, but the fire didn't streach that far lol. Will be out tonight.


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

Sunday looks good so heading back out. Should be able to land a few
Think it was too windy and choppy to make a good scent bubble the last time 

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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Fished Acton lake today with Kayak_Fishing ( Rich) and Catfish Hunter ( Ryan) for channels and got into a bunch of channels up to about 5 lbs, water was right at 52 degrees, bite was pretty good from noon till about 4 and slowed down from 4-5 pm. Fresh and frozen shad was the ticket.

Salmonid


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## samfishdyt (Sep 15, 2010)

Fished in gmr on fri night and saturday morning. Fri night was slow. Fished freshly killed gills on bottom only 3 fish all under ten. One was close to ten the rest were closer to
5. Cooked some brauts on the fire to keep me busy. Fished from 9p to 12a fish were caught between 10p and 11p. Sat morning fished from 7a to 12p. Grand plan was to lay out a cat pole and cast for small mouth/eyes. Started catching channels right away. So much so i caught two before i could tie on a rapala. All were fairly small below five but one was closer to 7ish. Made out with 5 channels one small smallie and one 20 in. eye. Biggest catch of the weekend was a penn station philly, western marathon, and excellent post fishing nap saturday afternoon.


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

Got out this morning, this time went to deeper water. Total of five bites in about an hour n half. Only landed one. Was ok sized, not too much of a fight.










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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

I caught a nice one a couple nights ago up on alum in a few feet of water on a night crawler.


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## samfishdyt (Sep 15, 2010)

Deeper water seems to be the ticket in the river ver few coming from shallows or eddys. Strang cause just last wed that was the only place i could find them.


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