Texas Fishing Forum

Winter Bait

Posted By: dallasangler

Winter Bait - 12/07/21 10:44 PM

What is everyone using for bait now that shad isn't around? Tried worms and gizzards with no luck
Posted By: 🍀El Gato Azul🍀

Re: Winter Bait - 12/07/21 11:09 PM

Shad are alway around. Big gizzard Shad, the bigger the better. We also use Drum, Carp, Buffalo. Anything hand sized is what I prefer. We also use some smaller stuff but 90% of our big fish come off out biggest baits. [Linked Image]
Posted By: TRH (formerly xpress00)

Re: Winter Bait - 12/07/21 11:33 PM

What you mean shad aint around??? They always around! just got to find them.
Shad Ive been catching have been in 10 fow of water or less.
Posted By: SwampHunter

Re: Winter Bait - 12/08/21 02:51 AM

What lake are you trying to catch bait ?
I have been catching shad just fine from 7ft to 20ft
Posted By: Whistlebritches

Re: Winter Bait - 12/08/21 03:16 AM

If you're bank fishing boat ramps and bridges with concrete abutments always hold shad...........even on the coldest winter days.If boat fishing use your electronics,I home in with 2D sonar then pick out my largest bait balls with side imaging.
Posted By: BigPoppa007

Re: Winter Bait - 12/08/21 04:13 AM

Cut Carp is Good bait........
Posted By: sapalmer

Re: Winter Bait - 12/08/21 01:50 PM

Anything I get in a cast net.
Posted By: cvitale

Re: Winter Bait - 12/08/21 04:34 PM

I usually use gizzard shad or carp but in the winter time when i have a hard time locating the shad I will use chicken. My biggest blue (47lbs) was caught on a piece of chicken.

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
Posted By: Whistlebritches

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 03:12 AM

Never tried chicken but I will double down on carp........when it really gets cold cut carp catches better than shad in my opinion.
Posted By: Catfish Tim

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 12:55 PM

I have always used primarily shad but if I catch bream or buffalo or drum in my cast net they are fair game. Buffalo should be a good bait in my opinion. It is oily and should work well. I've caught fish on it but it has not fished as well as shad for me. Bream is good, especially cut head pieces. I need to try the buffalo when it gets real cold and see if what Whistlebritches says holds true for Lavon. It is an interesting idea that it works better in cold water... And I like a challenge so... I will report back!
Posted By: Bluecat Bob

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 01:11 PM

I went out yesterday on Lake Lavon, it was 42F and foggy, and first up catching some fresh bait. The ramps don't yield much now it's colder (I tried) but motoring around I spotted some bait 'balls' in the marina and out in the coves, in 10-15 feet of water. I threw my 6 foot net and nothing. I must have thrown that darn net 267 times, quite the workout, and managed to catch one single shad. Dang!

Then next thing my net got snagged, and dag blast it another $50 bites the dust.

Urgh.

I think my cheap net is probably closing on the way down. The other issue for me is knowing where those bait balls are when I throw my net. I still haven't got it nailed down.

It's time to get myself a taped net, one that stays open on the way down in deeper water. I have been putting this off as they are $150 a pop, and I recently went out with a buddy and he lost his brand new one first trip with a snag.

Cattin' R hard!!!

As Ken (KEGracing) recently posted 'get ready to laugh, cuss, and probably even cry some..' Yup.

hammer
Posted By: Bluecat Bob

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 01:15 PM

Regarding carp, I have caught one a couple of times on the ramps but never used them as bait.

The local Asian market sells them whole, so think I might buy one and try my luck.
Posted By: Catfish Tim

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 01:27 PM

Yes it R Bob... I have cussed over a snagged net more times than I can count. But, I picked up a nugget of wisdom from El Gato Azul. When you learn to pattern the bait in deep water and you learn where they are 12 months out of the year, you can throw a net without worry of snagging. And the difference that a taped net makes is worth every penny of that $150.00! Bite the bullet Bob. Once you do you will be glad you did. If you are marking bait balls and not catching when you throw, it is usually one of two things. Either you are targeting small schools of bait that are too small to be throwing at, or the bait is very small and just swimming through the mesh of your net. I keep my taped net and I keep an old non-taped net on the boat too. If I smell a stump, I don't throw the taped net, I throw the old one that I won't be quite so mad about getting snagged.
Posted By: TRH (formerly xpress00)

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 02:29 PM

I've tried, tried, and tried again using carp/buffalo. I just don't do as good on it as I do Shad, regardless of temps. And I would rather buy shad than use chicken, and shad are going for $10/lb right now. Sure, chicken will catch some, but it's not a natural forage for catfish. I will use drum/perch if I happen to catch any, but for me Shad is the ticket. And shad can be had YEAR ROUND from boat or bank. Might have to work for 'em a little, but they are there for the taking.
Posted By: Bluecat Bob

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by TRH (formerly xpress00)
I've tried, tried, and tried again using carp/buffalo. I just don't do as good on it as I do Shad, regardless of temps. And I would rather buy shad than use chicken, and shad are going for $10/lb right now. Sure, chicken will catch some, but it's not a natural forage for catfish. I will use drum/perch if I happen to catch any, but for me Shad is the ticket. And shad can be had YEAR ROUND from boat or bank. Might have to work for 'em a little, but they are there for the taking.


