Catfishing at Irvine 6/1/2013

[Fishingdachronarch201E7]

Hello All,

Sorry to bother everyone, i was wondering if someone could help out with some tips on catfishing, Ive never fished for catfish, i really started fishing like a year ago and i have gear for trout and bass but not catfish this weekend will be my first time, ill be getting a boat but now i need help with, what size hook? bait? test line?

I have poles with 4 10 12 15 20 lbs test, which one do you guys recommend

anyone recommend a spot.

Thanks in advance & hope this makes sense tight lines! :Big Grin:

Tony G
Fishingdachronarch201e7

[Leejahd]

Stick with the heavier line, pick up some bite on shrimp and Mac bites. I've been using 2/0 3/0 up to 6/0 hooks. Just fly line your bait and you should be okay. Some good spots are the flats maybe mid lake. Good luck out there!

[Fishingdachronarch201E7]

Stick with the heavier line, pick up some bite on shrimp and Mac bites. I've been using 2/0 3/0 up to 6/0 hooks. Just fly line your bait and you should be okay. Some good spots are the flats maybe mid lake. Good luck out there!

Good looking out Leejahd!!! im gonna hit up Dicks Sproting goods tonite, need to get a net and ill get those hooks, what kind of hooks would those b, just circle hooks, brand? sorry.....

[Mr T-rex]

leejahd said it all stick to heavier line because there are some monsters at irvine. And on the hooks it can be any brand but the 2/0 3/0 up to 6/0 is just the size of the hook. and you can pick up the bait at the irvine tackle shop the fresher the better.
Good luck and hope to see a report from you soon

[Fishingdachronarch201E7]

leejahd said it all stick to heavier line because there are some monsters at irvine. And on the hooks it can be any brand but the 2/0 3/0 up to 6/0 is just the size of the hook. and you can pick up the bait at the irvine tackle shop the fresher the better.
Good luck and hope to see a report from you soon

Hey Mr T-rex

good looking out, thanks for the response, i appreciate it, one more question and ill be done, what kind of rig do i need to use, c-rig, drop shot etc....

And for sure if lucks on my side on Saturday i for sure will post up by monday.

Again thanks Leejhad & Mr T-rex

Tony G
fishingdachronarch201e7

[Mr T-rex]

No problem the more information the better It doesnt hurt to ask
I say you go with a c-rig but not to heavy, if you are using mac bites just fly line it and by fly line leejahd meant no weight just the hook so when the cats bite they wont drop it right away
Remember the cats are stacked up on each other so you have to find them dont stay in one stop..

[5150fishn]

Looks like you already have been given some great advice. Fly-line your bait (no weight). Also don't sit in one spot to long if your not getting bit. Sometimes you gotta get out and find em. Ask the helpful staff at the tackle shop, they will give you what info. they can to get you on the fish.

[Fishingdachronarch201E7]

Thank you very much Leejhad Mr T-rex 5150Fishn, awesome advice.....

If luck is on my side ill be posting up some pics come monday

Thanks

Tony G
fishingdachronarch201e7

[hookerz]

Fish about 10 to 15 ft. deep in the flats around grassy areas.

[Fishingdachronarch201E7]

Hello All,

Report from 6-1-2013

Woke up nice and early all pumped up :Big Grin: and was at the lake at 525, about 7th in line.....

Walked to the proshop and asked what was working, they also said Mackarel and Shrmp was working well, picked up a frozen mackarel and bite-on shrimp along with bite-on cajun flavor, got a boat and off i was to the lake and on the lake about 620......

Started off at the flats, rigged up the 20lbs on macakrel and the 12lb test with the shrimp both with cajun flavored fly lined it for about an hour and came up empty, nothhing doing! it was cool my pump was still there and i was like all good ill just move and fish another area, went in between trout island and the flats with same set up and same outcome NADA lol, in my head i was like damn but all good lets keep truckin cant be phased so moved over to the west shore as the boat dock guy said it was hitting.....but man lol nothing was biting no nibbles no nothing...by this time its about 1130 and now im starting to think of the skunk haha no good, either way im like gotta stay positive and move it over to the DAM hoping for some action :) used the same set up but this time with a split shots to make the bait sink a bit more...fished there for about a good 45 min with again the same story, NOTHING by this time were talking 1230 so gave myself one more chance and moved over in between the dock and westshore and again NOTHING lol it was a :Skunk: :Sad:

Asked a couple other boats if they had caught anything and for the most part it was the same for everyone, fat 0's one guy did say he managed one bass

was anyone there that did catch something? id like to know where u fished and what u used.

All in all though it was great time....Ill get them next time maybe saturday!!!

