# Caught this at LaDue... Not sure what it is....



## MrDingleBerry (4 mo ago)

Thing hit a 1/2oz Syclops... Brother thinks it's a Shad. Never caught one before, only seen minnows of them.


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## MrDingleBerry (4 mo ago)

Also here's a few pics of how low the water is, has to be down 8feet since I was shore fishing in April.
















Also here's this miserable thing that dragged me around my kayak for 15mns... Why do they stock these stupid things.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Gizzard shad. And those "stupid things" are the most popular sport fish in the country. It drug you around in your kayak virtually kicking your ass for 15 minutes. Sounds like a good time to me


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## MrDingleBerry (4 mo ago)

Thanks, never seen one that size before.

Oh and I still hate the cat


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

big ol head


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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

You caught one of the funnest fish to catch. Congrats, looks like a bull channel cat.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

The only cat fish I am a fan of, is a flat head. Not only are they mean as heck looking, they are as powerful as all get out. I've caught a couple flat heads that were 30 lbs or more, and had something on in the Hannibal Pool of the Ohio River that I can only assume was a huge catfish, because I never did get a look at it.

Anyhow ......... not a fan of channel cats at all.


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## MrDingleBerry (4 mo ago)

IDK... You guys love these cats. I was on a mission to catch some walleye from an inland lake on this kayak I got since April.

Been to LaDue at least 40 times, West Branch 20ish, Berlin 4 times(bunch of other lakes that I know there aren't walleye at as well, Punderson is infested with Cats too)... Completely skunked, but hundreds upon hundreds of channels as a by-product, this one was the biggest.

Nightcrawlers, they wolf em down... Raps, they munch em... Wax Worms, yep they take em too... Every soft plastic I own... Haven't found I bait I tried for walleye on that I haven't gotten at least 2 cats that day. One day at Punderson trying to fish for one of the few remaining Trout that haven't been fished out, caught at least 7, 1-2lbs channels on tiny Blue Fox spinners from 6am to 11am.

Hence why I called them miserable earlier... I think I've had maybe 1 or 2 fishing trips that I haven't had a channel this year. I'm catfished out. They're right up there with White Perch of my annoyance fish, prolly more so since I've been barbed dozens up dozens of times this year 

I went to an ODNR site to look at fish stockings for the last 40ish years... I noticed literally every lake stocks channels... Was shocked. Even the little lakes(ponds) I go for trout occassionally, are stocked with em.


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

Catfish are easier & cheaper to raise than Trout, Walleye, Musky or Bass. 

It's all economics


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## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

i feel blessed to catch any fish.


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## Gotworms (Jan 29, 2015)

Mr dingle don’t feel bad I caught one on a fricken chatter bait in two feet of water last week there thought I had a monster bass


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## TClark (Apr 20, 2007)

What's fun is when they see the boat...dive dive dive.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

A big ole channel cat can save the day when getting the 🦨.. one to two pounders taste the best..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Ol' Whiskers (Aug 11, 2004)

don't disrespect the channel cat, lots of fun


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## lawsonhollenbaugh (5 mo ago)

MrDingleBerry said:


> View attachment 495058
> View attachment 495059
> 
> 
> Thing hit a 1/2oz Syclops... Brother thinks it's a Shad. Never caught one before, only seen minnows of them.


ITS AN AMERICAN SHAD, GREAT MUSKIE OR NORTHERN PIKE BAIT.! 😎👍


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## lawsonhollenbaugh (5 mo ago)

MrDingleBerry said:


> Also here's a few pics of how low the water is, has to be down 8feet since I was shore fishing in April.
> View attachment 495060
> View attachment 495061
> 
> ...


MAN THOSE BIG CAT'S ARE A TON OF FUN TO FIGHT WITH, YOU HAVE TO APPRECIATE JUST CATCHING ANY BIG FISH, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU ARE TARGETING..! ENJOY THE FIGHT


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

lawsonhollenbaugh said:


> MAN THOSE BIG CAT'S ARE A TON OF FUN TO FIGHT WITH, YOU HAVE TO APPRECIATE JUST CATCHING ANY BIG FISH, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU ARE TARGETING..! ENJOY THE FIGHT



Why are you hollering??


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## jerry g (Aug 2, 2010)

TClark said:


> What's fun is when they see the boat...dive dive dive.


I CANT BELIEVE YOUR COMPLAINING ABOUT CATCHING FISH I WOULD BE THANKING MY MAKER FOR EVERY ONE IM TRYING TO CATCH THEM AND GOT 1 IN 9 OUTINGS


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## mn4 (Oct 14, 2020)

I’ll join you in the minority position MrDingleBerry (can’t believe I just typed “dingleberry” LOL). I’m not a big fan of catfish either and I know several other guys that would agree. Admittedly, they’re a fun fight but I could honestly take or leave them. Not knocking them or anyone that likes chasing them - I’m just not that into it. I was on a tear last summer - caught more cats while smallie fishing than I ever have before. It was crazy.


