# West Branch Catfish



## SteerBuxxCoffee (Apr 11, 2020)

Thinking about some catfishing at West Branch. I have caught some smaller channel catfish at West Branch. What other catfish can be caught on the "Branch"? Any flathead or blue catfish?


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

There are a few Flatheads but I don't know about Blues.


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

Not supposed to be any Blues north of the Ohio River and its tribs


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

Sure there are. 

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/stay-in...hio-angler/post/blue-catfish-stocking-program


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I’ve caught some nice channels at WB on cut shad and live chubs. Many smaller channels on minnows crappie fishing. They are in there.


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## TODD64 (May 7, 2015)

Had pretty good success drifting santee cooper rigs with cutbait. Mostly cut bluegill. Even caught 36 inch muskie. Most cats were 3-4 lbs all the way up to 10 lbs

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## matticito (Jul 17, 2012)

I've seen some some big ones there. Can fish the bridge or whatever. Cut gill, chub, etc.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

The cats are there...trust me.

...haven't focused on them in quite sometime lately. Now is a great time to go get them though...fish uncooked shrimp tight lined to bottom...I like to put shrimp in a zippy lock bag with a good douse of garlic salt...shake and on the hook. A bluegill cut in half is always a good option as well...focus on 1 of the 4 points under rock spring bridge with long casts. Use 2nd rod with just a flip cast out and a bobber <slip> find bottom to where the bobber don't move and then either let sit for abit...then make adjustments. 

...its catfish lol. 

Bait with anything...trimmings from chicken breast/pork...or any homemade concoction you can think of.

Don.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

May 12th 2018...picture says it all hahaha 

6.9 pounder.

Catfish Don.


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## SteerBuxxCoffee (Apr 11, 2020)

DeathFromAbove said:


> Not supposed to be any Blues north of the Ohio River and its tribs


I have caught a blue in mosquito and walborn.... maybe they are few and far between? Not sure


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

...I'm not saying you did or not catch a <blue> 

...I've caught alot of catfish <channel cats> and flathead/bullheads...and with all those cats...have noticed a difference with body color...but that comes with everything from how many creeks/springs/slit/mud...list goes on with any given lake or body of water that holds cats...forked tail is the go to with channel cat...no mistaken with that. Flathead catfish is ... well ole boy got a flathead lol...<square tail>...plus should have been the hardest dam fight reeling in ... catfish wise.

...bullheads are just that...a catfish that's not that big and are the ones that when you get poked by dem spikes they have...you wish you didn't lol.

...I have actually rubbed a bullhead catfish on my hand where Ive been poked by spine...and the pain ... KINDA went away lol

It's all a head game.

Later.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Fish mosquito for flat heads live bluegill. My buddies catch absolute giants I mean giants


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## tim sapara (Apr 6, 2019)

A girl in I think 2018 caught a huge one off the dam area was over 35lbs. Say it of fishidy. Said it took her like 50 minutes to bring it in . A pic is on fishidy with all the details . Looks like something you'd catch in like lousiana or Mississippi. Huge


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

...fish story here tonight about... fishing off the westbranch dam...


..it was in july back in 2016...hot and humid around 10 at night...4th pole down and just tight lining with a 4 inch gill <live> 2 oz. weight and a ... get this lol ... a happy snag cast ... really far lol. (Love ya happy)

...after abit...I noticed rod tip bending into water. I grab rod and got free of holder...It took everything in me to bring tip 1 foot out of water...what I felt tugging was stupid!!!

...dam thing was gone after 30 seconds...this was with a homemade 45 pound wire rig I made...

...westbranch...place of giants.


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

My Bad


Lewzer said:


> Sure there are.
> 
> http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/stay-in...hio-angler/post/blue-catfish-stocking-program


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## Whitefin (Sep 4, 2008)

I asked an an ODNR guy about stocking blues in lakes here in NE Ohio. He said they felt there was already enough competition for food in these lakes.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

DeathFromAbove said:


> My Bad


I knew they were stocked in Hoover since many from the central forum talk about it. I had no idea they were also stocked in Clendenning and Seneca till I looked it up. That’s why there aren’t any saugeye in Seneca anymore. (JK).


