Cattin the Chain '11

[The Chemist]

Last year after Cool Cats I jumped holes and it took a bit until I was able to find a presentation that would get them to react. It ended up that I had to charge up my jig and let it free fall down to btwn an area 1ft below or so and then slowly bring it up to about 1ft above. using the head half of a larger fathead.

LAter in the evening I had large areas on the graph and was having problems getting a bite. Put on the smallest minnow I could find. Ended up getting a couple large crappies and then the school went away.

Don't be suprised if you need something small for a jig like a glow tear drop. That used to be all I used until I got hooked on jigging spoons.

Good luck. I wish I could get out there, but the truck has to go to the shop for tranny work again. And right when I was getting ready to move.

[aanderud]

The bobber bite for me is the only way to go. I can get some without the bobber, but they definitely don't take it hard like the rock bass or even a crappie WHILE jigging. 99% of the time they will come to it when it's being jigged, but then just stare at it a while, only biting if it's still as can be.

As for them chasing the jig up, I'm often able to get fish to move from the bottom to 10 feet off the bottom chasing my jig. Unfortunately, as opposed to crappies who will almost always bite after moving that far, my experience with cats is mixed. Sometimes they will bite, other times they'll race back to the bottom as fast as they came.

I have fun with them every time I go, but every time I think to myself "how can people do this without a sonar". The sonar is by far the most important piece of gear for these fish, more so than for walleyes or crappies I would say. Watch how they're reacting to the bait.

Oh and RFM mentioned color was important the other day...we had the same thing yesterday. I was using the jig that I was successful with on our trip out last sunday -- which was green. I hammered two right away before we even set up the house, then couldn't buy a bite after we got set up and ready to go. Dtro couldn't keep his lines in the water for some reason. I asked what color he had (red), switched to it, and presto -- newfound action. It was amazing. I'm usually much too lazy to go tying on new jigs and stuff, because they usually don't really care which color I have all that much. But for some reason, yesterday they did.

[FishinVeteran]

Thanks for the info guys! I'll have to try holding my spoon completely still next time I get out there, which will hopefully be this weekend...

[Rick G]

There were a few full size trucks out on the ice today. I didnt drive out but its the last time without the truck. I drilled quite a few holes and was finding between 15and 18 in of ice and not as many bad slush pockets as there was on Sun.

Fishing was slow most of the day it wasnt that I couldnt locate them it was just a bit tougher getting them to bite. I was getting a few durring the day but had to hole hop alot to stay on top of them. Prime time was better and the school of cats got thicker and more willing to take my offering. The bite shut down shortly after dark for us and the fish would just hang at the same depth the bait was at but never touch it. Ended up getting around 25 with nothing bigger than 22in.

My fishing partner for the day had his sights set on crappies and has never fished the chain before . I kinda told a half truth when I said all them marks he was seeing on the graph where crappies and the only way to catch them was on theese little yellow floats while using Frostee spoons .By his second cat he forgot all about the crappies we were trying for. I`m pretty sure hes hooked on the cats now.

[NELS-BELLS]

There were a few full size trucks out on the ice today. I didnt drive out but its the last time without the truck. I drilled quite a few holes and was finding between 15and 18 in of ice and not as many bad slush pockets as there was on Sun.

Where they driving out from the winter access off 22 and going all the way up to the meth hole area or getting on at some private access?

Nels

[aanderud]

Thanks for the update RFM. This weekend when I'm up there I'll have to stop over and say hi. I'll be driving the blue dodge ram with the green eskimo flipover shelter next to it.

[Rick G]

Where they driving out from the winter access off 22 and going all the way up to the meth hole area or getting on at some private access?

Nels

[NELS-BELLS]

I want to try out the new Glen's 6' X 12' that I just got, so you might see us out there today. But only if I can drive my truck to the spot. I want to go to the area west of the Meth Hole. Plan B is to head over to Rice.

Nels

[BSG]

Headin' up again tonight. Last night caught 8, with 5 being nice ones (22-24). Red glow was the ticket, and still very light bites. Very crazy a fish that size bites so light. I think i may be getting the hang of it.

Also, last weekend I lost a shovel after having to bail outta some nasty slush, if anyone found/finds it, that'd be nice.

Anyways, I'll be in a Frabill predator/camo wheeler combo. Looking for the motherload tonight. Got a fresh tank of gas and a buddy to help drill holes.

Keep your stick on the ice.

[kittycatcher16]

Im with BSG...I left a frabill orange thermo tip-up out near the meth hole...It was a bummer on the way home when I remembered I forgot to reel it up.. Its probably buried in the snow but if someone stumbles across it you know whos it is. It had a light on it also..

[FishinVeteran]

Hey guys! Can I get an ice report? I'm bringing down a couple friends including my wife and would like to know if I need to prepare her for the walk or if we'll be able to drive part or all of the way to the meth hole or any other place I can drive to that we can get on some fish. Run on sentance, sorry.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Rick G]

Ice was 18in where I was. I am draging the wheelhouse out Sun.

