# Catching a RECORD CAT??



## catfishhunterjames (Mar 29, 2010)

OK, this summer I'm not taking summer classes, but I have set a huge task. I want to try to catch a record cat either, flat-head or blue. I think it will be fun I am going to try to video some of it on my Iphone. I will use the weekday to catch some great bait and the weekend will fishing time. I wonder where I am fishing off the bank it will mean; I will not catch many big fish but what else do I have to do on my weekends?


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## gavennn (Jan 24, 2008)

Good luck. Im fishing for some quality fish myself this summer.


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## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

Sounds like a plan. The first step to catch trophy fish is to go fishing.


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## Catproinnovations (Dec 8, 2009)

My biggest flatheads have come from shore fishing good luck


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

what I have found is sometimes the biggest catches are from unexpected places, my PB Channel came from a tourney At Clear Fork Lake a few years back, never expected to bust one at 18 lbs 2 oz and my PB Flattie Just over 30lbs) came in the GMR in a spot where 5-8 lbers are the norm. My point is the more you fish, the more suprises youll end up with. On the other hand after a hundred trips to the Ohio river where I am always expecting to bust my PB blue and it never seems to happen. I think thats cuz I "expect" it there, see my point?....of course I had my chances at upping my blue PB but the last 5 years that is getting slimmer everyday since there are hardly any catfish left in the Markland pool let alone trophys..

Bottom line is get out, fish and your PB numbers will rise

Good luck, Salmonid


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## BanksideBandit (Jan 22, 2010)

Good luck! I'm sure you'll beat your PB's if you're going to spend a lot more time on the water than your usual.


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## AkronCATS (Nov 5, 2008)

I catch a lot more big fish while out fishing, than while sitting in my house.


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## catfishhunterjames (Mar 29, 2010)

Well so far it has not been to good. Went last night and had two good bites but one was a 6 to 7 lb channel and the other stop when I picked my pole up. But I did catch a 1 lbs channel on a gold fish. I don't know how it ate it but it did.


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## SeanStone (Sep 8, 2010)

Sounds like you need bigger bait....lol. I know some guys who would have put a 8 oz sinker on and tossed the channel out as bait. I think there are some who claim flathead eat channel cats this time of year. Robbys got a pic of a flathead that ate a channel.....that ate his other bait.


Using small live baits is great because you can bring a bunch of bait in a five gallon bucket. However you'll better your odds of a big boy if you switch to bigger baits. Even though it may mean bringing fewer baits along. 

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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

There&#8217;s not quite the correlation between larger baits and larger fish as one would think, at least not that I have found. I&#8217;ve used all sorts of very large baits through the years; big carp, goldfish, 10&#8221; bluegills, 14&#8221; suckers&#8230;. I can&#8217;t say that I&#8217;ve ever caught a big fish on one. More often than not, for whatever reason they produce very small fish. I once caught a 12 INCH channel cat on a 9&#8221; bluegill, I&#8217;m not sure how that even happened. When I go back through my old logs and memory bank, the majority of the bigger fish we caught (45+ lbs) came one medium size baits. Numerous have come on small baits we thought for sure would get eaten by a channel cat. I can&#8217;t explain why, other than just coincidence. I subscribe to the theory that just having a live bait in the water, any bait, is the most important thing when looking for that one special fish. The way to increase odds is to fish more.


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

I agree with magis, ive caught big fish on huge baits before, but more often than not I catch a flathead on a normal size of bait when i have both out. I think its just a matter of which bait the flathead swims by.


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## SeanStone (Sep 8, 2010)

M.Magis said:


> Theres not quite the correlation between larger baits and larger fish as one would think, at least not that I have found. Ive used all sorts of very large baits through the years; big carp, goldfish, 10 bluegills, 14 suckers. I cant say that Ive ever caught a big fish on one. More often than not, for whatever reason they produce very small fish. I once caught a 12 INCH channel cat on a 9 bluegill, Im not sure how that even happened. When I go back through my old logs and memory bank, the majority of the bigger fish we caught (45+ lbs) came one medium size baits. Numerous have come on small baits we thought for sure would get eaten by a channel cat. I cant explain why, other than just coincidence. I subscribe to the theory that just having a live bait in the water, any bait, is the most important thing when looking for that one special fish. The way to increase odds is to fish more.