You can buy Shad?????

Where may I ask Sir do you buy it?

popcorn
Posted By: Bluecat Bob

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by Catfish Tim
Yes it R Bob... I have cussed over a snagged net more times than I can count. But, I picked up a nugget of wisdom from El Gato Azul. When you learn to pattern the bait in deep water and you learn where they are 12 months out of the year, you can throw a net without worry of snagging. And the difference that a taped net makes is worth every penny of that $150.00! Bite the bullet Bob. Once you do you will be glad you did. If you are marking bait balls and not catching when you throw, it is usually one of two things. Either you are targeting small schools of bait that are too small to be throwing at, or the bait is very small and just swimming through the mesh of your net. I keep my taped net and I keep an old non-taped net on the boat too. If I smell a stump, I don't throw the taped net, I throw the old one that I won't be quite so mad about getting snagged.


Great advice as always Tim.

I didn't think about the bait being really small.

As you guys keep telling me, time on the water. Good thing I haz the time!!!

whip
Posted By: Catfish Tim

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 02:42 PM

Bob, if you start buying Shad, that $150 for a taped net is gonna sound like a real good deal before long...
Posted By: TRH (formerly xpress00)

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by Bluecat Bob
Originally Posted by TRH (formerly xpress00)
I've tried, tried, and tried again using carp/buffalo. I just don't do as good on it as I do Shad, regardless of temps. And I would rather buy shad than use chicken, and shad are going for $10/lb right now. Sure, chicken will catch some, but it's not a natural forage for catfish. I will use drum/perch if I happen to catch any, but for me Shad is the ticket. And shad can be had YEAR ROUND from boat or bank. Might have to work for 'em a little, but they are there for the taking.


You can buy Shad?????

Where may I ask Sir do you buy it?

popcorn


LOL.. Well I don't buy it, I catch it, but yes, you can buy shad. Several stores around Twok sales it. That store off I30 by Ray Hubbard normally has some (as long as they find it). There are several individuals who catch and sell it, Carey Thorne does. Chris Howard does. You don't see it much on here, but you can find it on FB pretty easily.
Posted By: 🍀El Gato Azul🍀

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 03:41 PM

First off I’d like to say there is no right or wrong way to get big baits. Only what works best for you. If your way is working for you then by all means keep doing what you are doing. I’m not saying the way I get mine is the best way, it’s just what I have found works best for me consistently year round.

Bait balls = Threadfin. I don’t throw on bait balls and I rarely use threadfin. I tend to look for Big Gizzard Shad on structure. Could be a ledge, edge, depression, channel, or an old submerged pond. They are bottom hugger structure fish and will be positioned right on or in that structure 90% of the time year round. They are a lot easier to get in the morning than they are in the afternoon too. I used to get mine under the lights at the marina years back but you gotta be there before the sun comes up. When I was a young man I would head up into the creeks to get em and destroy net after net. Over the years I learned to pattern them better and now I get em mid-depth most of the time. I have built a system for locating mine and I usually check the ledges first at the first transition into deeper water by my ramp. Even if there are only a few there this will help me to determine what depths to target them. They might be on a ledge in 5 ft one day and 35 ft the next. There are times that they scatter and can be very difficult to get and that’s when I use the other baits like Drum, Carp, and Buffalo, sunfish, etc. I can say with complete confidence that Blues will eat all of them and on any given day one will outperform the other.

I stumbled onto a really good Big Bluecat pattern 3 yrs ago by complete accident. I was pulling planer boards along a rocky shoreline contour and my graph began to light up. I started marking loads of fish with bright returns but no bait at all. Then I started marking longnose Gar and started seeing them surface all around me. I was marking huge catfish on my side image following close by. I was seeing longnose Gar feed on small Carp! I quickly got my net and dropped it and pulled up 3 12” carp! I chopped one up and started hammering Big Blues one right after the next. I bet we caught 10 of em between 15-40 lbs in about 45 minutes and that is rare on Lewisville. I’ve fished that same pattern 3 times since then and done very well. Anchoring on Gar feeding can be a pain but pulling boards through them can be very productive!

When guys tell you to find the bait and you’ll find the fish, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes the fish are what they are feeding on and not the bait. Don’t be afraid to throw down on something that looks interesting. You never know when you might learn something new!
Posted By: Bluecat Bob

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by Catfish Tim
Bob, if you start buying Shad, that $150 for a taped net is gonna sound like a real good deal before long...


roflmao
Posted By: Bluecat Bob

Re: Winter Bait - 12/09/21 03:46 PM

Dang, thanks for that post TRH, and all you guys posting up.

A lot to digest and yup, just gotta keep trying and trying and trying...
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