First catfish of the year.... With a spinnerbait

[catman529]

That's 4 fishing trips in a row now I have not been skunked. I was fishing at dusk this evening at a creek mouth on the Harpeth River, casting a spinnerbait, then a buzzbait, then the spinnerbait again with no luck. Just before it was completely dark out, out of nowhere a fish took the spinner and I pulled in a nice channel cat, around 18 inches or so. Never caught one on a spinnerbait before but I have heard of it. The bait was a Zoom fat albert pumpkin grub on a chartreuse jighead on a single blade spinner. The bait caught me a pounder largemouth a couple days ago in the same creek mouth.

Unfortunately no pics, because my cell phone is currently broken and I did not have my camera with me. I knew if I didn't bring the camera, I'd regret it. Oh well...

Now this weekend I'm going to sink some cut bait in the deep holes and try for one of those 15-20 lb catfish I've heard of.

 

[Football Hunter]

I caught a 12 lb catfish on a spinner bait last year,during a tourney,talking about a downer,,he he,thought I had a monster bass

 

[catman529]

darn... during a tourney I could understand, but I'd still be plenty happy with a 12lb catfish any other time.

 

[Bertman]

 

[easy45]

my biggest channel cat ever came off a strike king mini king, it was a 15 pounder

 

[Rowdy]

It happens, I've caught several over the years on artificials, even on topwaters.

 

[mathews338]

cool

 

[Deck78]

My best success in the harpeth is running deep cut baits on a trot line Catman

 

[catman529]

Cool, maybe we will meet sometime. I have been to a lot of places on the Harpeth from the lowhead dam on Lewisburg down to Old Natchez trace. Never tried the trot lines, but I bet they would be fun. Also would like to try a jug line. My best success comes from a certain type of baitfish I catch with a cast net (PM me if you want to know, I don't want to share it here). Sometimes I puncture the tail by the spine to make them bleed and hook them live, sometimes I cut them in half, but they have caught almost all my biggest fish on the harpeth. I fish it simple with my spinning rod and a sinker and hook.

 

[moondawg]

I caught a catfish on a 1/4 oz blue and white bass grub. My brother caught one on a pink firetiger roostertail...after catching bass, bream and crappie with it all day.

 

[catman529]

Seems like once in a blue moon, a channel cat will hit the lure you have been catching bass, crappie and other fish with.

 

[RUGER]

catman,
I ain't real bright but I am going to let you in on a secret.
You mentioned cut bait.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Cut it into about an inch square, maybe a tad bigger and use that.

Don't tell anyone, it's a secret I learned from a fishing guide in East TN.


Just try it.

 

[catman529]

Sounds like it would work, you better take it off here so others don't get the hint..

Caught a nice catfish on a pigeon liver last year. Got the liver from a squab taken from a nest under a bridge. What is it about bird parts and catfish?

 

[RUGER]

Catfish like dead meat, period.
Stretch likes the chicken breast too.

 

[catman529]

Dang thats a monster. I heard from one of the guys who caught a biggun in the Harpeth that there are blue cats in the Harpeth. But I won't believe him for sure till I catch one myself, never seen one in my 7 years fishing there. I'm guessing they were just real big channel cats. If there are blue cats after all, they most likely came from some pond or lake in the flood.

 

[spitndrum]

Get some shrimp and lay it out on the porch for a couple of days lol that will get the big boys!

 

[Bigmonts]

I caught a 13 lb cat on a crankbait.

 

[Biggun4214]

With this being locust year you should be able to catch em on a flyrod and a popping bug. If you can keep it away from the carp.........LOL.

 

[Bone Collector]

I have caught a 10 lb blue cat on a rooster tail and and a 9 lb blue on a plastic lizard

 

[catman529]

With this being locust year you should be able to catch em on a flyrod and a popping bug. If you can keep it away from the carp.........LOL.

Oh yeah, haven't seen the periodical cicadas in a very long time, hopefully the fishing is going to be awesome. I wouldn't mind catching a carp either... they are very spooky in the Harpeth and can get pretty big too.