Those of you who are catfishing from the yak, how are you set up? Anchor system? Bait and rigg setup? I have a perception castor and go out on Richland Chambers and Palestine alot and would love to start catfishin from it. any and all help appreciated.

i have anchor (trolley system which i am lacking would be nice)..ive trid the basic 3way but found it not very productive, i use the carolina rig....and jusr drop the bait where u want it....i have the cuda 300 FF...which for me is a must when catting, not necessary when trolling....A LANDING NET(is a must n my book)...doin this from?d?phone so im sure i left some stuff out but any question just ask

whistle, pfd, light (at night), anchor trolley, anchor (1 or 2), brush clamp, knife, pliers/cutters, floating stringer, santee-cooper, 3-way rigs, bait bucket, live & cut bait, weaterproof am/fm radio, spare terminal tackle, jugs (sometimes) & gaff (to help recover jugs pulled up under overhanging brush- the 'gaff' is a big J-hook epoxied into a broom handle). cutting board ($1 cheapy from $store...for cut bait). Everything is tied in, floats or tied to a float (rod leashes, paddle leash).

I sometimes carry a castnet or ultralight spinning rod to replenish bait (bluegill).

I made a stringer using floating poly rope, pool noodle segment & a plastic rod 1/8inch dia x 10-12inches long to thread the stringer through the gill covers and out the mouth... OK sells a steel one for $$$. You can connect one end to the rear tank well and the other to a padeye near the seat. This lets you flip 6-8lb cats into the rear well.

some people clip the barbs off the cats but I just take care.

the fish will not travel well trailing from the 'yak on a stringer (twisty little devils) but are quite calm if placed on their backs in the rear well. On a long paddle you can pop them back into the water at rest stops. A wet burlap bag is a good way to hold the fish as well.

Can you re-enter your kayak in deep water? better practice with a buddy if you don't know or can't. Add to the list a paddle float or rescue sling if needed. My boat is a SOT if yours is a SINK you may want to add a pump and floatation bags.

If you fish where there are a lot of trotlines and limblines you may want several knives (ankle, pfd,boat) so you can always find one in an emergency.

good luck
fish stringer for yak
another fish stringer video

I have a native ultimate 14.5 solo with a Humminbird 365i on a Mad frog gear liberator so I can get water temp. I use the gps to reproduce productive drifts for cats water temp is for when I am bass fishing. I have a 4 spot bee ready rod holder set up for when I am drifting and I keep my eaters in a 50 quart igloo that fits behind the seat.

I can throw my cast net seated with a fold/throw that I found on line so I can catch fresh shad without going in the drink. You will get wet but it works quite well.

I use a drift sock, drag anchor or regular anchor depending on what is producing but I always use a Santee Cooper rig for cats. I get more bites and more hook ups with this rig than any other. It is basically a Carolina rig with a slip cork 4-8 inches from the hook to keep the bait off the bottom.

Here is my new personal best on a rod and reel and from a kayak, got her this past Saturday on Lewisville,


She was 33.5 inches long and 25 inches around, came out on the calculator at 25ish lbs.

I use live bluegill or recently dead shad. Mostly drift fishing. Sanatee Cooper rigged if using dead shad or carolina rigged if using live bluegill.
My keepers go straigt in the cooler on ice. I have a braided plastic coated stringer that I will use to take a big one that I'm either gonna keep (flattie) or cpr to the closest shallows to deal w/. I keep an old fillet knife on board for bait and if I catch a big one I'm gonna keep I like to bleed them out immediately.
I'll use a drift sock if it is real windy. Sometimes I use my anchor but most of the time I'm drifting.

when ya'll are drifting for cats you dont get hung up all the time?

Google stick-weight

I've gotten snagged on things before, not usually a real problem considering the strength of the rigs I use for catfishing, but I wouldn't say it happens often enough to consider it any sort of real issue...

If you aren't getting hung up you aren't fishing the right areas IMO, catfish like holes and logs and such to use as ambush points.

10-4 gonna experiment alittle this weekend

currently don't take cutting board but will likely 100 percent clear silicone a tiny one (dollar store) under my left leg area or between my legs to chop bait. been mainly throwing lures since the spring time & haven't had to slice anything just squeeze my shad belly's

my must have for cat fishing beside whistle, 360 light, jacket, orange flag on PVC pole & tackle are: net, camera, pliers, knife, cooler in the summer or stringer (cooler months), phone, med/big collapsible anchor with 50' rope for non drift, small bell anchor or drift sock for drifting on really windy days w/quick clips & floats. would rather anchor down & stink up my area with chum calling them in.

lookin to add sonar real soon.

Game shears are great for working shad. I cut them on a fillet board sometimes, but more often than not I use them whole with a puncture or two through the guts or section them with game shears. they cut like paper and you can just cut them over the bait container.

as a cuttingboard i use a tackle tray....a 4x6 or so tacklebox tray type thing....(it has my hooks weights and a couple lures just n case i wantsome sandys) but yea or i just cut the shad on the outer side of the yak,the outter edge so i can just throw some water on it......after all catfishing with shad is guna be messy no matter how hard u try,its part of catting

Chess101 , that is a priceless grin your fishin' buddy has in your sig. That picture should follow him throughout life.


Phill

Thnkz Carver, pics like those are ones he'll look back on when hes older and smile.....WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT!