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Post by Purebred Redneck on Jul 19, 2009 0:03:09 GMT -5
I think I reeled in my biggest catfish this evening. As soon as I set the hook I knew I had something. Then I saw him roll and thought "that's a 10 pounder". He didn't put up as much of a fight as you would of thought. He never really ran --- he just death rolled like a croc. Took maybe 2 minutes before I was able to net him. 3 hours after he was caught 27 1/2" 9 1/2 lbs So call it 28" and 10lbs when he came out of the water. He's in a trash bag in my ice box and he's taking up the entire lower shelf ;D ;D ;D I have no idea if he is a Blue or a Channel. He has turned pink in the picture, but he was dark grey / blue when he came out of the water. I'm thinking it's a Blue, but this was caught in a lake --- though they are suppost to have stocked blues in the past but usually in very small numbers. Maybe the picture will help.
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Post by dovehunter on Jul 19, 2009 7:39:45 GMT -5
Nice catfish Red - whatever he is! That should make for some mighty fine eating.
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Post by jimh on Jul 19, 2009 8:07:14 GMT -5
it's a channel catfish from the looks of the bottom fin notice how it is shorter and rounded off. opposed to a blue that is longer and comes to more of a point at the end that's a really nice channel Red!
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Post by Jack on Jul 19, 2009 8:31:08 GMT -5
Whatever it is, nice catch, Red!
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Post by jabba on Jul 19, 2009 8:56:04 GMT -5
Wow. Nice.
You should come fish with my pals in the summer.
30-40 lb blues are sort of regular for them.
Jabba
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Post by Purebred Redneck on Jul 19, 2009 10:34:29 GMT -5
When they get that big, they lose the brown specks and the yellow/brown coloring. Throws you off a bit. I looked at some other pictures on the internet of fish that size, and this is a channel. Now it's time to go outside and cut him up
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Post by klsm54 on Jul 19, 2009 12:41:15 GMT -5
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Post by Purebred Redneck on Jul 21, 2009 21:22:32 GMT -5
The next day I was fishing a large lake (one of the bigger ones in the state) in a boat. The fishing is horrible the last 10 years, but there's huge bass and catfish in the lake.
I just got done catching a 15" bass when a couple casts later something VERY BIG grabbed hold of my crankbait. I don't know if it was a bass (I think), walleye, or flathead but I have a feeling it would of ended up right in the same weight class. Unfortunatly I lost him literally a few feet from the boat (very muddy water) when he rubbed up against a stickup at the same time I was adjusting drag. I'm still getting used to crank and spinner baits --- I have a feeling I'm not setting the hook hard enough.
Good fishing weekend.
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Post by jimh on Jul 21, 2009 21:48:33 GMT -5
if you have a sharp hook, you shouldn't have any issue with hook set in my opinion. sometimes they just get away.
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Post by Jack on Jul 21, 2009 22:22:29 GMT -5
One of the reasons people like using crankbaits is that the fish usually hook themselves. Check the hooks- I'll bet they aren't sharp.
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Post by Purebred Redneck on Jul 21, 2009 23:02:35 GMT -5
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Post by jabba on Jul 22, 2009 6:49:55 GMT -5
You CAN sharpen hooks man.
I ALWAYS touch mine before using them.
Ask Bubba. Fish salt water for a while... and you LEARN fast to sharpen hooks.
Jabba
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Post by Jack on Jul 22, 2009 8:06:31 GMT -5
Last week's beer can- this week's cheap hook. ;D ;D Some people replace the factory hooks on lures with a higher grade of hook. And, as Jabba and others have said, there's nothing to sharpening a hook- takes a few seconds is all.
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Post by jmarriott on Jul 22, 2009 10:11:11 GMT -5
shameless rapala plug.. Spend the extra money on a rapala brand lure like the one you were using. The hooks are sharp from the factory, and little wetstone should be a must in ever tackle box.
I have good luck trolling in the canoe this time of year. One pole on each side with a shallow runner close to the shore and a 10 foot crank on the lake side. If you can stay out of the weeds they are hard to beat.
Then I use a popper frog on the lillypads and weed mats, With big old test line and a mean rod. Those big bass are great fun when all the weeds explode and a 5 pound bass has 15 pounds of weed on the line.
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Post by Jack on Jul 22, 2009 11:36:32 GMT -5
Gotta agree- when a good sized bass blasts through weeds to get your lure, that's fun fishing! Some of those weedless popper frogs are good, and so are floating plastic worms. That's the slow approach. Sometimes buzzing a spinnerbait over the same spot 5 or 6 times can work, too. I agree, too- that's not the place for delicate tackle!
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