Thanks to everyone for the advice, ill keep using the same methods

Tony G
Fishingdachronarch201e7

[Prowler_Tuber]

Hello All,

Report from 6-1-2013

Woke up nice and early all pumped up :Big Grin: and was at the lake at 525, about 7th in line.....

Walked to the proshop and asked what was working, they also said Mackarel and Shrmp was working well, picked up a frozen mackarel and bite-on shrimp along with bite-on cajun flavor, got a boat and off i was to the lake and on the lake about 620......

Started off at the flats, rigged up the 20lbs on macakrel and the 12lb test with the shrimp both with cajun flavored fly lined it for about an hour and came up empty, nothhing doing! it was cool my pump was still there and i was like all good ill just move and fish another area, went in between trout island and the flats with same set up and same outcome NADA lol, in my head i was like damn but all good lets keep truckin cant be phased so moved over to the west shore as the boat dock guy said it was hitting.....but man lol nothing was biting no nibbles no nothing...by this time its about 1130 and now im starting to think of the skunk haha no good, either way im like gotta stay positive and move it over to the DAM hoping for some action :) used the same set up but this time with a split shots to make the bait sink a bit more...fished there for about a good 45 min with again the same story, NOTHING by this time were talking 1230 so gave myself one more chance and moved over in between the dock and westshore and again NOTHING lol it was a :Skunk: :Sad:

Asked a couple other boats if they had caught anything and for the most part it was the same for everyone, fat 0's one guy did say he managed one bass

was anyone there that did catch something? id like to know where u fished and what u used.

All in all though it was great time....Ill get them next time maybe saturday!!!

Thanks to everyone for the advice, ill keep using the same methods

Tony G
Fishingdachronarch201e7

I was there on Jun 1 And well the problem was the bait you were using, you needed to go and get fresh Mackerel, shrimp has sucked this year. Don't believe the hype with the frozen crap, get your self some fresh pacific mackerel cause the stuff that's frozen and chopped up for $8 you can get 4 pounds of fresh mackerel that is not all white but red and bloody for $1.99 a pound if not get some fresh Bonita from your local fish market for around $2.25 a pound like Seafood City or Ranch 99. Trust me if anyone would know what works better it would be me, plus think of all the $$$ you'll save in the process. Do the math 8 pieces of chopped up bait or four pounds of great bait. I've been out the past few weeks and killed it on the fresh bait. You can also add Berkley Gulp to it or Pro Cure Shrimp flavor or any other scent. I've been using 12 pound test and 3/0 circle hooks. If you have any questions PM me. 5150 is right you gotta go find the cats, boat dock cove is where everyone will be on stocking day but the big boys are out there. Look for cover and structure around the lake and you should have some success. Good luck out there.

[FKNChristopH]

Diego, I do appreciate your input the bait wasn't the problem. Ive used fresh mackerel and I've also used mac-bites. They both yielded the same results. You're not only paying a certain price for cut bait but you're also getting bait that's already cured in a whole bottle of scent (6 dollar value). Anyways, I'm not going to go to war on the interwebz over a grudge you have with one of your former sponsors.

Now Tony G, here's some helpful information..

Main issue why you couldn't get bit because you couldn't find the fish. Having a fish finder helps in this case. Catfish are predatory fish just like a bass or a trout. They aren't the scavengers they are told to be. Yea, they'll eat some food found on the floor but only because they're also opportunistic fish. A bass wouldn't pass up an easy shad swimming by its face would it? Anyways.. Having a fish finder helps find the fish. They are usually help up on some kind of structure, ie: grass, submerged trees, rock piles, reeds ect.

Adding scent to your bait does help since the catfish have poor vision compared to a bass. They rely primarily on their barbels (whiskers) to locate their next food source. So adding scent will definitely increase your chances to help a catfish locate your offering. I too use a circle hook, anywhere from 2/0-5/0 depending on my bait size and no weight. That way when the fish takes my offering, all I have to do is reel all my slack line until there is tight, tight tension to ultimately secure a good hook set. I use Bite-On Cajun for my scents. You can also save whats left of the Mac-bites container for next time.. You can cure you're own bait for the next adventure!

You can watch my last catfish video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBFSfA-KW5o

You did good moving around when you didn't get bit but remember the 2 golden rules to fishing:
1) Its called fishing, not catching.. otherwise it'd be called catching.
2) Fish have tails.

So aside from trying to obtain a fish finder (a fishing buddy would be choice for boat rentals), ask the tackle shop and other people on the water whats going on. All of my experiences with fellow fishermen at the Vine' have been awesome and they never seem to shut you out of a hot bite. I try my best to help when I can. Good luck and if you have any questions, dont hesitate to PM me with questions.

