Just got back from Port Clinton after another great catfishing trip. We had several in the 20 pound range and so many 5-10 pounders my arms are sore. All of this from shore...we didn't take a charter this time...only fished at public access points! :d
Thanks for the report, Mike —-
As usual, good photos and a great job!
Best,Fred
Those are some tankers!!!! - john
Nice catch! Do you eat those?
Well done, Mike! Looks like you were having a good ol' time. Nice to hear from you again!
MO-meister!!!!!
Good to hear from you, and I must say you are looking great!!!!!
Do you eat catfish??? If you do, I'd love to know how, I can't say I've ever enjoyed catfish. The flavor profile has not hit me.
Any new guitar songs for us to enjoy?????
Keep fishing,
Wayne
Looks like somebody had a good time.
Frank
Nice bunch of whiskers! What were you baiting with?
Thanks guys! And no...we usually don't eat catfish. I'm not a fan of them on the table. They are more fun to fish for than walleye or perch, so we fish cats the whole time and then buy walleye and perch fillets at the fish market on the way out of town. There is always someone else around when fishing the public access areas, and we always end up giving the cats to them.
The place we fished is along the channel the big ferry boats use to take folks from Port Clinton to the islands. It's all concrete and rip rap...nowhere to push in a spike or rod holder...so using a reel with a clicker is a must unless you're wanting to get rid of your rod! ;D I used my Surfmaster 100, a Monofil 26, and my Mag 10. The zebra mussel beds were treacherous this trip, had to replace leaders a lot. One of those big 20+ pounders gave the little Monofil 26 a real workout stripping drag on several runs. I was worried the fancy aftermarket handle might fail...but it worked flawlessly. The Mag 10 has an extra drag washer, larger drag star, and a 112H handle. the Surfmaster 100 is tricked out with a 5 stack drag, steel main gear and sleeve, aluminum bars, stand, and spool. It has a 24-12LT and larger drag star. We used shrimp for bait, it seems to be the local favorite. Next time we are going to try baits we use at home on the river...cut bluegill and shad.:fish
Sweet!
Mike, those fatties look like a nice pull for sure. I don't think they are blues or flatheads, lord knows I could be wrong. What kind are they? Besides fun to catch!
Nice!!
Those are some Nice cats Mike! I definitely agree with you, great fun to catch catfish but I really love walleyes to eat!!!!
Mike G
Those look like Channel Cats, judging by the green skin.
I haven't ate catfish in a couple decades but when we did they were Channel Cat's out of the Sacramento Delta.
My Grandparents use to have a place on the San Juaquin River with a dock. My cousins and I lived on that dock when we'd visit.
Did catch many that big though.
Nice work Mike!
Steve
great report Mo, those cats looks like great fighters
Out of clean water, catfish is excellent table fare -- which is why catfish is farmed in much of the south. That said, freshwater fish -- including catfish and even walleye -- pale in comparison to many saltwater fish.
Nice cats,,,, ;D
Quote from: Reeltyme on May 14, 2024, 11:40:15 PMMike, those fatties look like a nice pull for sure. I don't think they are blues or flatheads, lord knows I could be wrong. What kind are they? Besides fun to catch!
Those are Channel Cats. The males turn a blue/grey color during the spawn...often being mistaken for Blue Catfish. :fish
Looks like fun, nice trip!
I have never seen channel cats that large, verry impressive.
Sounds to me like you don't need to hop on a charter boat. Good call on that !!
Also good to hear from you Mike. It's been a while since you've posted, and hope you have a great season chasing cats
They sure put up a fight,,,, ;) but you got the right gear,,,,,, ;D