Cattin' the Chain

[Rick G]

Hey catchnothing was that you over there in the perm or were you one of the portables? My day was not too bad I got on a mix of crappies and cats today. Got to see a 27in walleye caught and released by one of my buddies out of my perm. Kinda nice to see one of that size go back. Back fifteen years ago before the catfish population exploded we use to get a few that size and bigger every winter but the last decade they have been more scarce.

[catfreak]

Does anybody know the name of the road I need to use to get to the access on the west side of horseshoe? And is it going to be possible to get a mustang out there, seeing as it's rear wheel drive? Or is there any roads I could park on and walk out?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've been working Kron's Bay, but I've been hearing good things about other areas, so I'd like to find a way out there.

[50inchpig]

Google Earth

Seen a few cars out there, kind of steep coming right off the road but not impossible.

[Rick G]

Catfreak if you are out in krones today come say hi. Im in the house closest to the south shore a little ways from the group. I will be the one in the brown carrharts. will give you a little info.

[catchnothing]

riverfishingmiss, we were in the 3 portables had a great day. Can't wait to get out there again!

[catfreak]

riverfishingmiss, sorry I didn't see your post till just now. I only went out for a couple hours anyways. I was the one sitting out on the ice on the northeast end of Kron's.(catching nothing by the way)lol. There was a bunch of fish below me, but I couldn't get anything to bite.

[Rick G]

Ya it was pretty slow for me today as well. We had six guys set up in four houses set from twenty feet to thirty five feet in depth. We did get a few cats and crappies through out the day and a short run right before dark. Biggest cat today was just under 29in. The fish I got were on a 1/16oz pink lindy frostee spoon with a crappie minnow head. The spoon had to be dead still when the fish came up to it or they would leave. They were not at all intrested in any cut bait and we tryed everything we could think of.

[catfreak]

Yeah, I was using some cut golden shiners and they weren't having it. I had a bunch of crappies below me, but they weren't going after anything either.

[Borch]

Very slow for us as well today. If you didn't have a spring bobber you didn't even know you got bit. Lightest cat bite I can remember in quite some time.

Nice fish riverfishingmiss!

[Shack]

Yep, was out last evening into the early AM.

Tons and tons of lookers, but only a couple smaller cats where caught. Crappies where the same also. Spring bobber did not even flinch when they would come in for a close look.

What the cats where caught on this weekend (the couple), where on that Lindy Flyer Spoon and a crappie minnow head and body (no tail end ). I was using a blue frost style one, with the green glow back.

I guess I should have used the spring bobber on the cats, as they where down their and looking (maybe biting and I did not know it) .

Still funny thing about it, the couple I did get where jigging off of the bottom about 1.5'-2' when the bottom would start to clutter on the LX-5. A red bar would form right at the bottom and pretty much jet right up (red bar) to my LFS. I would stop jigging and "boom", the rod tip would dip down and I would set the hook.

No big ones this weekend .

[harvey lee]

I caught close to all of my cats today on a Lindy Flyer Jig in red and the smallest one Lindy makes and a red Go Devil. Plus a small chunk of cut sucker. As Borch stated, we earned every fish we caught. My St Croix spring bobber would move maybe an 1/8th inch and you has to set the hook. One also only recieve one chance and they were gone.

Check out the Go-Devils here. Today it was the 1/16 amd 1/8th oz but the 1/4 will also work too.

http://www.outdoorprostore.com/glow-devil.html

This day, the Lindy Flyer was the ticket with cut bait.

[catfreak]

I just basically started ice fishing this year, so I've been wondering if the cat bite gets any better later in the season? I'm looking forward to Cool Cats, and I know Cool Cats is more of a social get together, but I'm hoping to pull in at least a couple cats that day. And if they keep biting like this it might get a little frustrating.

[NELS-BELLS]

Riverfishingmiss - Thanks for the tips. I was the guy in the Tahoe with my son on Sunday afternoon. We managed to catch and release 8 cats, 2 crappies and a couple of big rock bass. We did the best on a small glow pink Frostee with the middle portion of a small fathead or crappie minnow, hooked horizontal on the trebles. Very little movement. The cats didn't start biting until after sunset and kept biting until we left at 6:30. We saw some cats on the camera during daylight but they would just look at it and swim away.

My son, who isn't the biggest ice fishing fan, had a blast and didn't want to leave. Thanks again and thanks to everyone else who contributed tips on this forum.

Nels

[Shack]

and a red Go Devil.

I thought of switching to a none rattle presentaion Like the Go Devil, to try and get the cats to bite. This might have worked on Sat...

The jigs and spoons the Outdoors Pro Store offers are some very nice jigs and good prices!

[so haaad]

I just basically started ice fishing this year, so I've been wondering if the cat bite gets any better later in the season? And if they keep biting like this it might get a little frustrating.

This past weekend's bite was a little tough, but not uncommon. Like any species, the cat bite can get a little tough, especially in the common areas and also later in the season.

Shack, I've also noticed a lot more smaller cats this year. The good news is that those fish will grow up. But it also seems that the big fish are much harder to come by.