*shakka*

[Fishingdachronarch201E7]

I was there on Jun 1 And well the problem was the bait you were using, you needed to go and get fresh Mackerel, shrimp has sucked this year. Don't believe the hype with the frozen crap, get your self some fresh pacific mackerel cause the stuff that's frozen and chopped up for $8 you can get 4 pounds of fresh mackerel that is not all white but red and bloody for $1.99 a pound if not get some fresh Bonita from your local fish market for around $2.25 a pound like Seafood City or Ranch 99. Trust me if anyone would know what works better it would be me, plus think of all the $$$ you'll save in the process. Do the math 8 pieces of chopped up bait or four pounds of great bait. I've been out the past few weeks and killed it on the fresh bait. You can also add Berkley Gulp to it or Pro Cure Shrimp flavor or any other scent. I've been using 12 pound test and 3/0 circle hooks. If you have any questions PM me. 5150 is right you gotta go find the cats, boat dock cove is where everyone will be on stocking day but the big boys are out there. Look for cover and structure around the lake and you should have some success. Good luck out there.


Hey Prowler Tuber,

Thanks for the info!

yeah it had to be the bait, for future ill for sure go get some mackarel or bonita! You had mentioned it to me but i ran out of tiime on friday night and so i had to settle for the bait at the tackle shop.

Will you be there on Saturday for the Tourney

How many did you catch on saturday....and where....

Thanks again,

Tony G

Fishingdachronarch201e7

[Prowler_Tuber]

Diego, I do appreciate your input the bait wasn't the problem. Ive used fresh mackerel and I've also used mac-bites. They both yielded the same results. You're not only paying a certain price for cut bait but you're also getting bait that's already cured in a whole bottle of scent (6 dollar value). Anyways, I'm not going to go to war on the interwebz over a grudge you have with one of your former sponsors.

Now Tony G, here's some helpful information..

Main issue why you couldn't get bit because you couldn't find the fish. Having a fish finder helps in this case. Catfish are predatory fish just like a bass or a trout. They aren't the scavengers they are told to be. Yea, they'll eat some food found on the floor but only because they're also opportunistic fish. A bass wouldn't pass up an easy shad swimming by its face would it? Anyways.. Having a fish finder helps find the fish. They are usually help up on some kind of structure, ie: grass, submerged trees, rock piles, reeds ect.

Adding scent to your bait does help since the catfish have poor vision compared to a bass. They rely primarily on their barbels (whiskers) to locate their next food source. So adding scent will definitely increase your chances to help a catfish locate your offering. I too use a circle hook, anywhere from 2/0-5/0 depending on my bait size and no weight. That way when the fish takes my offering, all I have to do is reel all my slack line until there is tight, tight tension to ultimately secure a good hook set. I use Bite-On Cajun for my scents. You can also save whats left of the Mac-bites container for next time.. You can cure you're own bait for the next adventure!

You can watch my last catfish video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBFSfA-KW5o

You did good moving around when you didn't get bit but remember the 2 golden rules to fishing:
1) Its called fishing, not catching.. otherwise it'd be called catching.
2) Fish have tails.

So aside from trying to obtain a fish finder (a fishing buddy would be choice for boat rentals), ask the tackle shop and other people on the water whats going on. All of my experiences with fellow fishermen at the Vine' have been awesome and they never seem to shut you out of a hot bite. I try my best to help when I can. Good luck and if you have any questions, dont hesitate to PM me with questions.

*shakka*

No grudge with your sponsors at all but the cats have wanted the fresh it's just fact I'm sure when they stock they will be all over it but the quality ones we have found all 300 pounds worth have taken the fresh bait all the boats around us had the Bites and well lets just say it was the bait. The ones who were catching had fresh Pike Mackerel, Chicken Livers and bonita. I'm just trying to save this guy some $$$$ you get the bait for free so it don't cost you $8 a shot as for everyone else just letting them know the options they all have. Point is you gotta move around fish the points around the rocky cliffs and you'll come across them.

[Prowler_Tuber]

Hey Prowler Tuber,

Thanks for the info!

yeah it had to be the bait, for future ill for sure go get some mackarel or bonita! You had mentioned it to me but i ran out of tiime on friday night and so i had to settle for the bait at the tackle shop.

Will you be there on Saturday for the Tourney

How many did you catch on saturday....and where....

Thanks again,

Tony G

Fishingdachronarch201e7

Yeah it sucks to settle, most people do it but if you got the time might as well make some before you roll out. I'll tell you that bait is all I fished last year it works for some and you will catch fish but if your gonna fish from 6am to after midnight, having a lot of bait in your boat will help and save you some $$$$ in the process just bring a small cooler to keep it on ice. Look on YouTube and find Catfish bait from people who know what they are doing, there are thousands of different baits you can use. The stinkier the better, the bloodier the better. Good luck out there hope you find some monsters. Try other scents Berkley, smelly jelly and Pro Cure works very well also. Try and get out there again before the stock and find some holes cause that's where the fat ones are.

