Catching Kitties With Artificial Baits?

[smokinflies]

Gonna try catfishing for the first time next week at a local fishing hole by my work.

Don't really feel like using any type of dead/live baits.

Anyone have any experience in using artificial baits for kitties?

Any tips shared will be a great help.

Thanks

FFF

[Fishbreath]

Catfish are opportunistic feeders, and like most who have logged lots of hours fishing, I have caught many of them on virtually everything in my tackle box. I have never actually targeted them with artificials, but I have caught them up into the teens incidental to bass fishing. They will hit hard baits, but you are more like to get them on scent-impregnated plastics. I caught a couple last week drop shotting SkippyFish, which have a strong anise-type scent. I have also caught a good number on Gulp! Alive products and Senkos. Crappie jigs tipped with a Berkley Nibble seem to attract them too. Having said all of that, I would still have to ask why you would want to handicap yourself that way. I suspect it is more for the novelty than actually taking home a stringer of catfish.

.............................
Old fishermen never die. They just smell that way.
The Best of Fishbreath (http://s202.photobucket.com/albums/aa24/Fishbreath92028/Slideshow/?albumview=slideshow)

[plumbertom]

Fishbreth hit the nail on the head.
If you're concerned about the trouble involved with cut bait or nightcrawlers, I suggest using prepared baits.
Easy to store and use. all you really need is to take along some latex gloves to keep it off your hands.
This is the one I carry when I don't want mess with cut bait, http://www.teamcatfish.com/store/index.php?cPath=35_50
You can get everything you need from them as far as bait and bait holder tubes.
But almost any prepared bait (check at Walmart) will do better than artificials.

[Fishbreath]

If you want to see one of the ones I caught on a SkippyFish, you can look at my report from last Thursday. If you do decide to look you will be one of the few. It seems no one on FNN is interested in a crappie report even if the crappie are over two pounds.

[plumbertom]

If you want to see one of the ones I caught on a SkippyFish, you can look at my report from last Thursday. If you do decide to look you will be one of the few. It seems no one on FNN is interested in a crappie report even if the crappie are over two pounds.
It may have something to do with Vail being a private fishery.
What's to gain by reading about fishing waters that you can't access.
Basically it's just feeding your ego to comment on it.

[Fishbreath]

Basically it's just feeding your ego to comment on it.

You are probably right. Sorry to have offended you. I will never go to most of the lakes we see reports from, but that doesn't keep me from enjoying the reports. I thought that since we don't get a lot of panfish reports, people might find it interesting to see some 2.5 lb crappie. I was wrong and have deleted the report.

Sorry to have jacked your thread, smokinflies. Good luck with your catfish.

[plumbertom]

Sorry to have offended you. I wasn't in any way offended but it seems like you may have been. You seemed puzzled as to why a Vail Lake got little response I was simply offering one possible explanation. I, myself, hold no interest in lakes I have no way of fishing. reading about them only pisses me off that I can't go there. Vail in particular because I used to fish it years ago before people with more money decided they wanted to keep the riffraff out.

[Fishbreath]

I realize that I am an easy target for you, and my better instincts are screaming at me to just leave it alone. Your comments imply an elitist attitude that I believe is unwarranted. I too was angry when Vail closed to the public. I fished it while I was stationed at Norton, AFB in San Bernardino. One of the factors when I chose to settle in Fallbrook when I retired from the Air Force was its proximity to Vail. It closed less than a year after I retired and moved here. The land and facilities around the lake were always privately owned, even when it was open to the public. When it reopened in 1995 as a members-only resort facility, I just couldn't bring myself to buy a membership. I'm glad I didn't, because that plan turned out to be no more financially viable for the lake owners than being open to the public was. The resort members found out their lifetime memberships were only good for the lifetime of the corporation that sold them. They were left high and dry. It is still privately owned but open to the public again on an annual fee basis.

It is not an option that would work for everyone. I don't think it would be right for you, because you seem to enjoy fishing a variety of places. It does work for me. I used to fish a lot at Hodges, Skinner, and Lake Wohlford. I could never fish at Diamond Valley, because my boat is too old. The same goes now for Skinner. Lake Wohlford is no longer open to private boats because of the quagga issue. That left Hodges and when I retired again I soon realized that the one week day it was open was not enough, and it is closed entirely three months of the year. My initial year at Vail was given to me as a retirement gift. Since then I have launched over a hundred times a year the last three years. Considering I take advantage of the early renewal rate, it works out to a per-trip cost less than most other lakes with no additional fees for permits, parking, guests, etc. Vail is closer for me, and open seven days a week. I fish alone most days, and it is an easy, uncrowded place for me launch. Granted the bass fishing is a far cry from its glory days right now, but it does seem to be coming back some. Come out on a week day and you will see that many of the boats belonging to the other retirees are even older than my old tub. It is just that for us fishing is a priority. I worked hard all my life so I could fish more when I retired and don't feel I owe anyone an apology for that. I do apologize for making a report, and I will not make that mistake again. I had no idea there was such resentment.

[smokehound]

Catfish will eagerly hit lures you just have to use the proper retrieve.

Don't jig the lure, slowly drag it on the bottom smoothly.

