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Hey, the cats are biting on the Red caught roughly 50 cats anywhere from two-twelve pounds nothing huge but the action was nonstop for the eight hours we were fishing. Even in the cold of the morning the chicke liver was too hard to resist. Got to love those fighting devils. Going out Monday to slaye some more.

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River,
No doubt about that! Was out last night freezing my tail off, just went down to see if anthing was happening and didnt dress for the weather, got busy, forgot to come in. I was havining so much fun my fingers went numb i had a hard baiting the hook. Nothing big but fun anyway.
Sure feels good to get back down to the river and catch fish after the lull.

[This message has been edited by ORDIE (edited 04-28-2002).]

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What's the word on the kitty cats? Are they out to play for good for the next month or so? I've done little fishing for cats before the June spawn, I usually bust out my cattin' gear after the heat of summer arives in July- sounds like dams and holes are the key in the early season. Do snag-piles produce like they do after the spawn too?
Scoot

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Ed,

I'm definitely in. However, I leave for Chicago on Wed. and I'm full until after I get back on Sun. How does early next week sound? I think I could get out most of the days next week by early to mid afternoon- I'll just need a couple days notice.
What do you think?
Scoot

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The kitty kats are purrin loud boys, went out the smornin a little slow at first, by about 9:30 we were basking in catfish, every time the pole hit the water for about four hours and a few log jams we claimed well over thirty fish and a beauty over twenty-five pounds, wish I brought the camera. This was my buddy's first real cat trip and he loved every minute of it. Don't wait til June or you'll miss all the fun. Good Luck

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Scoot you game to scout with me one of these days/nights?

Missed ya for the eyes this spring so I still owe you a look about trip, cats are ok I suspect?

Drop me a line and we can work on a time that works for us both.

ED


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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300
[email protected]
http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 04-29-2002).]

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Next week may be doable, depending on new bookings we should be able to find a late day free to fish.

The next few weeks should be a hoot!

I look forwerd to fishing with some of the other FM.com cat crew in weeks to come.

Mr. Steel and crew will be here later in the month.

May should be a lot of fun!

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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300
[email protected]
http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

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is this weekend gonna be to late to entice the kitty cats?
if i could make it sooner i would, but that is the first chance i have.
of course it would be either in Crookston or GF.

Monty

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I am pretty new to the whole catfishing scene and could use a few pointers. I have done it a few times, but dont quite have it down to a science yet. More specifically, bait equipment and maybe even a few spots in the Crooksoton-GF area. Any help would be greatly appraciated. Thanks.
Ryan

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I gave the north dam a try tonight for cats and caught a few little ones. I brought a buddy with and he managed to catch his first channel cat ever- he was pretty excited.
Scoot

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Tee-Hee 25-30 eye's tonight, kept 2 that fit the pan (17 3/4"). Neat new crank bait called the Millennium Look alike Rattl'n Shad is working wonders on the post spawn eyes. Kinda dig'n these new rattl'n shads eh!

wink.gif

Also found 3 cats, from 9-11#, lots of peckers, kinda fussy kitty's.


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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300
[email protected]
http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

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Just thought I'd throw in a tiny Manitoba report into this string as we're still waiting for things to thaw and for the season to open up here.....
For your information guys (as I heard rumours about the launch at Selkirk park not being passable for the opener) I just spoke to Ray Pennington (engineer?) from the town of Selkirk....there will be no problem at all with the launch at Selkirk park for the opener. As he put it we've seen low water before and this year will not pose any unusual difficulties. The sucker run is on up here and a lot of us have had a chance to stock up for what I consider one of the better baits for the first part of the season. I've tried frozen goleye and it doesn't stack up for the first month or so with the fresh cut sucker. Yup, water is low but I don't think it'll be all that difficult to pattern cats.... they should be stacked below the gates (at the end of the tail-out or off to the sides of any current from the gates) or in holes up near the dam. One dilemna that I've got going this year is that I'm booked for a lot of bassin' and walleye in Eastern manitoba and North west Ontario besides cattin on the Red. What a dilemna to live in proximity to so much good fishing eh! We sure are lucky aren't we! Countdown is on, tight lines guys.
Dan

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Dan Kiazyk
Cat Eye Outfitter
http://www.geocities.com/dkiazyk2000
[email protected]

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Thanks for the report Dan.

Is the water levels likely to be at the same level as in late fall at opener? Sure won't be a rolling over the overflow this spring by the looks of things.

I hope to come on up in May to play piggy tag for a day or two.

Hope to catch you while I am there.

ED

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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300
[email protected]
http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

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Hey Dkiazyk! I'm going up to Selkirk on May 16th from Mpls. Is the Selkirk Park landing the one in town next to the campground? If so, do you happen to know the name of that campground and maybe a phone #. I'd like to launch at Cats on the Red, but need a place to put the tent. Any other suggestions would be great too. Thanks a lot, Vern.

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The cats seem to be picking up a bit. caught some friday, and then yesterday pulled about 10 that were 2-12 lbs. Tryed dip bait the whole day, and it seemed to work well. yet i wonder how much is needed for the cats to bite. seems to me that after 15 min or so without a bite you need to reapply. any suggestions. also cleened up a cat that had one of my hooks in its gut. i had lost one to a snag on fri, and it must have picked it out of the timber. still had the piece of cut bait on it. either they have slow digestive systems, or it sat there for a few days.

