# Catfish/Westbranch 8/1/19



## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Got out tonight for a couple hours before sunset with 2 friends and hit up rock spring...Shore fishing. Minnow / bobber type of fishing. Good times had as we just casted and talked about ... FISHING lol...bobber down and fish on. Pulled alot of crappie and some gills with channels mixed in. Almost all fish came within 8 feet from shore. A good weed bed 10 feet out and fish were just inside of it. 

...it was ultra light challenge night as we all fished are ultra lights with 6 lb test line.

...cool thing was in a 20 minute time frame we all caught a channel cat off minnow / bobber...in the end great night out and some meat in the freezer. 

Don.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Nice variety of table fare. Enjoy a feast.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

...same spot tonight...8/4/19 off rock spring. Bobber minnow. Current going to east...alot ski/fleas...and blow by guys in NO wake zones...I did catch a pontoon boat tonight. 

Whatever as usaul...CMA fest tonight was on...although my song wasn't played...

...OGF...what makes ya country? 

...stay twisted stay humbled. 

Don.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

...when you know when it makes you country...post it.

Fishing/hunting...or just walking the woods and happen across a fallen tree from years ago...and got that "chicken" mushroom growing on it lol...or whatever it is you all call it hahaha

...what makes you country?

Dam...the world Is a messed up place...shame that only places like in movies are where life/times should be .

...it's a ...../ grind and put time in. 

Good night and tight lines tomorrow. 

Catfish Don.

...it's the words/meaning (country)

Take it in and remember...God's country! 

Later.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

twistedcatfish1971 said:


> ...same spot tonight...8/4/19 off rock spring. Bobber minnow. Current going to east...alot ski/fleas...and blow by guys in NO wake zones...I did catch a pontoon boat tonight.
> 
> Whatever as usaul...CMA fest tonight was on...although my song wasn't played...
> 
> ...


 I almost went last night but being Sunday I figured it would be boat busy and churned up, so any cats for your trip or were they hiding out ? I hear of some cats at the pier being caught plus another Muskie this past week.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

...fished rock spring/bridge area 4 times last 10 days. 30 ish crappie 5 channel cats and a handful of smallies/big mouths...and that's just me...went out tonight from 7 to 9 with same program minnow /bobber. 2 crappie 2 big mouths...that's it...current going from west to east tonight as the same from last trip...should of fished west side up around bridge. As I was walking back to lot noticed alot of activity along shore line...Catfish are very close to shore.

Don.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

...just something I've noticed with my minnows last few trips. Summertime as it is now and all...Hot and minnows die quick like. Tried aeration/bubbles over the years...still die off quick. Just recently would go to marks and get a few dozen and when in lot just put 1 or 2 frozen 16 oz bottle water in bucket. Better than ice from a bag...could shore fish in 80° plus weather for hours and almost no die off with minnows. I use to just toss minnows on bank or take home for my turtle...my boy chew em uo good lol.

...plain water bottle frozen will keep em moving. 

Don.


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## joekacz (Sep 11, 2013)

twistedcatfish1971 said:


> ...just something I've noticed with my minnows last few trips. Summertime as it is now and all...Hot and minnows die quick like. Tried aeration/bubbles over the years...still die off quick. Just recently would go to marks and get a few dozen and when in lot just put 1 or 2 frozen 16 oz bottle water in bucket. Better than ice from a bag...could shore fish in 80° plus weather for hours and almost no die off with minnows. I use to just toss minnows on bank or take home for my turtle...my boy chew em uo good lol.
> 
> ...plain water bottle frozen will keep em moving.
> 
> Don.


I do that with emerald's when I get live minnow's.Work's VERY well.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

Yep - I've done the same! This trick also works well with frozen 1 gallon milk jugs and your fish cooler. Rarely buy ice anymore.


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## fmader (Aug 8, 2018)

twistedcatfish1971 said:


> ...just something I've noticed with my minnows last few trips. Summertime as it is now and all...Hot and minnows die quick like. Tried aeration/bubbles over the years...still die off quick. Just recently would go to marks and get a few dozen and when in lot just put 1 or 2 frozen 16 oz bottle water in bucket. Better than ice from a bag...could shore fish in 80° plus weather for hours and almost no die off with minnows. I use to just toss minnows on bank or take home for my turtle...my boy chew em uo good lol.
> 
> ...plain water bottle frozen will keep em moving.
> 
> Don.


I bought some minnows at Les's at Berlin a handful of weeks ago. She offered me up a frozen water bottle to put in my bucket. I took her up on it. I'm not sure if I was charged or not for it, but either way, it kept my minnows alive.


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## fmader (Aug 8, 2018)

1MoreKast said:


> Yep - I've done the same! This trick also works well with frozen 1 gallon milk jugs and your fish cooler. Rarely buy ice anymore.


