Hello Everyone. I just moved from Illinois down to Texas. I put my boat on Grapevine at Scotts Landing. Looking for a little advice on catching catfish...bait, any locations for the summer, fall...etc. I am switching all of my Musky and Salmon gear to Catfish. Want to take the daughter our for a little action. Any advice would be appreciated.

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someone will give you some specifics on grapevine...I've never been but could give some advice on catfish in general if needed. Is catfishing new to you?

Never really fished for catfish. Mostly Walleye, Northern Pike and Salmon. Just looking for some guidance. Most I know about catfish is throw a hot dog on the bottom and drink beer until you get a bite...LOL. My daughter is young so I want to at least get her a bite before I explore too much.

I don�t fish that lake but I bet someone who does will chime in soon-
I do hear that lake has some nice blue�s in it though, once you hook into a nice blue it�s easy to want to chase them again-
I won�t give bait advice though, that seems to �foul� some folks up -

As to Grapevine, I can't help you. But you can get a good start if you utilize my Catfish Calendar for Yellows & Blues, as well as Gator Gars. I am running late, but about to post July calendar. Just look for the thread- Lynn's Catfish Calendar. Once you find an area you like on Grapevine, then you can crank up the volume by using the calendar.

Drift the island area about all year. Shad in the summer is a cakewalk at the water percolator outlet by the dam. Once we get a rain after this dry spell, head to the creekmouth at the west end of the lake

Thank You for the responses. Do you keep your baits off the bottom with floats or just drag them on the bottom? Any particular depth I should work.

I like to use the santee cooper rig, it keeps the bait above the grass/mud and is adjustable-
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EEXmIYFDQXM

We catch fish every time we go to grapevine...using a homemade punch bait...we mainly fish the trees where Denton creek meets main lake....2 to 8 foot of water most of the time....use cow cake for a chum

for easy good numbers of channels;

get a cast net for shad. take shrimp, worms, etc. for bait until you figure out how to catch the shad...you can also use that stink bait **** if you like.

as mentioned use the santee cooper rig.

the lakes I fish are hitting well at 8-20ish feet right now, mostly off of steeper banks and rip rap. timber in the flats have been productive with chum (I ferment sorghum and corn for chum) in the dark hours.

I prefer size 4 circle hooks over 90% of the time.

For blues, you'll want to drift live shad...I'm not very good or consistent at finding them this way...so if you want to go that route I'd listen to someone else.

Great advice everyone. I appreciate it. I haven't gotten into the whole shad thing yet (YET). Would bass minnows from Cabelas work good for live bait? I was just thinking of anchoring up by the island or along the dam on Sunday to get my feet wet...maybe put a few in the box.

Fresh Shad is hard to beat IMO

This time of year shad is easy - even if you don't know how to throw a cast net... just go to the dam and do some semblance of a toss into the bubbles and you'll come up with more shad than you know what to do with.

Minnows don't work quite as well (but they do work) - they aren't as oily - the oil/smell from an injured shad is part of what draws in the cats.

Sent you a PM

If the aereators are working near the dam throwing bubbles up...i have been told u can catch shad there with cast net

Are all casting nets created equal or is there a specific kind you folks with experience recommend? You have convinced me to go buy one.

cast net instructions

No sir they are not created equal, but these kinds of cast net questions usually turn into Ford vs Chevy vs dodge arguments -
Like most everything else there are �better� nets out there for the �better� money-
I promise if someone says the 5ft net at Walmart works for them just fine, THEN someone else will then add that you should learn with a 7ft and not to waste your money on anything but a betts brand.
My advice if a friend ask is usually to just buy a cheaper net from academy and learn to throw it first, from 5-7 ft (you double the size of the net when it�s open)
And 7 ft is the largest legal size in Texas waters-
If you have trouble learning off of you tube post up in here and I would bet someone would be glad to meet you somewhere and help you, it�s not that hard, and you can learn in your yard or driveway or if you have a swimming pool even better-
After you learn to use one then you can upgrade and learn about the mesh size and pounds per inch and why those things matter
But absolutey start throwning a net, it will change some of your fishing experience in a good way-

Stopped by the aerators as the sun was coming up this morning, they were off. Hope they turn me on again.

I have been sucking it up bank fishing for cats around Murrell Park even with fresh shad. Just no bites.

Been throwing a C-rig set up, a few shallow and a few deeper and just no luck.

Any tips yall can give? Feel like the spots I am fishing (the cliff areas just below the campsites) is not a good spot. Should I maybe move back into the coves and off the main lake?

Any tips appreciated. I did catch a 6.12lb large mouth on my cut bait last Friday from the bank there! ha ha. Not what I was looking for but was nice.

Twin Coves Park has stunk for three weeks, I was thinking about moving to min lake points from shore

Yea Kyle I was able to get several large gizzard Shad this afternoon and fished main lake points near Merrell Park not a single bite in 4 hours

Then what�s going on? I was doing ok on Santee rig with cut shad in back of twin cove on the park side. However all I am catching now is soft shell turtles. I haven�t caught one blue or Channell in 3 weeks. Where are the whiskers?

