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Best bait? #13182360 06/11/19 07:32 PM
Joined: Feb 2019
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NorthwestNative Offline OP
Green Horn
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What's your go-to bait, rig, and depth for each cat?

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Re: Best bait? [Re: NorthwestNative] #13182504 06/11/19 09:54 PM
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Flat-Cat Offline
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I specifically target flathead and every so often blues. So Live bait is a must unless in colder temperatures. Also have good luck with large blues on live bait as well. Standard Carolina rig 10-12" short for fishing heavy structure. Depth is never presistant varies on every trip on what they are doing. Channel cats are something I never target and are a nuessance when I catch one haha

Re: Best bait? [Re: NorthwestNative] #13182568 06/11/19 10:54 PM
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Mckinneycrappiecatcher Online Content
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I usually target flatheads as well, tend to use carolina rigs with 18-24 leaders and 2-4oz weights depending on the bait size Im using. As far as baits go, live bait is key, Ive used a lot of different baits for flatheads, bullheads, goldfish, small carp, live sunfish, live drum up to about 12 long, suckers, giant shiners, and live shad. I mostly use sunfish because theyre the most readily available for me and easy to catch at the lake. I like the ones about 3-5 in length, but Ive caught flatties on 2 bluegill as well as 7 bluegill. Every once in a while Ill get a small drum 10-15 in length while catching bluegill, those get put on a hook and tossed out as well. Big blues and big channels tend to eat a lot of these same baits and are often found in the same areas. The key to flathead bait is not just live bait but lively bait thats easy to keep and has been kept fresh, you have to keep your the water aerated and cool while also changing it out frequently if no livewell is present. Bottom line, big cats of all three species are essentially predatory and prefer live baits. I dont have the gear to use anything much over about a 1/2 lb, but I know for a fact a medium sized flathead or blue (20-30 lb range) could easily engulf a carp, bullhead, or sucker up to 3lbs.

If Im looking for a late spring meat haul and targeting channels Im going for spawners on rocks, that usually requires a medium action rod, a bobber, and a small piece of cut bait.

Re: Best bait? [Re: NorthwestNative] #13183197 06/12/19 02:56 PM
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G Love Offline
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Blues- slip sinker rig, 2oz, bead, swivel, 50lb leader at 18-24", 5/0-8/0 TC double action.

Baits- fresh cut shad, drum, buffalo, in that order.

Flatheads (river)- slip sinker rig, 2-3oz, bead, swivel, 50lb leader at 8-12", 8/0 Gamakatsu Oct Cirlce or 9/0 TC wide gap.

Flathead rig #2 (fishing in the log jam)- 2-3oz sinker, bead, 9/0 Gamakatsu octopus hook. Prefer braid here.

Baits- live shad, green sunfish, mudcats if i can find them, bluegills if nothing else. Big chunks of fresh cut shad in the spring.

I only specifically fish for channels about once a year or if I'm taking ppl that want to catch them but its usually a #4-#6 treble hook and punch bait with a few split shots and a float or no float, depending on presentation.

Last edited by G Love; 06/12/19 03:01 PM.
Re: Best bait? [Re: NorthwestNative] #13183431 06/12/19 06:13 PM
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ADDICTED 2 FISHING Offline
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I don't really target specific cats, I fish only in rivers mostly so its kind of a suprise most of the time lol. My go to rig is the basic fish finder rig but instead of a regular inline weight i use sinker slides so i can always change weight size based on the minimum weight that will hold bottom in the current because the rivers currents and flow can vary day to day. 30-65 pound braid mainline and my leader is 40 pound mono.
sooooo....
Depth & rig= always on the bottom using fish finder rig with 5/0-8/0 circle hooks
Bait=cut bait in this order: mullet, shad, perch

Re: Best bait? [Re: NorthwestNative] #13184346 06/13/19 03:22 PM
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HumanSeine Offline
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I really just target catfish so channel cats is what I catch most. I think that is because they multiply faster than other fish. You can walk around lake fork and see schools of small catfish in the shallows.

Re: Best bait? [Re: NorthwestNative] #13184347 06/13/19 03:23 PM
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HumanSeine Offline
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I really just target catfish so channel cats is what I catch most. I think that is because they multiply faster than other fish. You can walk around lake fork and see schools of small catfish in the shallows. I fish with stubbys cheese bait and it just plain and simple is the best. I have caught some blues and also flathead on the cheese bait. The majority of fish are channel cats. My largest is a we pound channel with multiple fish over 8 pounds. I case you question this I own and use a scale in my boat to weigh my fish. We weighed our big fish at lake fork marina because we were hoping my scale was off with the lake record chNnel being 17.

Last edited by HumanSeine; 06/13/19 03:29 PM.
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