I got tired of buying ice too. Not that it's expensive, but it certainly adds up after several trips. I found a large rectangular plastic food container in the basement. Probably 18" x 8" x 5" or round about. I fill it about 3 1/2 - 4" and freeze it in the deep freezer. I run some water over it and it falls out into the sink and boom! into the cooler. Fill the container back up right away and into the freezer for the next time. It seems to melt a lot slower than a bag of ice does. I usually have quite a big chunk left over to toss out into the yard when I get back home.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

fmader said:


> I got tired of buying ice too. Not that it's expensive, but it certainly adds up after several trips. I found a large rectangular plastic food container in the basement. Probably 18" x 8" x 5" or round about. I fill it about 3 1/2 - 4" and freeze it in the deep freezer. I run some water over it and it falls out into the sink and boom! into the cooler. Fill the container back up right away and into the freezer for the next time. It seems to melt a lot slower than a bag of ice does. I usually have quite a big chunk left over to toss out into the yard when I get back home.


Oh ya absolutely! Great idea! In a pinch I've even went thru a McDonald's drive thru for ice....heck I think a 10lb bag is $1. It's those damn Sausage McMuffins that get me


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

twistedcatfish1971 said:


> ...fished rock spring/bridge area 4 times last 10 days. 30 ish crappie 5 channel cats and a handful of smallies/big mouths...and that's just me...went out tonight from 7 to 9 with same program minnow /bobber. 2 crappie 2 big mouths...that's it...current going from west to east tonight as the same from last trip...should of fished west side up around bridge. As I was walking back to lot noticed alot of activity along shore line...Catfish are very close to shore.
> 
> Don.


When those cats come in close you can have one hell of a day! They do get rather aggressive sometimes and will start smashing your cranks and spinnerbaits if you work them along shore. They are fun to catch this way. Nice lookin fish Don!


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## fmader (Aug 8, 2018)

1MoreKast said:


> Oh ya absolutely! Great idea! In a pinch I've even went thru a McDonald's drive thru for ice....heck I think a 10lb bag is $1. It's those damn Sausage McMuffins that get me


They get me... going to the bathroom lmao... No Sausage McMuffins before fishing for me!


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Depending what cooler I take I use Gatorade or vitamin water bottles frozen with water, easy to wash off and reuse, plus can drink from them while fishing.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Hit the branch up last night for some cats, didn’t do to bad compared to my last few trips. Bugs weren’t as bad as before.

















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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Nice lookin cats, snag!


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## Uglystix (Mar 3, 2006)

Nice catch! You guys get many flathead out of there? I’ve fished it for nearly 4 decades and have never caught a flathead or a smallmouth. Seen them caught though.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

I never got a flathead but I don’t use live bait much, saw a 50# flathead caught years back. As for smallies some real nice ones in there, I got a 3.5 lb one off the dam one summer. And I’ve seen bigger.


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## Uglystix (Mar 3, 2006)

Nice! I’ll have to target them sometime.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Got 4 over the years.

42.7
29.9
16.1
13.2

Seen a fifty and saw a picture of one that bottomed out a 50 lb scale.

Don.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Back in the summer of 2015 around sunset fishing off the dam using a 3" gill had something bend my 8 foot rod tip into water...took everything I had in me to free rod from holder...when I got rod out was a struggle to keep tip of rod more than a foot above water. 10 seconds later it pulled the hook...can't think of anything else in there but a FLATHEAD...to do that.

Don.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Awesome predator of others that swim.

Mudbum boys saying..."I fish for the fish that eats the fish you fish for"

Just don't got that kind of time to put in for them...but with my notes over the years and with the 4 that crossed my path have a good feel when/where to take a shot. Westbranch holds monsters...flats/muskie and others...time is what it takes plus some heavy cover close to deep water...good luck.

Catfish don.


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## louisvillefisherman (Jun 9, 2012)

twistedcatfish1971 said:


> Westbranch holds monsters...flats/muskie and others...
> Catfish don.


I went to a walleye fishing conference at Ravenna Marine several years back. The main speaker that particular evening was one of the biologists from ODNR Division 3 who is responsible for the aquatic health of most of our inland lakes, namely stocking and surveying.

He told us that West Branch is a Frankenstein lake. He used those words! Over the decades so many different stocking experiments have taken place there that it has created a very unique, and frankly unlikely ecosystem where certain species thrive in an environment where they normally wouldn't. 

He also said that there are fish in there that would scare you and he was absolutely serious. He literally said that WB should not hold the size and types of fish that it does, yet it does. 

This from a ODNR biologist. Gulp...


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## tim sapara (Apr 6, 2019)

The branch is full of cats, large ones at that. The lake is full of top predators. You just have to know how to fish the lake. Put the time in on the lake is all it takes. Once you figure it out you'll be surprised what the lake has to offer. Do be surprised if you pull a big muskie out fishing for something else. The best muskie lake in the state hands down!


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