Cats seemed to be more in the current next to the snag piles, rather than directly behind them in the dead water. anyone have suggestions for boat controle in that crazzy eddy current. the boat moves so much its hard to hold the bait in one spot. maybe its good to move it around, let me know how you guys are working your rigs.

good luck to all, and to all a good Fight!

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Timdogg,
I'll tell you what works for me. I use a two 6' medium to medium heavy rods, three and four ot kayl hooks tied to a8-10 inch leader with a 1 ounce egg sinker in faster current a little heavier, go out find a couple of log jams and my favorite bait is chicken liver, you can use cut-bait or sucker minnows, but for the most action I recommend liver. If you got a boat and you're in the Forks launch on the north ramp and go about three miles north and work every jam that looks good, thats where I was Monday and we caught a ton of fish. If you are up this way without a boat give me call we'll go find some cats

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Thanks alot River Nymph. That should really help. I have muskie gear that should work just fine. I am going to school in Crookston and am almost done and will be going home to Warroad for the summer, but I would like to make a few trips down here this summer to give it a try. I might be able to get a boat. I will also likely fish alot when I come back for school next august. I'll definetly give you a call if I dont have a boat. I also have a friend that would probably be very interested in coming along too. Thanks alot.

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Try fresh cut goldeye or suckers cut into 3/4" chunks. Change your bait often, every 10-min is a good plan to up your scent trail, keep it fresh.

Slip rigs for aggressive cats, and 3-way rigs with 6-8 O/T Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hooks for the sneaky peckers off the bank, this will up your hook ups 10-1.

Just after a hard rain you may wish to try a ball of nightcrawlers on a 6-7 O/T kahle hook near a drain or creek feeding into the river.

Some folks do use chicken liver, but that is not my personal choice for catfish bait, too many pecker cats and far fewer SUMO’s on liver.

(TIP) Liver can be a good chum option when rigged to emit a scent trail, just stuff a ball of liver in an old tube sock with a ball of paste bait, freeze them, and when needed hang it from your stringer on shore. It emits a slow trail of blood & scent that calls up piggys for miles. HERE PIGGY- PIGGY- PIGGY! In a boat we move so often it seldom pays to chum.

Dip or punch baits will work well for numbers of eater sized cats in the early spring and as spawn nears you may score big on dips if your location is right.

Water Dogs (gilled stage salamanders) are very good if you can find them, as are frogs starting in late July to late September.

Do me and a lot of future sumo piggy cats a big favor, DON'T EVER USE TREBLE HOOKS ON CATS, please.

There is no need to us a treble hook EVER on catfish; all you do is up your odds of snagging up and you physically hurt, damage, & kill more cats when you hook up on them with treble hooks. In my opinion they should be outlawed on cat rigs.

Dip bait tubes and any bait can be effectively rigged on a single shank hook, kahle or circles work just as or more effectively on dip baits as they do on cut baits, it is all a matter of learning how to rig them.

Hope this helps.

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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300
[email protected]
http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

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Thanks alot Eddy. Those tips should at least give me a good start. I am so pumped to give it a try. I just wish I didnt have to worry about passing all my classes right now or i'd be out there right now gettin' me the big un'. I cant wait. Maybe i'll see you out there sometime. Thanks again.
Ryan

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Once you feel the weight of the fish, just start reeling and the fish will hook itself, if it is not already hooked.

If you just can't live without setting the hook, do it to reinforce the set on the way in.

A bass/pro hours-em out of the brush WE-HA Billy Bob hook set it is not needed to make the circles work.

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Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300
[email protected]
http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

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Ed,

The forecast isn't looking too great, but weather depending are you still in on some day this week?
Scoot

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well
we managed to hit the red yesterday.
gave it a go mid morning, but it was a bit windy and chilly for us. so we bailed and came back late aft. about 5ish or so.
we started with suckers and ended up with dip bait. i caught none, but my fishing buddy caught his first channel. about 2 lb on dip bait. he was pretty stoked about it. i was just as excited for him. as we went last year and he did not catch a one.
now he is asking when we can go again. he mentioned about wanting to go on opener to the red to give cats another go. i told him we would have to see. as his dad got a new boat this year and he was also wanting to go south to fish off of that on opener as well.

sure was nice to get out by the river.

Monty

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Hi guys. I was wondering if the cats were biting at all. I dont have any finals on thursday and was gonna give it a go. What is the best way to catch bait like goldeye, I have never caught one before. Also, are there very many suckers in the red lake river in Crookston, cause thats where i'm at and where I was gonna go try and catch some cat bait. Any advice would be great.

Ryan

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The White Suckers and Redhorse Sucker are running on the dams now, a worm on the bottom will likely work best, maybe a jig and worm.

Goldeye/Mooneye can be caught on a bobber rig set shallow (1-3') also with a minnow or a hunk of worm. The Goldeye tend to stay out of the main channel and near shore in the colder water of spring.

You can not use parts of any gamefish for bait. Other bait regulations do also apply so consult and read the regulations.

------------------
Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300

[email protected]

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

If any of you are wanting to take a look at the Millennium Lure Rattlin Shad that Ed's been using, here is the site to see it:

http://millenniumlure.com

Click on Crankbaits and look for the Rattlin Shad Look A Like. It's a pretty handy walleye lure. The Rattlin Shad Illusion is also pretty good for River eyes.

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