[Fishingdachronarch201E7]

Hey Prowler_Tuber,

For sure, ill have to give the fresh mac and bonita a try...if i can get another wife pass then im there on saturday!

Thanks again!

Tony G

[Prowler_Tuber]

Hey Prowler_Tuber,

For sure, ill have to give the fresh mac and bonita a try...if i can get another wife pass then im there on saturday!

Thanks again!

Tony G

Awesome, Sat is the first tourney so get there early if you want to rent a boat the tourney starts at 6am and ends around 1 am tons of time to find some cats. Good luck out there look fwd to seeing your report.

[the killa fish taco]

Tony G

Just sometimes make sure that the bait from the Asian Markets are "FRESH".

Meaning: Not Pre Frozen or Dried up with NO Natural juices or Blood.

[FKNChristopH]

No grudge with your sponsors at all but the cats have wanted the fresh it's just fact I'm sure when they stock they will be all over it but the quality ones we have found all 300 pounds worth have taken the fresh bait all the boats around us had the Bites and well lets just say it was the bait. The ones who were catching had fresh Pike Mackerel, Chicken Livers and bonita. I'm just trying to save this guy some $$$$ you get the bait for free so it don't cost you $8 a shot as for everyone else just letting them know the options they all have. Point is you gotta move around fish the points around the rocky cliffs and you'll come across them.

Well I wasn't there, so I couldn't tell you but based off experience.. both work. Not trying to sell him on anything. Each person makes their decisions for themselves. I can only help a fellow angler when I can. But when you're actively speaking out negatively on one of my sponsors in order for people to buy something else.. that's not really helping him.. Sure you can save money buy buying mackerel at the store but its not as fresh. Again I'm not trying to start a war or anything.

And I'm not going to lie, sometimes I get my macbites for free but sometimes I also pay. Its america, trying to get the economy back up again.

Regardless, find the fish to get bit. Fish structure. Fish hard and have fun.


Tony G

Just sometimes make sure that the bait from the Asian Markets are "FRESH".

Meaning: Not Pre Frozen or Dried up with NO Natural juices or Blood.

He has a point. If you buy from the market, make sure its caught day of or day before.. Poke it to see how firm the meat is and see if its already dried up.

GL
*shakka*

[Prowler_Tuber]

Look for the clear eyes not milky and Norwegian Mackerel is different also thats the White one you were using, try Pike Mackerel too thats been really popular lately and Ive seen some good fish caught on it.

[Prowler_Tuber]

Well I wasn't there, so I couldn't tell you but based off experience.. both work. Not trying to sell him on anything. Each person makes their decisions for themselves. I can only help a fellow angler when I can. But when you're actively speaking out negatively on one of my sponsors in order for people to buy something else.. that's not really helping him.. Sure you can save money buy buying mackerel at the store but its not as fresh. Again I'm not trying to start a war or anything.

And I'm not going to lie, sometimes I get my macbites for free but sometimes I also pay. Its america, trying to get the economy back up again.

Regardless, find the fish to get bit. Fish structure. Fish hard and have fun.



He has a point. If you buy from the market, make sure its caught day of or day before.. Poke it to see how firm the meat is and see if its already dried up.

GL
*shakka*

Yeah no wars, will save that for trout season lol But the Bites do work but lately is been other stuff, just like Trout Season some days it works and somedays it doesn't just got to keep an open mind, there are tons of stuff out there and a majority of it works just like Bar S Hotdogs, ooops secret leak.

[Fishingdachronarch201E7]

For sure thanks to everyone that replied, Prowler tuber, FKNchristoph, 5150Fishn, The Killa Fish Taco!!!!

Ill use these recommendations & techniques and come back with a report.


Tony G
fishingdachronarch201e7

[Rooster]

CATWARS :Fishing Hole: Just when I thought I have heard and seen it all :LOL:

[Prowler_Tuber]

I know right, meow lol

[the killa fish taco]

:Popcorn: :No Pity:

[dixoncider]

Macs that are fresh are hard to come by right now.. Just saying...

[etucker1959]

Look for the clear eyes not milky and Norwegian Mackerel is different also thats the White one you were using, try Pike Mackerel too thats been really popular lately and Ive seen some good fish caught on it.

I'm not a Mackerel kind of guy, but when in Rome do as the Romans do. We are planning a trip this Friday night, so here is the $64,000 dollar question. Does the Norwegian Mackerel work? Why do I ask, because that's what the Asian market closest to my house sells. Also what about the Shrimp? Is it working at all on this group of Cats? Thanks for anyone who can answer these questions. I know people have already hinted around to the answer to these questions. I just want to hear as many opinions as possible.