Fishing Sea

Tommorrow will be 81 degrees and it has been cooler for the nights during this week (29-44 F) . So I do not think the water is not that warm. I am a college student and work at the same time so I dont make it out too much for fishing. I live in Southern Colorado at 4200 ft and I plant to fish for channel catfish tommorrow from 6pm-10pm. Maybe more if I catch a lot, so what are useful tips and what baits/rigs should I use.Thanks

I'm in TN, but regardless of where you are, the best bait for channel cats is basically anything that stinks with blood or dead fish. Around here, shad (a garbage fish with no sport/eating qualities) is what nearly everyone uses. It's easy to find, most bait shops have it, or people catch their own. If it's legal in CO, catch some bluegills or sunfish, gut them, and use their entrails. People also use chicken liver, turkey liver, shrimp, and the old reliable night crawler. Not a thing wrong with using a night crawler, but EVERY fish will go after a night crawler, so they're easily stolen by smaller fish. Plus, if somebody is 100 yards downstream from you, fishing with cut shad, the bigger fish are gonna swim right past your night crawler looking for that shad. If you wanna flirt with 20+ pounders (common in TN on cut shad) use shad. But night crawlers and livers will bring in a lot of 1-5 pounders. I don't know if CO has the larger Blue Cats (routinely 50-75 pounds here) or not, but if they do, those big fellas usually only eat live bait fish (shad, bluegill, sunfish, goldfish, etc.)

Around here, a common rig for cattin' (and my personal fave) is a medium-heavy rod/reel combo, with 30 pound braided line. Of course, if you don't fish that much, you probably don't have that specific equipment. As much as most "serious" fishermen hate to admit it, the Ugly Stik combo that most Walmart stores have is perfect for the weekend catter. Truth is, you can catch trophy cats on any rod/reel combo if you take your time reeling them in. If the rod starts bending severely, loosen the drag on the reel and let the fish run with it a little bit. When you feel him stop fighting, start reeling again. Just don't let out all your line while you are waiting for him to stop fighting. Keep your rig simple starting out. Use a 2/0 size hook and a regular split shot sinker. Keep you bait in the lower quarter or third of the water (if the water is 10 feet deep, keep your bait below 2 and a half or 3 feet). So if you were fishing 10 feet of water, pinch your sinker on your line about 2 feet or so above your hook. This lets your bait float in the water, but keeps it up off the bottom so cats can smell it easier and find it easier.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! I just got back into fishing a couple of years ago after a 20+ year absence, and I love it. Getting back into fishing has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'll be out Saturday night trying to catch some cats myself. Let me know how you do. Good luck!

2008-10-09 20:12:24 by redcore86

Learn the secrets of the Pro's. There's no magic to catching BIG FISH but the pro's try to keep it their little SECRET. You Will Learn ...

I fish at a small pond in Colorado

Wheaties...yes the cereal. Crunch some up in your hand, then dip your hand in water and knead it into a tough dough. Pack enough of this around a #10 treble hook to just cover the hook and fish it on the bottom. If there are carp in the pond they will bite.

2008-03-21 20:39:27 by qp727

How would you set it up

1) Carolina Rig- slide a 1/8 oz egg sinker on your main line then tie on a swivel. attach two feet of 2-4 lb. test to the other end of the swivel and then tie on a size 14 trebel hook. bait the hook with rainbow powerbait, cast it out and wait.

Should look like this: http://www.lakecountybass.com/images/carolinarig-sml.jpg

2) Salmon egg: tie on a size 10 egg hook and put on a split shot or two about two feet above the hook. bait the hook with pautzke's brand salmon eggs and cast it out and SLOWLY retrieve it.

3) Dropshot (If you are on a boat.) tie on a size 8 baitholder hook with a palomar knot so that you have about a foot of line hanging down and tie on a 1/8 oz dropshot weight. Attach a Berkley Power nymph and lightly jig it up and down along the bottom

Should look like this: http://www.bassfishingusa.com/images/drop_shot5.gif

2008-04-12 22:29:55 by Vinh P

This is for shore fishing.

