06-02-2006, 08:37 PM
When I say that channel catfish are not predators, I mean primarily. All species of fish in the Ictalurus family are all highly equiped with the keen senses needed to be effective predators; to include sharp bursts of speed and an uncanny situational awareness.
" Sporting Qualities - Most channels are caught by bottom fishing with baits such as dried chicken blood, chicken livers or gizzards, and nightcrawlers. They prefer dead or prepared stinkbaits to live bait, but at times will take live minnows and lures such as spinners and jigs. Strong fighters with good endurance, they are frequently caught on trotlines. Since channel catfish can also be taken by commercial fishermen, except where stocked by the Commission, they are not legally classified as sportfish. ([url "http://myfwc.com/fishing/Fishes/catfish.html"]http://myfwc.com/fishing/Fishes/catfish.html[/url])"
I copied this quote from a wildlife website listed in parenthases. Channel cats rarely favor live baits, however, i've heard of them being caught on lures like you had mentioned. What's that mean? Obviously that what's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander.
Fish species can vary considerably from one location to another. You've seen cats caught on lures, in all the years i've been fishing, i've never seen nor heard of a cat being caught on a lure; atleast not in our local waters.
I know a hole under a bridge on the little pee dee river that you can catch atleast a dozen channels in less than 2 hours, faithfully. If you were to take a live bream, chicken livers, fresh cut bait of any kind, and stink bait to that bridge and use them, the chicken liver is the only thing you'd catch them on. How do I know this? When I cat fish, I target multiple species at once, so I use all those baits on different rods, every time I go; minus the stink bait. You and I agree that the stink bait is a no go. [cool]
I target large flathead cats with live bait, preferably a crappie if I can get one, but usually life bream or shell crackers.
I target long nosed gar with fresh cut bait. Sometimes on a ballon, but most of the time on the bottom.
And I target channels with chicken livers, and a close second place winner are night crawlers.
I've ALWAYS got atleast 2 of those three baits in the water, and frequently have all three including tossing a lure to pass time. Never have I caught a channel on stink bait, lures, and rarely on cut bait.
In the clear water conditions you have in your home waters, it is more likely that channels would strike at a lure, or suck down an injured live bait. Thus, the channel catfish in your location may have developed a different "taste" based on the availibility of local forage and water conditions.
Needless to say, if you're going fishing for channel cats, what would you bring for bait? Would it be a spinning lure? would it be a live shad or bream? I think not. Why? Because that wouldn't be affective. [
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" Sporting Qualities - Most channels are caught by bottom fishing with baits such as dried chicken blood, chicken livers or gizzards, and nightcrawlers. They prefer dead or prepared stinkbaits to live bait, but at times will take live minnows and lures such as spinners and jigs. Strong fighters with good endurance, they are frequently caught on trotlines. Since channel catfish can also be taken by commercial fishermen, except where stocked by the Commission, they are not legally classified as sportfish. ([url "http://myfwc.com/fishing/Fishes/catfish.html"]http://myfwc.com/fishing/Fishes/catfish.html[/url])"
I copied this quote from a wildlife website listed in parenthases. Channel cats rarely favor live baits, however, i've heard of them being caught on lures like you had mentioned. What's that mean? Obviously that what's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander.
Fish species can vary considerably from one location to another. You've seen cats caught on lures, in all the years i've been fishing, i've never seen nor heard of a cat being caught on a lure; atleast not in our local waters.
I know a hole under a bridge on the little pee dee river that you can catch atleast a dozen channels in less than 2 hours, faithfully. If you were to take a live bream, chicken livers, fresh cut bait of any kind, and stink bait to that bridge and use them, the chicken liver is the only thing you'd catch them on. How do I know this? When I cat fish, I target multiple species at once, so I use all those baits on different rods, every time I go; minus the stink bait. You and I agree that the stink bait is a no go. [cool]
I target large flathead cats with live bait, preferably a crappie if I can get one, but usually life bream or shell crackers.
I target long nosed gar with fresh cut bait. Sometimes on a ballon, but most of the time on the bottom.
And I target channels with chicken livers, and a close second place winner are night crawlers.
I've ALWAYS got atleast 2 of those three baits in the water, and frequently have all three including tossing a lure to pass time. Never have I caught a channel on stink bait, lures, and rarely on cut bait.
In the clear water conditions you have in your home waters, it is more likely that channels would strike at a lure, or suck down an injured live bait. Thus, the channel catfish in your location may have developed a different "taste" based on the availibility of local forage and water conditions.
Needless to say, if you're going fishing for channel cats, what would you bring for bait? Would it be a spinning lure? would it be a live shad or bream? I think not. Why? Because that wouldn't be affective. [
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