# catfishing in central ohio



## buckifan21 (Jun 1, 2005)

Hey all, i'm a newbie here. These forums look like a great place to get the scoop on fishing around ohio.

I was wondering if anyone would be able to give me a few tips (lakes, area, baits that have worked well) about catfishing around central ohio. i've not done much fishing around here as i am fairly new to the area. i'm not looking to take anyone's hotspot. nor am i looking to catch huge fish, just a nice mess of keeper size to put in the fryer (although a few bigguns wouldnt bother me too bad  ). I am thinkin that Hoover or Alum would be a decent place to try out.

any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks all

Orrin


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## 2crabby (May 31, 2005)

This might be a dumb question but how do you filet catfish is it the same as crappie, Bass or Blugill ?


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## DaleM (Apr 5, 2004)

Hoover and Alum are both good places. You may want to try O'Shaugnessy, Griggs and Delaware as well all offer great cat fishing. Can't help you much on cleaning them I usually don't have to worry about that  I'm lucky to get a bite cat fishing. I haven't done it for quite a while just started trying it again. Good luck to you where ever you go.


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## dcemsmedic2693 (May 20, 2005)

2 Crabby,

It it not the same. Take and cut a v in the top of the back not too deep into the meat. Get a pair of liers and pull off the skin. Then go down its back and cut away all of the bones. the cat fillet will look a little backwards as the head of the fish will be the thinnest part.


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## 2crabby (May 31, 2005)

thanks dcemsmedic, What are most people catching the cats on. Never fished much for them but it sounds fun. I always mainly fish for panfish and I don't have a boat so it will have to be from the shore.


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## dfoxfish (Apr 13, 2004)

hoover is great for kitties. i catch them fishing for crappie on bobber and minnow. but my favorite c. kitty bait is raw shrimp from the grocery store. peel them and toss them. :B


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## buckifan21 (Jun 1, 2005)

Thanks for the info. i'll put it to good use!


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## BuckeyeAngler (May 16, 2005)

I've had a lot of luck with Shaw Grigsby's Catfish Dynamite in farm ponds...I'm hoping to try it out this weekend at Hoover. Wish me luck.


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## toboso (Apr 14, 2004)

All of our local reservoirs hold one key ingredient in common--they're reservoirs. That means there's a creek forming a shallow headwater--a very fertile part of the reservoir and also the first to warm in the spring. Go to any of the reservoirs (anywhere, really) and this pattern exists. Finding the fish is a matter of actually fishing and learning the seasonal movement within the specific reservoir, but it's pretty generic. The biggest mistake I see/hear most anglers make while pursuing channel cats is fishing too deep. You'd be surprised how often the fish are active in 1-3 feet of water--even in the fall/winter! Find a creek channel and work your way to/from the channel by hitting the humps, stumps, turns, etc. along the way. If you do these simple things, you'll find 'em. Fishing often increases your sense of where to begin and how to eliminate water without spending time fishing it.

Eat the little guys (under 24") and release the breeders (over 24").


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## FISHERBALL (Apr 7, 2004)

2Crappy, I learned to fillet cats from a girl who grew up on a farm w/ a catfish pond on it in Memphis. She's a Memphibian. Get yourself a big ole nail & a board or use a tree. Nail that sucker right through the skull into board to hold it in place. Cut down between ribs & gills starting right below spine. Run knife around skin over spine so it completely separated front from rear of fish. Just cut the skin, do not cut through spine. Stick knife in it's anus & cut straight through bottom of fish to head. Cut the skin along top of spine, make a V-cut around dorsal fin, from head to tail. Using a good set of pliers grab the skin at front, top by head & pull that all the way to tail. When you do this you'll see why you nailed it to board. Do this on both sides of fish. Then just run knife down from spine to separate filet from ribs. You'll have to do a couple to get it right. This is a generations old, Southern method of filleting a catfish. I have good success using chicken liver as bait. They say you won't catch a huge one unless you use live bait but we've caught them up to 7# & I've seen them caught to 12# w/ chicken liver.


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## FISHERBALL (Apr 7, 2004)

Catfish are really hard core animals. I've had them spend 2-3 hours out of water in a cooler driving from IL to Columbus. Let hang off porch in a basket for 1-2 hours. Then I grab them, Smack their skulls 3 times with a 22 oz. framing hammer. When you nail to board they're still flopping, remove the skin, still flopping side to side, cut the meat from one side, still floopnig but they can only flop to one side cuz the muscles on other side are gone. When all done w/ no skin, meat or innards & their skull shattered the gills are still moving as I take them to dumpster. I wonder if they ever really die!


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## TexasPete (Apr 26, 2005)

Toboso, so you would advise to fish shallower right now rather than deeper when looking for channels? What type of rig are you using for them? Fish the actual tailwater or the reservoir near the dam?


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## fisherman (Jun 3, 2005)

i was up to indian lake yesterday and caught 5 nice keeper channel cat with nighties 3ft under a bobber. so i went up there again today and only got 1 this time but there there just depends on what they want that day sometime nighties sometimes shrimp sometime minnows don't be affraid to switch baits from time to time


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## BuckeyeAngler (May 16, 2005)

My buddies and I went to Hoover Reservoir last night and they both landed 19 inch channels on Shaw Grigsby's Catfish Dynamite (nice little plug) We also threw shad, crawfish, and night crawlers and had a good amount of hits but we didn't land them. The cut shad seemed to get the most attention besides the dynamite. Overall, a great night under the stars and away from the city.