Ice fishing is the best time to catch trophy walleye or as late as you can fish them before they spawn in the area you live. Early ice, usually late November through December, is the steadiest action for the big females in NW Wisconsin but the last week or so of the season, it goes until the first Monday in March, can be good also. the females need to sustain their egg production so even when it's slow you have a chance at one that time of the year. We catch the vast majority of them on tip ups with decent size shiners or sucker minnows set about a foot off the bottom. We like to get set up an hour or so before dark and stay until we get our limit or get bored. If you don't have any ice use slip bobbers to achieve the same basic presentation. Trolling crankbaits can be good in the summer but they will not be as big. The spring feed is fun, about a week or so after they spawn, but again they won't be the monsters you are looking for. I have probably caught more walleye, in general, with a jig and minnow. Use smaller minnows in the spring and larger ones in the fall and winter. You will find that you catch just as many when it's sitting on the bottom as when you are working it. My other favorite technique is to use a floating jighead on about a 2' leader from a needle weight or some sort of bottom bouncer. Use minnows in the spring but go to leeches as soon as the water warms slighty. I caught a 10 pounder in the middle of December, it was only 29" but had a 17 1/2" girth. She broke off in the hole but I dug her out! If you are anywhere near the reservoirs in Tennesee or Kentucky I have heard they use bluegill rigs for the monster eyes. Just catch a decent keeper size gill and set it up on a quick set rig, with a stinger hook towards the tail. One last thing, I am a FIRM believer in fishing the full moon and new moon phases. My last 2 10 poundrs were both on the day of the full moon, on the same spot of the same lake 2 years apart. The big bite might not be right on either of those days but it will definitely be right around them, like the 2 days before to the 2 days after. Watch the major and minor times on the solunar table but weather is more important than that, in my opinion. The big dogs also seem to be more active on a dropping or low barrometer. Good luck!

2009-01-22 15:44:50 by redcore86

The deepest point in this section of the river is 10ft. Average depth is 4ft. There are a lot of rocky structures but they are man made. The river has risen due to a breach in the dam. Average width is about 150ft. The water is very fast flowing except in certain areas. I will be targeting rainbow and brown trout and channel catfish.

cats: # 4 to 1/0 hook.( i prefer circle hooks over 'J' hooks), stink bait, worms, or minnows, 1/2oz. up to 2oz. sinker, with or without a float/bobber, fish up stream of the target area, let them come to you.watch the line, bites can be subtle or massive. trout: 1/64th to 1/4 oz. jigs, small spoons, small "rapala's","storm", etc. crank baits that dive to 3 feet, #0 to #2 spinners from "mepps", "panther martin", "rooster tail", etc. # 6 to # 10 hook (again, circle hooks), segment of nightcrawler, cricket, troutworm, "gulp" bait, small minnows, with or without a float/bobber look for slow areas in the current, logs in the water, undercut banks, areas that can be used as ambush sites. cast so the bait gets near the area, let it drift by, keep an eye and tension on the line. bites can be subtle or massive.

2008-04-17 20:46:52 by redcore86

I consider myself as a experienced fisherman, but I have trouble catching channel catfish at this particular pond in Southern Colorado. I know there is channel cat , because I see them patrolling the area and I have caught some, but want to catch more.
I have used the liver, doughbait, worms, cut bait, live fish,tadpoles, crayfish,and grasshoppers. The rigs I use are the ganglion and attaching a light weight 18' above the hook. I fish anytime of the day besides late morning to mid afternoon. Any suggestions?

ahem...you talking to a pro here...yeah...ahahaha. get a size 2 octopus hook. i usually put 3 mealworms at a time and add a lil extra onto there. like 3 mealworms + half a shrimp or 4 mealworms + 1 nightcrawler or 2 mealworms + some stinky stuff. there's a lot of combinations you can do. always worked out for me.
:]
yup...leaned it from my dad.
x]

2008-03-12 21:42:09 by qp727