[NELS-BELLS]

Shack, I've also noticed a lot more smaller cats this year. The good news is that those fish will grow up. But it also seems that the big fish are much harder to come by.

The big ones just must not be biting or are in a different location, because I think few people keep catfish, and of the ones that do, I doubt they would keep the big ones when the smaller ones (2 - 4 lbrs) would be better eating. Of the 8 that my son and I caught last night, the biggest was only about 4 lbs.

Nels

[DHanson]

I was out there Saturday and I saw a lot of people keeping them, big ones included. We caught some fish with the biggest around 6 lbs. Let them all go, so they can grow. I had one older gentlemean walk over and ask how I was doing. He said it is the worst year he has ever seen for fishing/spearing and he has lived on the lake for over 40 years. He was shocked that I was not keeping the cats as he said they were a delicacy. Nice guy though anyway. There are plenty of catfish in the lake, and it can easily handle a few harvested fish.

[catfreak]

I was just wondering if anybody that has commented on catches if they could give me an idea of where they are catching their fish. I don't need any specific locations or anything, and I know how to find cats. It just gets a little tough when you fish alone everytime, and you drive a mustang, which means I basically can't drive out anywhere without getting stuck 90 times.

So I'm basically asking if anybody can give me any good tips on a place to walk out with a good shot at a couple fish, aside from Kron's Bay which I've been fishing a lot lately with very little luck. Thanks everybody.

[Rick G]

What a diffarence a day makes. Got to the lake at around 8am and from then until about noon it was all I could do to keep up with one rod. I lost count of how many fish I got after the tenth one. They were down there thick it was by far my best day for cats this season. Then about noon it started to slow and by 2 it was the dead sea. The fish were still there just not intrested in any thing I was putting down the hole. I think the low preasure system that went through had a lot to do with the fishing today. Cat freak if you can figure wich house is mine there is a good road all the way to it .( not from 22 but another direction u should check out) we had a car out there on sat and didnt get stuck once. Any way Im on a small underwater point and the side facing east of it drops fastest. That whole shoreline to the point is prime area. As is around that point. There is fine cat holding structure all around the chain. Some of the best cat spots I have found is when I was looking for walleyes and crappies.

[Rick G]

Nels it was good to meet you too. Im glad you and your son had fun. I herd him laughing over there a couple times and figured u were geting a few. Watch out fishing for them cats can be adicting lol.

[catfreak]

Good to hear you got fish riverfishingmiss. I might try getting together with you next time I get out. I won't be out this week much because of school, and I'm probably gonna try to get to the Sportsman's Show this weekend. I'll try getting in touch with you before I go out again though. Keep catchin those cats and lets gets some pics.

[Tippman]

What a diffarence a day makes. Got to the lake at around 8am and from then until about noon it was all I could do to keep up with one rod. I lost count of how many fish I got after the tenth one. They were down there thick it was by far my best day for cats this season. Then about noon it started to slow and by 2 it was the dead sea. The fish were still there just not intrested in any thing I was putting down the hole. I think the low preasure system that went through had a lot to do with the fishing today. Cat freak if you can figure wich house is mine there is a good road all the way to it .( not from 22 but another direction u should check out) we had a car out there on sat and didnt get stuck once. Any way Im on a small underwater point and the side facing east of it drops fastest. That whole shoreline to the point is prime area. As is around that point. There is fine cat holding structure all around the chain. Some of the best cat spots I have found is when I was looking for walleyes and crappies.

That's exactly what I figured would happen with that front moving through. I was out Sunday as well and experienced what everyone else did, very light bites and slow fishing. I wanted to get out Monday morning but just couldn't make it happen.

[Shack]

Very cool RFM!

Right spot, at the right time.

[hoppe56307]

Hey catfreak. shoot me an e-mail. [email protected] i would like to go out but i have never been out on the chain. i have 4 wheel drive truck but do not know the areas to avoid.

[cloudshadowgrass]

I'm just wondering where is a good spot to go out fishing for cats with my 4x4 1/2 ton. Also was wondering if anyone knows more about the COOL CATS fishing get together that I read about awhile back. It sound awesome and am excited to go!

[cloudshadowgrass]

I'm just wondering where is a good spot to go out fishing for cats with my 4x4 1/2 ton. Also was wondering if anyone knows more about the COOL CATS fishing get together that I read about awhile back. It sound awesome and am excited to go!

[catfreak]

Here's a good link that borch sent me. It should have everything you need to know on it. I'm also really looking forward to Cool Cats. I'd like to meet some of the people I've been talking to on here. Just click on the link below.

Cool Cats

[mt1017]

never fished for cats before what size jigs do you use and style sounds like fun might have to try it sometime any advise for a newbie to this would be great

[Shack]

never fished for cats before what size jigs do you use and style sounds like fun might have to try it sometime any advise for a newbie to this would be great

Your in the middle of it right now mt1017

All you have to do is go to the page counter at the top of this thread page and click back on page one and start reading this thread

[catfreak]

Yea. There's definitely a lot of good advice on this thread so far. Just read through it and you'll learn a lot. Otherwise just look under catfishing through the fish by species page. There's a lot of good advice for icing cats all around the site.