Well fishing was the slowest it has been for me this season maybe got 12-15. Drilled a few holes before locating just the right school of fish and looked a hundred feet to the east and see fellow HSO member BSG already on the fish and looking like more of a seasoned catfish veteran than the last time I saw him . Good job getting that monster 29in up that 8in hole Gota love them catfish.

[NELS-BELLS]

Started to drive out to the Meth Hole from the winter access off 22, but the tire tracks ended just around the first point and with a 12 year old in the vehicle, I decided not to blaze the trail. So we went across 22 onto Cedar Island instead. Trucks driving all over the place on that lake. Unfortunately all we caught were Crappies.

Nels

[pushbutton]

if you want to try again tomorrow, i will be happy to follow you

[aanderud]

Drove out to the meth hole today, shouldn't have any issues. We had 16 inches of ice. I drilled probably 40 holes or so in various spots and the least I saw was maybe 12 inches, must have been under a snowdrift earlier in the year. I have to say the off-road path is better than the plowed road with the snow drifted in it. My pickup tracks over most of the off-road path that I blazed couldn't have been sinking more than 1-2 inches in the snow at the MOST. I didn't even put it in 4wd (hi or lo).

All fish caught between 430 and 700 except maybe 1 straggler later on toward 715 or 730. Fished until maybe 830 or 845 with the last hour being fishless. I think we got 23 cats or so, but nothing bigger than low-twenties in length. Got a few crappies (maybe 5) and a couple rock bass and a small 'eye too.

[harvey lee]

Did you go from 22 to the meth hole Brian? You know down the steep grade off 22 onto the lake?

[DTro]

Yep, the hill was no issue. Very easy drive tonight.

[harvey lee]

Thats great as I have been wanting to go and play with those kitties.

Has the day bite been any good or is it a late aft or evening bite? Livers, minnows or cut meat best or one not any better than the other?

[BSG]

Well, I'm slowly but surely working my way to a double digit night.

9 kittys tonight from about 2-7. Was fishing with a first timer also, took him a while to get the hang of it.

Anyways, same thing was hot for me again tonight. Fished outside for about 30 mins to find a hot set of holes to camp out on for the night. IF we could have got the 4 or 5 each that we lost it woulda been a great night.

Thanks to RFM for the compliments and for pickin' up my "crappy yellow handled shovel." That thing saved my life the other night.

I estimated my big boy right at 29". Only thing to measure was a 28" frabill rod, seen in photo. Put on a lengthy (10min) battle on a 24" JM spring bobber special or whatever its called. Very nice rod, but I got b***chslappped. Best fight on a ice rod i've had since lakers in canada.

Sorry for the [PoorWordUsage] picture, but here she is.

[harvey lee]

Sounds like a battle to remember.

Congrats on the nice channel.

[DTro]

Nice one BSG! Now you can see why we keep coming back

[aanderud]

BSG that's a MONSTER! I've never caught anything bigger than 27 inches up there in 4 years. I'm still hoping to get something big this year, the year is young still. Tom, as for your bait question, last night they were biting well on minnows but we had livers along too. It's hard tellin what they'll bite on so we bring everything, including maggots and the kitchen sink.

[IceHawk]

Pretty good group out there today. Drove by with my truck while out searching for crappies. Broke the first track back into Krons bay and beyond. Good ice going back in there if anyone wants to search other areas for cats!

[BSG]

Pretty packed out there tonight I'd say. Time for me to go venture out and find some new stuff I think. Anyways, think the gal and I got between 6-8 mostly small and we were also losing lots of fish in the first few feet of the battle. Bite stopped for us at 6pm.

First one this PM after getting back my shovel from RFM.

Couple of cuties

[Rick G]

Ya there were quite a few people out on the shoe yesterday. Bite was slow and fish never realy did show up in numbers or size. I think we got 6 cats and lots of other less fun fish. Like BSG said time to venture around and find the next honey hole.

[CarpinMNRiver]

Finally made it out to the shoe yesterday. Not much traffic out there. Saw 1 truck the whole day. We fished in the bay before you get to the meth hole and got 3 cats, 20 something crappies, and 4 or 5 eyes. It was hard to tell where the previous tracks were with the fresh snow so we didn't venture too far off what we could see with not knowing the lake. It was fun and will have to get out there again.

[JimBuck]

I haven't been up for a few weeks and was wondering if folks are pulling wheelhouses out to the shoe or near the meth hole?

[DTro]

Yes there was a small wheelhouse out there last weekend.

[Rick G]

There were quite a few wheel houses that came out Sun including my small one. The ice is pretty good everywhere except the normal spots like the river entrance the 22 bridge the "meth hole" and around the island in the far western bay.

[JimBuck]

Cool. Thanks for the update gentlemen. I hope to be getting out there this weekend.