Flukes and brush hogs are good catfish lures.

Caught this fat holdover by dragging a brush hog by him:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c177/smokehound/IMG_20120331_173036.jpg

[smokinflies]

Thanks for sharing FNNers. I did a little research on the subject and found some interesting tactics for kitties. Just wanted to see if anyone had personal experience on the subject.

Using gloves is a great tip.


If you want to see one of the ones I caught on a SkippyFish, you can look at my report from last Thursday. If you do decide to look you will be one of the few. It seems no one on FNN is interested in a crappie report even if the crappie are over two pounds.

Thanks for the info. I was thinking of texas rigging plastic worms drowned in night crawler scent and dragg it along the bottom. Never thought of D/S'ing for kitties. I'm gonna give that a try along with the anise scent. I'll check out those skippyfish on your report. Thanks for sharing.

no worries about the thread jack.

BTW, Are kitties attracted to garlic scent?

[smokehound]

Thanks for sharing FNNers. I did a little research on the subject and found some interesting tactics for kitties. Just wanted to see if anyone had personal experience on the subject.

Using gloves is a great tip.



Thanks for the info. I was thinking of texas rigging plastic worms drowned in night crawler scent and dragg it along the bottom. Never thought of D/S'ing for kitties. I'm gonna give that a try along with the anise scent. I'll check out those skippyfish on your report. Thanks for sharing.

no worries about the thread jack.

BTW, Are kitties attracted to garlic scent?Garlic and Anise aren't "attractants". They are used to mask human odors, like cig smoke. (However I personally dont believe in that since i have a habit of chain-smoking.)

[fishinarteest]

Garlic and Anise aren't "attractants". They are used to mask human odors, like cig smoke. (However I personally dont believe in that since i have a habit of chain-smoking.)

Wait i thought garlic was used for attractant and anise was just used to mask human smell. Cause i notice anise is used alot for salmon fishing, because they can be an easily spooked fish.

[ben0606]

Fish breath don't stop posting reports cause of one guys comment. I don't have a pass at vail but I do look at the reports as I like exploring new lakes. Of course where I'm from these are more ponds but hey it's California. Sharing info is what this is supposed to be about. Like you said don't apologize especially for sharing info.

Smokingflies,

I've had quite a few intentional cats on Carolina rig, slow retrieve. Heck last summer at corona when all the clams died out and floated up around the whole lake, I got em on a jerk bait. Imagine a striper boil all night long except it's cats. Remember cats come off the bottom too so a drop shot might give ya some nice presentation as well. Good luck

Ben

[smokehound]

People catch kitties on flies, too!

They are used to eating floating pellets, so it's no surprise why! =]

[cutbait]

For the life of me I can't understand the desire to fish for kitties with artificials?

Why handicap yourself? Artificials are probably the least effective method for kitties and a colossal waist of time..

Can't wait for the skunk report

To the equivalent of purposely fishing with dull hooks.

Lake Isabella is notorious for kitties on a shad crankbait when the shad are running hard. Heck you'll catch more kitties than LMB.


Oh and BTW,, Y'all got carried away responding to Plumbertom... Dude gave his opinion and said it matter of factly...Was an opinion based on logic and one I happen to agree with. I saw your post and chose not to read it because I have zero chance fishing or have any interest in that lake and We've all seen big crappie before

[smokinflies]

Great info guys. I'm thinking of hitting up Anaheim Lake for kitties instead of the local city lakes.



Garlic and Anise aren't "attractants". They are used to mask human odors, like cig smoke. (However I personally dont believe in that since i have a habit of chain-smoking.)

You're 50% correct about attractants.


People catch kitties on flies, too!

They are used to eating floating pellets, so it's no surprise why! =]

My primo has caught a few kitties on the fly. That's gotta be fun. Maybe tie a pellet pattern fly?


For the life of me I can't understand the desire to fish for kitties with artificials?

Why handicap yourself? Artificials are probably the least effective method for kitties and a colossal waist of time..

Can't wait for the skunk report

To the equivalent of purposely fishing with dull hooks.

Lake Isabella is notorious for kitties on a shad crankbait when the shad are running hard. Heck you'll catch more kitties than LMB.


Oh and BTW,, Y'all got carried away responding to Plumbertom... Dude gave his opinion and said it matter of factly...Was an opinion based on logic and one I happen to agree with. I saw your post and chose not to read it because I have zero chance fishing or have any interest in that lake and We've all seen big crappie before

I don't expect an angler that goes by 'cutbait' to understand.

[ben0606]

I don't expect an angler that goes by 'cutbait' to understand.


:) lol

[fishinarteest]

I kinda see where cutbait is coming from considering most of my time spent fishing is for catfish. Fishing for cats with lures isn't a very effective way to fish them. Yes they can be caught that way no doubt about it, but dont expect to limit out or to even catch one quickly this way. Cats are oppertunists but most who catch cats on lures generally aren't fishing for cats this way, and just tend to stumble upon a catfish instead of intentionally catching it. And the species your going to catch the most using lures is flatheads more than anything, but i dont know of a lot of lakes down here with flatheads. At least not an abundance of em anyway.