trolling for cats

[bchaffin125]

I am looking for information on trolling for catfish? Can anyone help?

 

[ebry710]

Re: trolling for cats

I am looking for information on trolling for catfish? Can anyone help?

I've never trolled for catfish. I have always treated them as bottom feeders and used scented bait. I am looking forward to this trolling concept.

I love to eat catfish.

 

[bchaffin125]

Re: trolling for cats

I saw a fishing show about a year ago. I didn't catch the whole show just saw a few minutes. I am looking foe a website or book or just someone with some knowledge. I know how to troll for crappie and stipe but am not sure about the cats. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: trolling for cats

I am looking for information on trolling for catfish? Can anyone help?

I saw something on YouTube with guys anchoring in rivers and letting back lures like steelhead fisherman. However, I don't really know much more than that.

I do know that we caught several Hornpout (bullhead catfish) by accident while trolling for Walleyes last summer. One on a crankbait, another on a worm harness, a couple of others I can't remember. All were well over a foot long.

The largest was the strangest: a 22"+ hornpout on a 3" silver/pink-dot flatfish! I was just dragging the lure around while fast-trolling an area I had not fished before while on my favorite walleye lake, just looking at the sonar image of the bottom. Weirdest thing that ever happened to me fishing. I only was using the flatfish because it doesn't pop out of the water when trolling at a fairly high speed.

 

[mars bar]

Re: trolling for cats

Done alot of cat fishing myself and never heard of it, I heard of guys sitting in a river current using downriggers. Catfish feed by use of scent to track down their meal. I don't think they're that aggressive, (until you hook a whopper). Maybe you should be the pioneer of trolling for cats. A new method? Take notes, vidoes. Anything on youtube?

 

[ebry710]

Re: trolling for cats

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/v...laner-bobbers-for-fishing-for-catfish-214434/

It is strange, but they troll for catfish. Interesting, they use a scented planer.

 

[Woodstock60]

Re: trolling for cats

Hello, Im new to this forum, but I've been reading along and have an interesting story about trolling for cats. On a september trip to lake Onterio friends and I were out offshore trolling for walleye and smallmouth, one of the guys (with little experience) tosses out a huge red spinner bait, keep in mind we were on my 24 ft boat trolling at 2.8 to 3.5 in 40-80 ft of water. Well we all laughed at and made fun of Dino--- until his rod went off and doubled over, he fought the fish for about ten minuets and of coarse in the great lakes you never know what you have. Dino caught a 12 pound cat and told us all to suck it. Im no expert on cats but if I was to target them whilst trolling I would probably send out at least one red spinner bait. Ronnie

 

[CATransplant]

Re: trolling for cats

I've hooked up with a few flatheads while slow-trolling with a bottom bouncer for walleye in Pool 2 of the Mississippi here in Saint Paul. Even caught a channel cat that way.

You never know what you'll catch in the river, no matter what technique you're using. One day, while vertical jigging with minnows, I caught eight different species. Super fun!

 

[NO WHINERS]

Re: trolling for cats

I caught one trolling a rapala at Lake Mojave and caught one trolling a deep diving shad patterned plug at Lake Mead.....

 

[idrownworms]

Re: trolling for cats

I've used the drifting method with the rod rigged like i was bottom fishing with some success. On you favorite river find some nice hole and go upstream and let the current drift you back over it.
But I've found they don't really like to be in the boat

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: trolling for cats

they are scent seekers and bottom feeders usually. the biggest one i ever caught was on a rapala. i have been casting toward the bank, line kinda fowled. so i cast in the the center of the creek. as soon as the lure hit the water this catfish jumped all over it. thought i had a big bass.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: trolling for cats

....the biggest one i ever caught was on a rapala.....

rapala original floating was all I used at one point, then discovered rooster tails. Now, 15 years later (and smarter I hope), I still turn to the original rapala if all else fails. Caught almost everything on them, as well as shad raps. Weird but true.

 

[rustyh]

Re: trolling for cats

ive caught lots of cats by trolling using bottom bouncers with a crawler harness behing the bouncer found out how by wallye fishing just make sure the bottom structure will allow for this method or you will lose a lot of tackle in breakoffs

 

[ebry710]

Re: trolling for cats

What are you using for a bottom bouncer?

 

[muletown]

Re: trolling for cats

trolling 4 smallmouth below Wheeler Dam,caught alot of nice flatheads.Several were 10 -25 pounds,smallest was 5lbs.I was using a silver and black Bandit lure, that runs 6-8 feet deep.Seemed as soon as i would stop to reel in a fish is when we would catch the flatheads,as the lure would start floating up.They would suck the lure deep inside,so take plenty of the lures .We tried several different colors,but only the silver and black seemed to work. Most were caught around the towers.I think the slower you can go and keep the lure as close to the bottom works best.This all happened in Oct.,08.WE were not targeting cats,we just starting catching em.We caught only flatheads??

 

[jimmys72]

Re: trolling for cats

I attended a cat fishing seminar held by the az game and fish and here is what they told us on the subject.Spinners and anything resembling either a small minnow or bluegill works for flat heads and bull head since of the cats these two species prefer live bait and actually we were told flatheads rarely bite dead baits.I have even used crappie grubs and caught them at a slow troll.Also we were instructed to fish in calm water with a lot of overhang and some bottom brush.it works! i still prefer to put a chunk of good ol' hotdog on a hook and fish that way.

 

[bchaffin125]

Re: trolling for cats

ive caught lots of cats by trolling using bottom bouncers with a crawler harness behing the bouncer found out how by wallye fishing just make sure the bottom structure will allow for this method or you will lose a lot of tackle in breakoffs.

What is a CRAWLER HARNESS?

 

[Bradley_G]

Re: trolling for cats

often times people will drift for them, find a good spot and let the wind push you over it. Take a bucket and drill holes in the bottom, tie it off to the back of your boat and it will help keep you striaght. Otherwise spend money on a drift sock. you can use the bottom bouncer rig or a standard drift rig (cheaper) and you should be able to float around the lake. Scent trails go far so when you cover more ground you do stand a good chance of the fish finding you.