# 8.11 GMR Blue Cat



## Tabizile (Jul 12, 2009)

Went fishing again last night. Took forever to get shad but finally got enough. I was fishing the the same log jam were a lost a monster two nights ago. He took on a peice of cut shad around 9:30. Luckily, I was fishing with a buddy this time and was able to get a few decent pics. So I've been thinking about buying a scale, something like a boga grip. It seems to me like they would tear up a fish's mouth pretty good though. I was wondering if anyone here has any advice right now i'm just guesstimating everything I catch. Would appreciate any guesses, I was thinking around 30lb. For refererence, I'm 6 foot and the kayak is 12 feet long. 

Moved down stream a little ways and caught a small channel and then a baby blue around 3lbs. Also got a real nice channel on my light tackle spinning rod. Then around 12 I had a real big fish on that I lost. I could feel the line rubbing against a limb and then it snapped right below the swivel. That's the 4th big fish in three days I've lost. I'm fishing 30lb braid, and was wondering what you guys are using as I'm thinking about going heavier.


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

Nice fish! I would guess somewhere around 22-25 lbs, simply because it looks so slim in the gut area. It has the length, but looks like it may be skipping meals. Most of the blues I catch or see caught have nice, big, fat bellies on 'em.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Yes, I agee, 22-25 lbs, also I am suprised that its not heavier????? For a blue, thats a slim dude. I wonder if he is skinny because shad is practically non-existant in the GMR or if he is a "rescue" from a pay pond and released into the GMR, ( I know of many folks who have done that for years) other then that he looks healthy so nice job!!
Released I assume since you took the picture from the boat and not on your driveway???
Salmonid


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## catfish catchers (Apr 9, 2009)

what kind of knot are you tying? are you getting the knot area wet before completely finishing the knot? if u are for sure thta the knot ur tying is complete try putting some super glue of the knot and let it dry before fishing and if that doesnt work try stepping up to some 50 lb braid or some better swivels.... i always wondered the same thing about the boga grip....

i always though blue cats were like endangered in ohio?


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## Tabizile (Jul 12, 2009)

Yeah, sorry about that. The fish was released unharmed. I wouldn't want to eat anything out of there anyway. There is a steady stream of bubbles on close to 1/3 of the river that look nasty. Looks almost like sewage but it doesn't really smell. Anyone know what the stuff is?

As for the knot, I don't know the name. It hasn't been breaking there though. It broke a few inches below the swivel in the middle of the leader...


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

catfish catchers said:


> i always though blue cats were like endangered in ohio?


http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/6005/default.aspx


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## truck (Apr 12, 2004)

Congrats nice fish


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Me and my buddies, typically on the Ohio River, use 30 lb mono/copolymer to a swivel, then either a 50 or 80lb mono/copolymer line for the leader and check it often! ( I use the Viscious Line - love it!!) The entire GMR is loaded with flat sharp rocks so that is essential to check every few casts. 

Salmonid


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## Tabizile (Jul 12, 2009)

Thanks for the advice. 

Does anyone have any advice on a scale? How harmful it is to a fish? Thanks.


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## dinkbuster1 (Oct 28, 2005)

are those "bubbles" coming up from the bottom in the same spot, and do you get snagged there a lot where the bubbles are? if they are coming from off the river bottom in a steady flow then its either decaying wood (if you are gettin snagged a lot) or you are in a sandy bottom area with ancient wood decaying from somewhere underneath the sand or some type of natural gas/ methane escaping.
there is a pool here on the middle GMR where there is a decen t sized area that constantly has bubbles coming from the bottom and it has a smooth sandy bottom.


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## Tabizile (Jul 12, 2009)

I've never seen them coming up from the bottom. They always seem to be floating down from upstream. It's a fairly large portion of the river too. I'll float 4-6 miles and they'll be all over the place.


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## AkronCATS (Nov 5, 2008)

GMR = GREAT MIAMI RIVER? or Great Maumee River?


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

I have a boga grip and love it. Does not hurt the fishes mouth at all. I also have a Berkley digital scale, but I like the Boga better.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

AkronCATS said:


> GMR = GREAT MIAMI RIVER? or Great Maumee River?


Great Miami River


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## bigcatjoe (Sep 6, 2006)

most of the blues i've seen pics of from the gmr have been pretty skinny. wierd i wonder why.


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