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## TexasPete (Apr 26, 2005)

nice fishin', Adam... Let me know next time you guys go out catfishin'. Andrea and I took a walk last night below the O'Shay dam and there were a lot of people down there pulling out catfish after catfish. I'll take you guys down there sometime.


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## fisherman (Jun 3, 2005)

has anyone heard if them catfish is still going good below o'shay planning a catfishing trip saturday oh and buckeye where on hoover was you when you caught them


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## BuckeyeAngler (May 16, 2005)

Fisherman, we were on the north west side of Hoover off of Plumb Road. Its an old road that is no longer in use because its now a nature preserve. So we parked our cars and had to walk a bit. Their was alot of brush up on the road but we fished at the first opening in the shoreline. It was a pretty secluded spot. Nice and peaceful. It will be alot easier when my boat motor is up and running.


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## dfoxfish (Apr 13, 2004)

oxbow has easy access and close parking. AND the kitties can be caught here. i've caught them up to 9 lbs. there on the bank. :B


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## BigChessie (Mar 12, 2005)

Come down to Hargus and catch ya few, nice and peaceful Trolling motor only water. There is a catfish tourney on Sats so catch ya some to eat and win ya some money. lol


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## buckifan21 (Jun 1, 2005)

Chessie, how far is hargus from Columbus? that sounds like it would be fun. is it a lake, pond or what?
Orrin


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## GoneFishin'He&I (May 25, 2005)

If you have never been to Charles Mills Lake, up by Mansfield, you should try there. My husband and I couldn't keep 2 poles in the water. We ran out of bait and it was hours by the time he cleaned all those fish. We had a good time and most of the cats were around 2lbs a piece and bigger, all nice size eaters.


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## 2talltim (May 27, 2004)

GoneFishin'He&I said:


> If you have never been to Charles Mills Lake, up by Mansfield, you should try there. My husband and I couldn't keep 2 poles in the water. We ran out of bait and it was hours by the time he cleaned all those fish. We had a good time and most of the cats were around 2lbs a piece and bigger, all nice size eaters.


Where do you go iv fished the area before the marina and the bridge off of eagles point care to give up you holes im not up there that much just would be nice to try somewhere different when in the area


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## fisherman (Jun 3, 2005)

buddy and i fished o'shay to night caught 7 nice cats on night crawler below the dam used nightcrawler 2ft under a bobber hope this picture shows up


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## GoneFishin'He&I (May 25, 2005)

2talltim said:


> Where do you go iv fished the area before the marina and the bridge off of eagles point care to give up you holes im not up there that much just would be nice to try somewhere different when in the area


Its been a couple years since we were there, it seems like we were fishing in the channel where the creek comes into the lake. We still talk about it, probably about the only time we fished together in the boat where we ran out of bait or got tired of catching fish.


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## BigChessie (Mar 12, 2005)

Hey BF21 Hargus Lake is what most people call it but A.W.Marion is the Official state name. It is 30 mins south of Columbus. It is a small Lake of 144 aceas. Tons of bass, Don't let everyone fool about the bass being to pressured. A large amont of channel cats are caught of on just the basic rigs. It is also a great place for the family. Plenty of BBQ grills and a nice trail to take a stroll around the lake. If I sound alittle bias about Hargus,sorry but I grew up on it lol Back in the 80's when they drained it we used to grab some beer and wonder around the lake bottom at night lol If you need to know how to get there just pm and I can help ya out.


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## Thommes (Jun 6, 2005)

Last time I was at Hargus Lake was a good twenty years ago. It was a bust for me. Hot and humid day with nothing biting. Seems to me it was weedy as well. This was likely before they drained the lake though. We usually go to Deer Creek for cats, but will have to give Hargus a try sometime.


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## fisherman (Jun 3, 2005)

well back once again went to o'shay this evening using night suspended 2 ft under a bobber started at 5pm and left around 7pm came home with 8 channel cats ranging from 12inches to 21 inches good seems like the cats are in below o'shay for now


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## gonefishin' (Apr 14, 2004)

I'm gonna try one of those tournaments at Hargus. They have them every other Sat from 8pm till 1 am. Next one is 6/18. I'll probably go 7/02. Never been but my buddy has. $6 to enter. Details and a phone # in Sun. Dispatch sports section.


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## EE (Apr 13, 2004)

Alum is nearly a lock for cats, that place is loaded with channels


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## Thommes (Jun 6, 2005)

What area are you fishing at Alum for cats? We fished the spillway a couple times if I recall, but didn't see any action.


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## bottomfeeder (Apr 29, 2005)

I've Caught Big Cats At The Marina At Nite. Lots Of Other Fish There To Feeding On The Schools Of Minnows In The Lights(bass Saugeye Crappie Muskey Ect.)


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## BuckeyeAngler (May 16, 2005)

Buckifan and myself got :S tonight at Hoover. We didn't stay as long as we planned because the bugs were out in full force and we both have work tomorrow  . Has anyone been having good luck for catfish at Hoover? Let me know.


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