# A good boat trip



## nlcatfish (Mar 21, 2005)

I had a good trip on the river today. Boated 3 bluecats, 4 ¾ , 5 ½, and the big guy 17 ½ pounds. I had fresh shad and frozen skipjacks cut bait. They only produced 2 gar runs on the shad and 1 hard bite on a suspend rod. ALL the fish I caught were on seasoned chicken breast. 1 on strawberry, 1 on chili, one on shad oil seasoned! I had other bites but missed a number on the suspend rod. The rod was hammered and had trouble freeing the rod from the rod holder. Each time they seem to drop the chicken breast. I had a 6/0 circle hook so cannot understand why the fish did NOT get hooked?

I did try drift fishing, but seems my lines were not on the bottom as I thought when I reel them in after the drift. I gave up and fish the way I am comfortable with my skill level. I was very disappointed to discover the big bluecat photos somehow did NOT take! The other 2 fish photos did take okay.

Has anyone else had the experience of fish just hammering a suspend rod and just not getting hooked.* I am just wondering if I am doing something wrong!*


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## mocha (Sep 21, 2014)

Prob smaller fish trying to get a big bait u prob miss some small fish on big bait but catch bigger fish on bigger rig or could be gar. I got 4


Prob smaller fish I use all but the tail of a shad on my cut bait polls med shad I mix it up I use big bait med bait and small bait for action just to catch something


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

great to hear you had a good day. its the good days that keeps us coming back.
sherman


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## nlcatfish (Mar 21, 2005)

here is more info about that trip.
Sept 12th update: I got to the ramp at 08:00, underway headed down river at 08:15. I netted about 9 small Gizzard Shad, so had fresh bait. I got to the spot to start a drift fishing run, 2 rod out. One had the fresh shad the other a chunk of frozen skipjack. I believed I had both baits near the bottom as I drifted. When I finished the drift, I reeled in the lines, it seemed like they were only about have way to the bottom? I decided to just go back to where Marked fish and anchor up at 09:15.

I had 2 gar runs in a short time on the fresh Shad; that got my attention anyway. 09:55 I hooked my 1st bluecat of the day. It was 22 inches, 5 pounds 8 ounces. My first catfish caught using strawberry seasoned chicken breast. That was on the bobber rig. I hooked a 4 pound 12 oz.21 inch bluecat at 1045. This one like chili seasoned chicken breast. Big blue hit the suspended rod that was baited with the shad seasoned chicken breast. This one measured out at 32 inches and 17 pounds, 8 ounces! That was it for hooking fish today. I had 4 more hard bites on the suspended rod but never hooked the fish!

I headed back to the ramp at 13:00; good trip boated some fish and had several bites. River is still a little cloudy and water is cooling off to around 80 degrees. Tonight I realized the photos of the big blue did NOT take for some reason, so not happy about that!

Sept 12th update: I got to the ramp at 08:00, underway headed down river at 08:15. I netted about 9 small Gizzard Shad, so had fresh bait. I got to the spot to start a drift fishing run, 2 rod out. One had the fresh shad the other a chunk of frozen skipjack. I believed I had both baits near the bottom as I drifted. When I finished the drift, I reeled in the lines, it seemed like they were only about have way to the bottom? I decided to just go back to where Marked fish and anchor up at 09:15.

I had 2 gar runs in a short time on the fresh Shad; that got my attention anyway. 09:55 I hooked my 1st bluecat of the day. It was 22 inches, 5 pounds 8 ounces. My first catfish caught using strawberry seasoned chicken breast. That was on the bobber rig. I hooked a 4 pound 12 oz.21 inch bluecat at 1045. This one like chili seasoned chicken breast. Big blue hit the suspended rod that was baited with the shad seasoned chicken breast. This one measured out at 32 inches and 17 pounds, 8 ounces! That was it for hooking fish today. I had 4 more hard bites on the suspended rod but never hooked the fish!

I headed back to the ramp at 13:00; good trip boated some fish and had several bites. River is still a little cloudy and water is cooling off to around 80 degrees. Tonight I realized the photos of the big blue did NOT take for some reason, so not happy about that!


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## VBowler (Jul 28, 2008)

Norb,

When you are drfting what rods are you using. Are they stiff or flimsy? We moved to the Shattered Cat Rods and they are a lot stiffer and have noticed that when the fish hit the suspended baits they are actually hooking them selves more than not before you even get to the reel.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Good point Vince. The drifting rods need to be pretty stiff to hook fish when they bite


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## nlcatfish (Mar 21, 2005)

I checked the rods they are 8 ft. med heavy action. So should the drag be tight or light? The fish had pressure on the rods so it hard to free them from the rod holders. Is 6/0 circle too small?


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

that should be ok, and the drag should be a little loose so if he is huge, he pulls drag before breaking line or tearing hook out, you can always tighten drag later but I set about 75-80% of what I d normally set it at for drifting


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## UFM82 (Apr 6, 2004)

What kind of circles are you fishing? I've find that I only like the wider gap circles like the Gammy Octos. I use 8/0 for everything and have caught 1 lb shovelheads up to 150 lb bull sharks on them. I found that the smaller circles don't have enough space between the shank and the barb to catch the lip. It just passes over. Maybe try the bigger size next time just for fun.


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## nlcatfish (Mar 21, 2005)

I do intend to use an 8/0 circle next I am on the river. I also wold like a wider space between the BARB and the shank. Where did you get Hammy hooks?


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## nlcatfish (Mar 21, 2005)

That is Gammy hooks??


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Dicks and Field and Stream as well as Cabelas and Bass Pro all carry them. I liked my Gammakatsu a lot but like my Daiichi D85 7/0 hooks even more.. awesome hooks! No substitute for a quality hook...


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## nlcatfish (Mar 21, 2005)

Thanks for the detail info.


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## Flatty01 (Aug 9, 2008)

Nice report, glad things are picking up


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

keep us posted on your future trips with the larger hooks.
sherman


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## nlcatfish (Mar 21, 2005)

NO BITES at all. I did sharpen the hooks they were dull.


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