I have been to that lake too. lol
Nice catch! What lake was that? At Thunderbird, the saugeye have to be 18”.
I have a catfish question for the board. I spent 7 hours today using cut shad on a three way rig, and I didn’t get so much as a bite. I can’t figure out what I am doing wrong. Ironically, I lost a channel cat at the last second that went after my crappie jig. I did bring home three crappie, so it wasn’t a complete bust. Caught a lot of dinks and a 14” saugeye that went back in.
Don't know what lake your fishing and a lot of lakes are different on what catches fish for whatever reason.
Right now as the weather warms, the catfish will be moving into the shallows to spawn. Blues will be moving into current to spawn,like the rivers feeding a lake, while channel cat will be in the rocks around riprap. Flatheads are not my forte, but know the noodlers during spawn also hunt them in shallow rocky areas.
Flatheads like live bait like perch, blues like live or cut bait, crappie shad, etc, channels like just about anything you can throw like weiners, worms, stink bait, etc.
The location your fishing may be the issue as well. I saw an Okla Wildlife Biologist on Outdoor Ok talk about bank fishing catfish.
Fishing the banks where the wind is blowing into the bank was important he said as it moves bait fish closer to the banks.
As said earlier different waters take different techniques.
If you have access to a boat and a depth finder, no matter how inexpensive, you can get into catfishing with jug lining.
pool noodles with some PVC pipe in the center with about 18' of line and three hooks will get one into some catfish.
pour concrete into a red solo cup to make a 1 lb weight with some wire exposed out the top to tie to.
Use the depth locator to find the original river channel in any lake. Move out from the channel to about 17' depth and drop a jug line.
Blues and channel cats use the old river channel just like a highway to move up and down the lake. When needing to feed, they move into the shallow waters to feed and return to the river channels when done.
If you can find an area like I have where three creeks intersect the main river channel, you have found the gold mine. Limits are not a problem, but we can never eat that much so most are returned to be caught again by someone else. A couple 3-4 lb blues is good for us.
I was at Thunderbird. No boat unfortunately. I saw the Outdoor Ok episode you’re referring to. The dam at T-Bird is all rip rap. I’ll give that a go next time. I’m guessing I was in about 5-7 feet of water today.
The best catfishing I have ever experienced was working up Solider Creek from the mouth at Thunderbird. The only time I got a pass to play hooky from school was the day after a good rain so I could go fishing there with my grandpa and dad if he wasnt on duty. A jar of shad gizzards just starting to thaw as you start the day, a good pair of chest waders, and being VERY careful to watch the trees to know where the creek flows through so you dont step off in the channel while flooded, and some tie wire for stringers was all you needed. Just have to watch out for the snakes and turtles, but we have had very few days that we walked back with less than enough fish for a fish fry between the three of us.
Im guessing it was at the lake thats over on the North side of that one road that curves twice before the last curve South of the road that goes to the boat ramp.
It is 14" minimum for walleye/saugeye where I was fishing. I won't keep one below 16" because I don't have any trouble filling limit with fish 16" and over.
What depth of water were you fishing for cats? How far off bottom was your bait? A lot of variables, but that will help to start with. Frozen cut shad, fresh or store bought? Sometimes fresh is best.
Seriously, where you pulling them walleyes from?
Next to no wind today and the water was like glass but fishing was slow, just two little Bass...
(Haskell Lake)
(Haskell Lake)
I wasn’t accusing you of breaking the law. I had assumed 18” was a state size limit, and was surprised it wasn’t.
I was using fresh shad.
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