Catfishing With Mellows N Meal Worms

[hugo c]

Really getting into cat fishing.

Need some skinny on fishing the meal worms/marsh mellows combo. A lot of cat hunters seem to have great success using this combo. But, when I've tried it, the mellow keeps falling off or deteriorating fast in the warmer water.

I've tried it by threading the mellow on smaller bait holder hooks, then hooking two meal worms. But, I've also tried it on small trebles. The mellow is always MIA after soaking a few minutes.

Is there a special brand to buy? Special treatment to harden the mellow?

Come on, Irvine cathunters, some feedback so I can improve my mojo.

As an aside, I do catch a few (shore bound), but always on fresh cold mackerel. Shrimp works but has been more hit n miss for me. That leads to another Q: Do you take the head off your shrimp? It seems that a lot of the scent to shrimp is between the head and the main body. Most seem to peel the shrimp, then discard the head. But, with no bite on a fresh shrimp after soaking 15 min., the shrimp has little scent. Any advice on this one?

I may spring for this Bite On Cajun to see if it makes any difference.

[Marley]

Marshmallows are fun to fish with and should be quite durable. My guess at to why yours fall off is either not threading them (hooking them only on a single tine or a treble) or using a lot of weight, which would knock off the marshmallow when it hit the water. Also, if your retrieve is vigorous, you can wash it off the hook just by reeling it in.
When I fish the M&M, I use Kraft Mini Marshmallows. I can taste a difference between those and other brands so the fish can, too. I use fresh ones to get them onto the hook without destroying them. If it's dry, it's trash (or toss them onto the water to see what happens ;) ) I usually use one marshmallow, threaded onto the hook, and then thread a mealworm on after that. BIG mealworms, but not those viscious bassturds that eat trees and bite back. Or I double that and thread a marshmallow onto the shank or a #2 hook, thread two mealies on sideways and then a second marshmallow to make a sandwich.
Hope that helps,

[Frequent Flyer]

just let them sit out in the open air in the garage for a couple days. theyll b hard enough to stay on with ease. i use shrimp or sardines wen using a marshmallow and i cut the marshmallow in 1/4's

[Hitts0n]

Just use fresh mack n Bite on cajun = killer combo !! = OWNAGE!!

[TheAsianGuy]

Need some skinny on fishing the meal worms/marsh mellows combo. A lot of cat hunters seem to have great success using this combo. But, when I've tried it, the mellow keeps falling off or deteriorating fast in the warmer water.

I've tried it by threading the mellow on smaller bait holder hooks, then hooking two meal worms. But, I've also tried it on small trebles. The mellow is always MIA after soaking a few minutes.

Is there a special brand to buy? Special treatment to harden the mellow?


No special brand. Just the trick of it all. Ever tried to freeze it the night before using it? Place the frozen mallow into a cooler with a bit of ice in it to keep the temp down, and the harden mallow body will last longer in the water due to its rigidity. Try that at home first with a few pieces of the mallow in the freezer comparing to the ones that are not.



As an aside, I do catch a few (shore bound), but always on fresh cold mackerel. Shrimp works but has been more hit n miss for me. That leads to another Q: Do you take the head off your shrimp? It seems that a lot of the scent to shrimp is between the head and the main body. Most seem to peel the shrimp, then discard the head. But, with no bite on a fresh shrimp after soaking 15 min., the shrimp has little scent. Any advice on this one?


The main body contain the saltiness that the fish honed in, while the head is the part containing the chemical scents that attract the cats, similar to the shrimps attract the other shrimps. My suggestion is to cut the head slightly opened, cut the shrimp's body along its back's ridge to increase the release of the scent, and placed the hook into the meatiest part of the body first, and the head of the hook towards the tail. Make sure the head of the hook sticks out visibly to ensure the liping. Once the shrimp is lost of its effective scent, dip it into the asian shrimp paste for a good 3 minutes, and it will be ready to go for another 20 minutes of stinky attraction.

[hugo c]

My questions really reached the right audience. I can tell that each of you really spends the time to perfect the "cat catching". The replies are appreciated.

I'm going to be a better cat hunter next time out. :Big Grin:

[vanillagurilla]

i use 1/0 gamagatsu splitshot/dropshot hooks on a carolina rig, i also use the fishing marshmellows that come in the clear mayonase looking jar lol. They gota be green with glitter and garlic sented for me, i thread 1 or 2 mallows onto the hook and up the line about 2", then i pin on 2-3 mealworms depending on the size and slide the mallows back down onto the hook. Ive tried regular marshmellows and orange garlic marshmellows but the green ones seem to work the best. they also work with a small peice of shrimp.

[TheAsianGuy]

My questions really reached the right audience. I can tell that each of you really spends the time to perfect the "cat catching". The replies are appreciated.

Us folks here are more than willing to help out an angler in need for info. Why be stingy and hide the knowledge of wisdom that everyone is searching for? Knowledge and wisdom are meant to be shared..not hoard. Good luck with your ventures!

[LGHT]

Lots of good info and i've tried some of the techniques, but have yet to get a single bite after 3 trips when everyone around me is getting fish. Do you guys normally throw the bait out as far as possible or try and keep it in fairly close or somewhere in between the 2?

I normally try and get the bait out as far and deep as possible during the day and bring it it a little closer around dusk.

[TheAsianGuy]

Lots of good info and i've tried some of the techniques, but have yet to get a single bite after 3 trips when everyone around me is getting fish. Do you guys normally throw the bait out as far as possible or try and keep it in fairly close or somewhere in between the 2?

I normally try and get the bait out as far and deep as possible during the day and bring it it a little closer around dusk.

All depending on the water that you're at. If the water body is shallow, then during the day, toss as far into the water as possible, or, if there are trees overcasting or growing in the water, that's where you want to toss your lines to. If the water body you're at has a sudden dip between the shoreline and the water bottom, aim for that spot. Thermacline is where the fishes tend to hang out. It takes a regular person that go there all the time to know where the spots are which have these dips, and thermacline. The highest oxygen and food sources exist within this level of water. Cats roam this area during the day. More towards the surface during the night when the water turns topsie turvie. So, good luck, and fish on!

[hugo c]

OMG now I have to go buy special Kraft mallows. Then hop to Ranch 99 for Asian Shrimp Paste for coating withered shrimp. Then it's green mallows with glitter. Next an assortment of hooks. Eeeeeek, dudes, slow down.

Kidding of course. But, guess what? I'll probably buy most of the above. :Big Grin: Anything to catch a few more of these suckers. Amazing -- the little gems of knowledge out there.

But, seriously, FNN Irvine Lake Cat Killers do share the knowledge. Says a lot about you....Kudos............