That is very surprising. I appreciate the clarification. You and Ducky agree so Im sold....but I do know others that will stick to their big baits.

Personally ill just stick with 6 inch gills from now on. Those big baits are hard to pin down and keep from pulling clicker and floats under anyway. Less headache.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

ducky152000 said:


> I agree with magis, ive caught big fish on huge baits before, but more often than not I catch a flathead on a normal size of bait when i have both out. I think its just a matter of which bait the flathead swims by.


I agree as well with both Magis and Ducky. Most of my big fish have come on small baits. My biggest flathead came on a 2 inch by 2 inch piece of cut shad. All of my big blues have come on medium pieces of bait- skipjack or mooneye heads or a center cut of shad from a 10-12 inch shad. Seems like when I use big baits I only get small fish pecking at it.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

SeanStone said:


> Those big baits are hard to pin down and keep from pulling clicker and floats under anyway. Less headache.


Isn't that the truth. I remember years back the bait shop had a good supply of koi. We'd use some nice 8"-10" koi, and run the baits out keeping a good distance between them. By midnight they'd have the lines wrapped up so tight it looked like we were reeling in a sweater.  
I still like a bucket full of 8" green sunfish, but I don't get concered if all we can catch are 5".


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

You can tell im new to cat fishing when I read "8-10" gills as bait and im freaking out cause thats good eating pan fish LOL. 

Buddy and I are starting back up to cat fishing quite a bit right now....we both used to go all the time but the past few years has been bass fishing and pan fishing....

well we entered that little cat fishing challenge on the bay and have been trying to fish pretty hard. I like reading your guy's suggestions because we've always been a worm or shrimp on a hook kind of guys and its put dinks-28" channels on the line...nothing huge....so live bait looks like the next stop! Anyone experiment at all with creek chubs? Or do you seem to have better luck with gils? Any more info is definitely helpful!! I am also going to be getting a new set up too...any suggestions on whats the most bang for my buck.....size rod and good reel with a clicker?!?! Thanks!


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Creek chubs work very good, better than bluegills. Bluegills are convenient more than anything, but not necessarily the best bait. I&#8217;d take a bucket of green sunfish or warmouth over bluegills any day for flatheads. The only downside for us with chubs would be that the channel cats can easily eat them, but if you&#8217;re targeting big channel cats they&#8217;re perfect bait. 
There are so many good rods and reels out there it&#8217;s tough to pick one, but the Abu 6500 is just about as tried and true as you can get. Nearly all my rods are strictly flathead rods, so I&#8217;m not much help in that department.


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## SeanStone (Sep 8, 2010)

Mmagis is right a abu garcia 6500 is one of the best all around reels for cats and a 7 ft medium heavy shakesphere catfish series ugly stick is my all time favorite rod. This set up is a little light for blus and flathead but I have caught some over 30lbs on it. Id say the ideal range of fish to target would be 5 to 30lbs.

. If your targeting channels my go to bait is cut shad...3x3 piece is probably my average size...and I like the head and the middle chunks. Cut the tail off and toss it in the water....call it chum. Lol. Creek chub heads are a close second though. Youll be suprised at the size increase you will see just by switching over to fresh cutbait....from crawlers and shrimp. Its been a while....5 years or so but we made the switch from store bought baits...shrimp, liver, crawlers, stinkbaits...etc and our average channel size nearly doubled. Of course we probably got a little wiser since then too.



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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

There is also another big problem with large baits, that is the bait tearing off while fighting the hook all nite. I found a lake where I can catch all the 8 to 10 inch green sunfish and rock bass I want. And ive had great nites using them but there has been nites where i reel my lines in and there is no bait. Last year magis and Robby told me to use smaller hooks I tried that and it helped somewhat. I then started putting a small piece of rubber band on the hook after hooking the bait, ( thinking maybe the big baits were just unhooking themselves throughout the nite.) I found out that was not the case. I then decided to bridle baits which helped some but even then I had them big rock bass tear their nose nostrils. This is a problem I just cant figure out yet.


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