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## winguy7 (Mar 12, 2014)

They just wanted to make sure any escaped blues went into the Ohio river drainage and not the Erie drainage. Plenty of people catch blues out of the tusc...just not one pic to prove it.


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## Fishguy77! (Aug 2, 2016)

Don,
Or whomever can answer this for me this time of year what time is the best time to target catfish morning...night fishing...during the day?
Growing up as a kid I remember countless nights cat fishing with my buddies and cart fishing and nighttime is always a good hotspot just curious your thoughts in the in the spring like this


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## wolfenstein (Jan 6, 2014)

I know a guy who will swear on his life that he regularly catches blues out of ladue...I always say b.s. and you need to count the rays on anal fin to be 100% sure but "they sure look blue to me" seems to be the deciding factor.


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## winguy7 (Mar 12, 2014)

Fishguy77! said:


> Don,
> Or whomever can answer this for me this time of year what time is the best time to target catfish morning...night fishing...during the day?
> Growing up as a kid I remember countless nights cat fishing with my buddies and cart fishing and nighttime is always a good hotspot just curious your thoughts in the in the spring like this


Anytime really. I've seen them hit top water during bluebird skies in the spring. Fish for them when ever you get a chance.


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## SteerBuxxCoffee (Apr 11, 2020)

First catfish on the "Branch" last night. A 4 lb channel cat. Just drifting with a night crawler bouncing the bottom. Thanks for all the great advice. I forgot how fun those bulldogs are to catch.


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## Karl Wolf (Apr 26, 2020)

Caught 1 flathead at WB about 15 years ago using an ultra light,jig and minnow. Never heard of them in there before that and nobody i personally know has ever caught one there besides me. 
As to someone saying no blues above the OH river and tribs, thats naturally true but the ODNR has stocked a few lakes in southern/central OH with them. Blues in Mosquito, i dont believe thats true, but maybe someone put one in and you caught it. Ive often seen many people call channels, blue cats due to massive color variations.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Some big flatheads in West Branch, I saw one caught after midnight from shore on a swim bait.. in the fifty pound range, then heard of anther that size from a boat on the west end. And smaller ones I’ve heard of. Mosquito has some bruisers also.


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## Karl Wolf (Apr 26, 2020)

I've heard of many in Mosquito, i need to spend a day drifting big live bait down the north end channel. Just never been a fan of Mosquito big time because of the drive and it really beats a,little boat up.


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## SteerBuxxCoffee (Apr 11, 2020)

Karl Wolf said:


> Caught 1 flathead at WB about 15 years ago using an ultra light,jig and minnow. Never heard of them in there before that and nobody i personally know has ever caught one there besides me.
> As to someone saying no blues above the OH river and tribs, thats naturally true but the ODNR has stocked a few lakes in southern/central OH with them. Blues in Mosquito, i dont believe thats true, but maybe someone put one in and you caught it. Ive often seen many people call channels, blue cats due to massive color variations.


That is a beast!!!


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## SteerBuxxCoffee (Apr 11, 2020)

I guess I just respect a forum that allows the sharing of years of sage... We live in a fast food, instant gratification world that is not true..... sometimes you need to grind it and learn..... we have never caught squat in West Branch and we are building spots one by one .... it takes time to build a collection of spots for each species... they are moving and looking for resources to survive.... it is definitely not a video game.... we need more tackle boxes and less X Boxes


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## Karl Wolf (Apr 26, 2020)

SteerBuxxCoffee said:


> That is a beast!!!


On 4lb mono i thought i was snagged before it started swimming away!


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Westbranch tonight...its not only a place to fish/pleasure boat...it has alot more to offer than that...for sure.

Enjoy pictures.


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## Karl Wolf (Apr 26, 2020)

It truly does take a long time to learn different areas and specific spots and what works best for different species in those areas


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