Cats near Wahpeton

[PikeTipper]

Does anyone have much luck fishin for cats near Wahpeton or do you have to go further north to get into them? Are there many spots in the area to fish near shore?

Thanks for any responses

[Ed Carlson]

Yes there are plenty of channel cats in the Headwaters Region of the Red River. Size wise you will find a wide representative range of year class's of channel cats. Most will be in the 19" to 26" range, with a few over 30", and the occasional cat that will hit the 37" mark.

This late in the fall I would feed them frogs or cut chunks of suckers. Frogs on slip rigs or on jigs fished at night on muddy flats will be a good producer.

A hearty jig in the 3/8 range with a 4 O/T hook tipped with a frog is a great tool on cats at night.

A Stand-up style jig like a Chompers jig or a Erie head jig are great tools for this style of fishing.

Look at the slower moving water on the bends of the river, then fish the inside bend or the flat at the head or tail-out of the bend. The fish will be in very shallow at night right now. Concentrate on fishing parallel to shore or quartering your baits into the shore. Do not get hung up on the idea you need to fish deep, fish shallow structure.

Another good deal about fishing jigs and frogs is you will catch some very nice walleye in the process, especially at night.

Besides the Red River the Otter Tail and the Bois De Sioux rivers offer some great late season fishing, well worth scouting it out. There are many great opportunities for some great river fishing in the Wahpeton area, scout about a bit and you will find lots to chose from. Many of the best are accessible from shore and are NOT where the regulars commonly fish..keep that in mind.

Good luck, and please practice Selective Harvest.

Ed

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Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
701-893-9107

[email protected]

[Scoot]

Ed turned me on to the stand up jig fishing a couple years a go and it's a really good deal. We had a ton of fun smackin' some nice cats on a trib with stand up jigs and frogs. The only frustrating part of the whole evening was getting outfished by Ed about 5:1. Oh well, the more I fish with him, the more that ratio seems to hold . Dirty bugger knows how to run a rod, that's for sure.

Ed, you been out much lately? I'm going to get out a little locally in the next week or so. If you're looking for company, give me a shout. I've moved over to the Moorhead side of the river, but I'm listed so give me a shout if you want.

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Scoot

RodsbyEngel: custom made fishing rods

[Ed Carlson]

5 to 1 Eh..I don't think so but if you say so...kewl.

I have been surprised that I have not bumped into you on my local haunts Scoot? We will have to meet up this week or next and do a walk-about. It has been interesting near by, I have not had to stray far to get walleye.

If we do get a good shot of rain again I think it may get even more interesting?

Drop me an e-mail with you new address and phone info so I can update my address book.

If your free after 4:00 today I may have a spot for us to try just to the South and West of you, and just West of me?

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Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
701-893-9107

[email protected]

[Ed Carlson]

Piketipper how has the bite been treating you?

Any new reports?

[PikeTipper]

I haven't been out at all. The fall for me is dedicated to hunting almost exclusively. I'm near Wahpeton a few times a year and have always thought about fishing the river so that is why I asked. Have you been out?

[Ed Carlson]

The word is the bite is going strong at Whap. You may want to check it out if you get a break from hunting. Big pike and some nice walleye is the word I get. With the rain it should get very good soon on that end.

Well worth a look.