With the little rain we had, they might of made a run towards the mouth of the river.

They will make their way back before too long.

Same as before. This time went at sun up today.

Lucked into 4 large gizzards in one throw from the ramp...no other bait. Fished on main lake below Murrell park campsites for 5 hours not a nibble.

Had fresh cut bait in 5 to 18 feet and not even a turtle lol.

Tough!!

I am gonna go out tomorrow night

Well, I managed a handful of box-cats Saturday evening, in spite of the chop. Worked 20-25 fow using Stubby's, off of Murrell park--the zone was at about one foot off the bottom. We switched to sandies because my little guy couldn't ignore the jumping shad--they hit on a Zara Spook knock-off and slabs. I'd post the picture, but (while legal) they were on the small side. The windward shore makes a difference, along with being able to try different techniques.

Try the flat out in front of the old Catfish Hut [ The first cove west of Meadowmere ]. Start 10ft work out from there to the 25- 30 ft. Drift or anchor, Santee Cooper rig cut shad or chicken and dead red. Also further down where you see the bird houses from shore out to 30ft.Good Luck It has worked for me in the past.

Boat is in shop. Gonna shire fish from Murrell

Let me know how it went Kyle.

5 hours...still no catfish....2 gar and a turtle.

Shad hard to find.

I caught a weird fish in my cast net. Long skinny 7�. Light brown with dark brown stripes. Looks like a jerk bait. Thick like predator not thin like shad. Not a baby bass!

I used to catch em a lot in my net 25 yrs ago in lake Lewisville but I haven�t caught one in a long time. I believe it�s some type of Darter fish. Tiger striped, body like a cigar, kind of long nose and small round mouth, and make great bait. When I was a kid, Lake Lewisville had a sandy bottom (1-2ft of sludge now) and was a much healthier lake. We would catch a lot of freshwater shrimp, darters, killi fish while throwing but I haven�t seen any of those in 10yrs in my cast net.

Log perch

logperch....that is it blues!!!...they are cool little fish

That�s it! Cool guy

No better luck on the catfish though huh?

Where are you fishing Kyle? Maybe I can join you sometime. I live 10 mins from Murrell Park. Really want to get this catfish thing figured out.

Thinking about trying some dip bait as shad has not been working. Really think I need a new spot to try...but I figure summer, warm water, first light or sunset, man with fresh shad and covered lots of diff. depths youd think I would get a bite?

Dan,
I have fished coves, main lake, shallow, and deep. They are turned OFF is my theory. Talked to a Park ranger and he said nobody is catching them. He said hang it up for a month...

Ps. I have even tried dip bait...

My buddy Tommy is hammering them Blues on your lake on the north end in 17ft. In my experience they never turn off for a month straight. They are sometimes turned off for a day or 2 due to weather but this time of year they move around a lot and you have to go find them. The fish I catch this time of year are grouped up in massive groups following Shad and Sandbass and are on the move most days. I been catching mine on 25-35ft the last couple trips and I have had to really search to locate them. Hope you find some success soon...Bluecatn ain�t easy!

Nice Going Ed!!!!

Bruv I aint even greedy, I just want some channel cats, a blue would be a bonus!

Trying to get some so the gf can make her catfish curry; she keeps using the store bought cats and it aint the same. Told her, hey I am an ace bass fisherman (ha ha) and I have spent a winter or two fooling with blue cats, I will grab the throw net and head down to the Vine and be back we a mess of channels in two hours.

5 trips later lol. Nothing but a few sandies and a 6lb bass have been caught on my catfish poles.

So I bought a boat, now I can get off for sure and go anywhere I want. Not looking for anybody to tell me every single one of their honey holes. But could somebody give me two or three way points, or spots in general to go start looking. I am absolutely sick of the struggle.

Ima throw you a bone Kyle...pm me your cell number and I will send you some areas to look. My buddy hung a 30 last night and a bunch of good fish.

Props on the new boat Kyle!

Go get you some cats. I am going to wait till you can be outside again without dying and be back out there figuring this thing out.

dan,
let me get this boat rigged up, and you can come fish with me. maybe two heads can figure it out.
Thanks everyone for your help!

I fish all yr near same spot and always catch cats....in the sticks just off main lake in Denton creek

Same as bray. I fish weekly in the general area where the creek comes in and always get into a few using shad and bluegill. I have better luck with the bluegill it seems like. Seems like I get a gar for every cat though which can get irritating.

I fish GV a bit since it's 15 min from the house. For Catfish on GV I usually fish the North end of the lake at Trophy club park where Denton Creek flows into the lake. For bait I use cut shad or frozen shrimp they work best, I don't use to much stink bait because you get more dinks using stink bait in my experience. If you can't find shad find a boat dock and use a float and small jig and cut up some bluegill. As others have mentioned use the Santee Cooper rig or you could also put a float on and suspend a bait. GV can be difficult at times so don't get discouraged if you get skunked every now and again on that lake. .