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

It's become a cat heavy lake. They stocked it to manage the white perch and boy they have been busy the problem is now there's more cats than anything we caught some monsters in the spring i gave up cuz it was all we were getting all over the lake. Trolling was a nightmare they would hook up and run right to the trees on the bottom. Lost a lot of lures and line


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## MrDingleBerry (4 mo ago)

set-the-drag said:


> It's become a cat heavy lake. They stocked it to manage the white perch and boy they have been busy the problem is now there's more cats than anything we caught some monsters in the spring i gave up cuz it was all we were getting all over the lake. Trolling was a nightmare they would hook up and run right to the trees on the bottom. Lost a lot of lures and line


Ya I've been back to LaDue 3 times since I started this thread... 2 days in 422 "deep" end, which the boat ramp is literally unusable, had to walk my yak down the "submerged" road, nothing but half a dozen cats both days and a couple white perch(on crawler rig, rippin' raps, and shaky head with a finesse worm)..

Went another day on 1-2 ft deep side of the lake(literally everything west of 44 is no more than 3 feet deep, barely 2 feet farther west), west of 44, 10 cats that day in the stumps past the "island" which was now a pennisula, only bright spot was a 2 decent bass and a few decent crappie, all on swimbaits, shakyheads and beetlespin.

I still can't find a walleye for the life of me in that res, I went back and checked and it says they've stocked them every year... I'm finding that hard to believe, I've fished it almost twice a week since March, whether or not I'm doing something horribly wrong targeting them(it's very likely I am, also no depth/fish finder), you'd figure I'd still have gotten a stray in that many attempts, the insane variety of methods I've tried, and the fact I've literally covered the lake more extensively than a nautical survey crew would .


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## BASS_ANGLER (Apr 9, 2008)

Nice cat!


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

MrDingleBerry said:


> Ya I've been back to LaDue 3 times since I started this thread... 2 days in 422 "deep" end, which the boat ramp is literally unusable, had to walk my yak down the "submerged" road, nothing but half a dozen cats both days and a couple white perch(on crawler rig, rippin' raps, and shaky head with a finesse worm)..
> 
> Went another day on 1-2 ft deep side of the lake(literally everything west of 44 is no more than 3 feet deep, barely 2 feet farther west), west of 44, 10 cats that day in the stumps past the "island" which was now a pennisula, only bright spot was a 2 decent bass and a few decent crappie, all on swimbaits, shakyheads and beetlespin.
> 
> I still can't find a walleye for the life of me in that res, I went back and checked and it says they've stocked them every year... I'm finding that hard to believe, I've fished it almost twice a week since March, whether or not I'm doing something horribly wrong targeting them(it's very likely I am, also no depth/fish finder), you'd figure I'd still have gotten a stray in that many attempts, the insane variety of methods I've tried, and the fact I've literally covered the lake more extensively than a nautical survey crew would .


Your wondering where the walleye are? Probably laying in the weed beds feeding on small perch. Try working the weeds with jigs and minnows or crawler. Then the remainder of the walleye your looking for are in the catfish gut. They stock them the cats and white perch eat them. Stockings aren’t big ,small fry or fingerlings.


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

MrDingleBerry said:


> Ya I've been back to LaDue 3 times since I started this thread... 2 days in 422 "deep" end, which the boat ramp is literally unusable, had to walk my yak down the "submerged" road, nothing but half a dozen cats both days and a couple white perch(on crawler rig, rippin' raps, and shaky head with a finesse worm)..
> 
> Went another day on 1-2 ft deep side of the lake(literally everything west of 44 is no more than 3 feet deep, barely 2 feet farther west), west of 44, 10 cats that day in the stumps past the "island" which was now a pennisula, only bright spot was a 2 decent bass and a few decent crappie, all on swimbaits, shakyheads and beetlespin.
> 
> I still can't find a walleye for the life of me in that res, I went back and checked and it says they've stocked them every year... I'm finding that hard to believe, I've fished it almost twice a week since March, whether or not I'm doing something horribly wrong targeting them(it's very likely I am, also no depth/fish finder), you'd figure I'd still have gotten a stray in that many attempts, the insane variety of methods I've tried, and the fact I've literally covered the lake more extensively than a nautical survey crew would .


Like most of the membership, you might want to try “elsewhere” for walleyes
(unless you just enjoy the impossible challenge)! I'd recommend West Branch, Mosquito, Berlin, or Milton. I’m sure the walleye stockings are more substantial plus some natural reproduction possible. Bit more of a drive and you’ll still catch the ever present channels, but you’ll “stop beating the lifeless equine”! JMO.


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