# big cat pole..



## im faster

ok so im gonna set one up.. 

what pound test do you guys like to use.. and any particular brand?


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## bgrapala

This is probably gonna get moved to tackle talk I'll give my .02. Vicious ultimate 20lb


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## fishymcgoo

i have caught some big cats with my $19 wal mart investment. wait a minute the 20lb. line was $1.80. make that $20.80


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## soua0363

Berkley Big Game with 20 to 30 lbs test.


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## The Yeti

Yo-Zuri Hybrid 20# (broke an Ugly Stik cat pole before it broke!) and I just picked up some P-Line CXX 20# which came highly recommended from a couple of older guys I fish with.


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## Fisherman 3234

I use 30 lb Berkley big game low vis green. It's tough enough to pull in a true monster if you hook into one. I'm not really a big fan of braid either due to it's so flimsy that if you throw near to cover and current it will have a tendency to wrap around everything.


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## wedebrook

I have a 10' Nite Stick with an Ambassadeur 6600 BCX and Trilene Big Game 40 LB Solar Collector Line. I also use a 9' Nite Stick with an Ambassadeur 6000 and the same line, and neither have ever given me any issues at all. For a short period of time, I was using Power Pro 50 LB braid, but didn't like it all that well since it seemed to float way too much. I may try some sinking braid in the near future just to try it out.


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## Fish-N-Fool

I'm with Fisherman 3234 - I have 30lb Berkley Big Game low vis greene on all my Abu's I use for big cats. You can "horse" the smaller fish in and work the big ones from the brush (sometimes). I tried braided line and found the same problems as already stated - I often fish log jams in the river and that stuff seemed to always get wrapped up.


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## iteech

I always wonder why more people don't say this, fishymcgoo! I do not have the money to buy any fancy stuff--mine are always the $19 WalMart stuff, like you! I have caught many, many great fish and some very big fish, too--all with the cheap stuff. I don't even change the line. I do not have a boat--that's a dream (you guys who do are very blessed and lucky)--but fishing from the shore has provided me with many hours of successful catching and looooots of pleasure. I'm always afraid we'll chase away the beginners, if they see they need huge amounts of very pricey stuff. Go to WalMart. Then go to the lake, pond, whatever--and throw in from the shore. ENJOY!! (P.S. Last summer I caught a 26-lb cat from a housing section pond--I'm serious--on my $19 cat pole. It was a HOOT).


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## wargoth

I run an 8' shakespeare ugly stick cat rod I got from Gander Mountain on the cheap, an Abu Garcia Amba 6600c spooled up with 30# powerpro then I drop on some 20# mono for a leader. Being as I bobber fish for cats at my local spot, I like that powerpro floats cuz having my second line on the surface has saved my butt from serious tangles many times. Granted, my tackle is overkill for Channels, but I had the potential of going after Flatties some time in the back of my head and figgered it would be better to get something that could handle that too.


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## wedebrook

iteech said:


> I always wonder why more people don't say this, fishymcgoo! I do not have the money to buy any fancy stuff--mine are always the $19 WalMart stuff, like you!


I don't have anything against the cheap setups. Hell, up until this year, I was rocking the Zebco 606 combo I picked up at Bass Pro in Springfield, MO for $20 for cats, but once I started using them regularly at the pay lakes, they just didn't hold up. The bait clickers would malfunction and the gears actually stripped out of two of them. The $80 I spent on my second Abu setup (I won the first rod & reel in a raffle at T2 paylake in Piketon) has made me feel very certain that I won't need to buy another cat setup for a long while. Spending $40 every year on a new 606 setup or 33 setup is pointless to me when I can spend the $80 at once and be done with it for quite a few years. And lets face it, an $80 reel still isn't all that expensive. You can get good ones used on ebay for even cheaper.


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## fishdealer04

There is nothing wrong with the Wally world special. Most of us started using them (I know I did) I think the biggest thing that comes down to it, is durability of the item, as well as the application. For $19 a setup if it lasts a few years you definitley got your moneys worth. If you fish a lot then you might need to go up a few levels.

Application, I know a $19 setup wont work very well down on the Ohio river like I fish. Try throwing 8 ounces of weight. Then fight a fish through current and get it back to shore. But if you are fishing your local pond, small stream/river, or lake then the $19 combo would probably suit you pretty well.

To answer your question. When I am fishing in rivers for channels I use 20 pound or 30 pound Vicious Offshore Hi Vis green line. When I am fishing in lakes and ponds I downgrade to usually 12 pound line, unless I am targeting flatheads or fishing around heavy cover. I use a 50 pound leader when I fish on the Ohio-which has saved me quite a few fish when trying to pull them out of cover.

