If anyone can wait out a fish, Rick aka Catyakker can! Rick spent the whole morning fishing, trying to catch a nice Channel Cat for a waterbody record. His patients paid off. Rick caught a 23.5" Channel Cat that weighed 5.44 pounds. The fish is the pending Channel Catfish record for the North Park Converse Lake, in Converse TX. The fish was caught on cut Bluegill. The records application along with the required photos was sent to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for their review. Congratulations Rick on yet another Channel Cat Record.


Side Note: This is Rick's second Channel Cat record in the past three weeks. He has a pending Channel Cat record on another waterbody east of San Antonio. Catfish love Bluegill!

Great catch and congrats Rick Catfish are a very under appreciated fighter. They wrap me under my kayak all the time

No doubt catfish love the heads of those bluegill. I saw a cooler full of 10 to 12 lb. blue cats caught on cut bluegill a week ago.

Yes Sir Jamie many of fish love Bluegill. I had a HUGE BASS take a Bluegill last week while fishing one of my spots. Was using a small Ugly Stick with six pound line. I had just caught the Bluegill, and right when I was pulling the Bluegill out of the water a bass came up after it. Leaving the fish hooked I pitched it back into the water and the fight was on. The bass almost spooled me when it made it's main run. Fought the fish for about five minutes when it decided it had enough, It simply spit out the small hook I was using. I would guess the weight of the fish was between 8 to 10 pounds. Saw the fish twice during the fight. Oh yea could have easily been a record where I was fishing. Yep BIG fish love SMALL Bluegill.

Congratulations Cat...As Willie Nelson once sang..."Mr. Record Man"...

Thanks a bunch Chuck for all the accolades. Don't normally fish for Catfish anymore, but when Chuck mentions there are no records posted on a certain body of water, that's when I deviate. I was very grateful for him coming out with the scales, because I was plum tuckered out with the heat and long walk back to the parking lot. And the Sahara dust in the air sure don't help my lungs any either. Also, I sure do appreciate J-Moe and Vogey's comments. They make having to wade through the submerged grass to land this fish on light tackle worth it.

Congrats to Rick..... Hardest fighting catfish species in my opinion.....

Congrats Rick! What a beast! How do you all hook the cut bluegill for catfish/bass? New to me...

Beautiful catfish Caty !! Congrats on this fish's record !!

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I'm certainly no expert, but back in my kayak days (before I started having having trouble getting in and out LOL), I found I had better luck using either cut Shad, Bluegills, or Tilapia under a 3" cigar shaped slip bobber. The reason I use bobbers, were their movement found the fish faster than waiting for the fish to find my bait. I like using circle hooks for better hook ups. Now that at 75 yoa, I just sit on the bank, on my bucket, and throw it out, and very slowly real it in. I adjust my slip bobber to ride a couple of feet off the bottom. (if the bobber lies on it side you are fishing too deep) I prefer to use the head but after I run out of heads I just cut up the pieces left over. I hook the head thru the eyes, or if the head is too wide, I hook it through the lips. The main thing is to have plenty of hook showing or the bait will pull loose. Now Bass fishing, it is better to use the bait alive, either hooked under the dorsal fin or thru the eyes/lip. Just make sure the fish is small enough to not put your bobber under. Or you can forgo the bobber and hook the bait fish through the eyes/lip and use it like an artificial lure. Like I said, that is just what I do and there are many other ways to fish for Catfish.

Congratulations on the records. That is great.

Great job and beautiful channel, Catyakker!

ThanksTommar, Osbornfishing, doctorxring, Lino_NTX, and SK. Sure do appreciate your comments.

Thanks for the info Catyakker!

Good looking fish. Congratulations!

Thats awesome catyakker and congrats on your new record!