Berkley Big Game is also a very good line to go with as well.


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## Fisherman 3234

Old Wally world will also have some abu's there in some of the cases as well (for reasonable prices). I've seen the BCX 6600, the C3 6500, 500 series, and a few other ones. You can also find good aerators for lower prices and Berkley big game line as well. The ugly stick catfish rods are a great rod for a low price. I have two of them (7ft 15-30lb) and are my two primary channel cat and small flathead rods. But if you want to go after some big boys (30 + lbers) I would probably recommend a ugly stick tiger, or a catmaxx rod from Bass pro shops. Both of these rods are under $70 and can bring in some monster fish.


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## tcba1987

i use 20-30 lb berkley big game line (lo-vis green) on a Abu 6000 reel mounted on a 7 ft Med Heavy action Ugly Stick Catfish Rod !!!


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## H2O Mellon

Yes... ITeech, I agree w/ FishDealer, there is no way those Walmart deals will hold up to the abuse the larger rivers gives rods. You can get away (in my opinon w/ that stuff for panfishing). Throwing 8 ox sinkers, 30, 40, 50 # line, etc... that kind of stuff will destroy the Walmart rods. Trust me, I say use what you like. I've had countless St Croix Classic Cats (which is about the best, non custom catfish rod) and they are great, but my favorite cat rod of all time is a Fenwick Seahawk. They sold for about $60, but I;ve found them for as low as $30. So again, I say use what you like, but if your going to be even 1/2 way serious about it, get something that is rated to withstand the type of fishing your going to do.

As far as line goes....

Channels = 20 Vicious Ultimate mostly
Flatheads = 25 # Vicious Offshore or 30# Vicious Ultiamte
Blues = 30 # Vicious Ultimate, 30-50# Vicious Offshore

Panfish = 2-6 # Vicious Ultimate Panfish


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## AkronCATS

For years I used 50 lbs Spider wire braid, Now that I do a little more fishing on the Ohio, I have switched to 30 lbs vicious. I don't think I will ever switch back to braid, I have all the confidence I need in Vicious. NOt to mention they sponsor our tournament series too.


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## CatchFeesh

I just recently bought a Berkley Glowstik at wally world and am currently using the reel that came with it (till I get my 6600). As well as Berkley Trilene Big Cat 30# line for the fact that I put a black light on it and the line will glow. You can pretty much cut your hand open pulling the line trying to get it unsnagged. Really tough line, not too terribly expensive.


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## flathunter

Here is my take on the vicious line...Mellon wont like this

A couple years ago Mellon gave me some vicious line, I had some problems with it.

This year I recieved a spool of 30-lb vicious off shore to try out...The line casted great!!!

But one of my spots you have to reel your line across an underwater sandbar...I could only get 8-10 cast out of the vicious line, untill it started fraying badly, and would snap on the cat and send my sinker flying.

Berkly big game, will get me several trips at this spot, but it will also fray do to rubbing across the sand...But it will outlast the vicious.

Now under any other condtions I would have no problems using the vicious line.


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## flathunter

Under some condtions wally world 19 dollar outfits are fine.

But when you have to cast 6-14 ounces of weight plus a big shad head 80 yds, this kind of gear wont do the job.


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## cgregory

I too like berkley big game. Man that stuff is tuff. When I get hung up, I can barely break it off. I have even bent hooks trying to get snags out. I like anywhere from 20 to 30lb depending on the application.


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## Trophy Hunter

I use Ugly Stik BWB 1120, 8', one piece, boat rod. Some refer to it as the "whopper whipper." Typically used for jigging tuna, shark, big sturgeon and such. The rod is rated for 40-80lb line. It's outfitted with an Abu Garcia 7000i with 30lb Berkley Big Game IGFA Class line. Can't say enough about this line. This is my first season with it, and am extremely impressed. Less stretch than regular big game, incredible abrasion resistance, and much, much stronger. I can tighten my drag all the way and still can't break it when snagged. I have to thumb the spoll and walk backwards and still have a hard time breaking off. I have snagged and reeled in braided line so thick it looked like 150lb test. This set up handles thirty pounders like a dream. It throws a six ounce sinkers and a huge gold fish as far or better that any surf outfit. The only downside is overkill on fish under 30lbs and the short length. It's the perfect size for smaller water like the GMR. Works outstanding as a boat rod on the big o. Will handle any fish that swims our local waters.

TH


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