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Posted

I've read on the Mn DNR website that the best places for cats on the St. Louis is around Floodwood. I live in Cloquet and was wondering if that is true. If I want to try going for catfish do I have to drive up to Floodwood? Also some tips on what to use would be nice also. Thanks in advance.

Posted

Tons of untapped Cat spots on the river. Brookston area, Oliver area and below and above the23 bridge to name a few not so well known.

Posted

Actually I've never tried anywhere for cats, thats why I came here. I'm also wondering what size hooks to use, what lbs test (is 10lb ok thats what I have on right now) what kind of bait ( I've heard to use dead minnows, rotten liver, worms, basically most things that stink) any advise would be helpful.

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators
Posted

I don't Catfish a whole lot but do manage to get after them a few times per summer.
I've used the rotten chicken liver too but
I'm following the "Great Cat Catchers" Dennis Steel's advice and use cut or whole sucker from now on. They don't smell as bad either.
Most my Cat fishing has been between Cloquet and Brookston.

Posted

cats are cats. tuna dough balls work well. when's that catfest in floodwood. how did that become a capital. yu don't need alot of river for these kitties, just access. ask permission if you like a stretych, that u see, or check the bridges that give u access... be careful, roadwise and don't trespass, just ask, they'll probably like u and tell u the best spots., any live bait will fly at this point. just get it on the bottom. good luck luv the st. louie

Posted

10 lb test should be fine for St. Louis River channel cats. Standard slip sinker rig or a heavy leadhead jig are good choices, sometiems I like the jig because there's only one piece of hardware to snag up.

Try to find rocky flats next to a deeper hole if possible, the cats will cruise the rocks for crayfish when the sun starts going down. First hour after sunset is prime but they'll bite through most of the night. They'll move shallower as darkness falls, so move your bait accordingly. If you use suckers I've had the best luck when all the scales are removed. Cut up creek chubs work wonders and IMO are just as effective as chicken liver.

I fish the St. Louis in the Brookston area. The Cloquet River also has some nice cats in it.

Posted

Lately I'v seen a lot of people fishing under the 33 bridge in town (Cloquet). Any idea what they are chasing, maybe cats? I know a guy that grew up in Cloquet who once told me that a whole assortment of fish can be had just a short distance from the RV campground in town. I keep thinking that sometime I'm going to check it out.

Posted

Hey there Mr.Twister Im glad to see you finally got up and running! Welcome aboard and see ya Tues night.

Posted

I also grew up in Cloquet, but now live in Warroad. FYI: One of the best smallmouth bass-fishing spots I have ever been privelidged to fish is very close to the RV site. I cant be too specific, but study a map of the area and use a little common sense, it should be obvious. As far as cats, ive never targeted them, but always get into them when I am in deep slackwater. One place I have caught a mess of cats before is the deep water in the channel of the river about 1/4 mi. downstream from the oliver bridge on the final bend before you start making the straight shot out to spirit lake...that deep water is always full of em...easy to catch on worms...nothing huge but steady action im sure if ya want to catch em.

Posted

Put it at the launch in Cloquet go up river 1/2 mile or so until you find some pools with boulders in them lot of nice cats later in the eveneing. Just be carful you are not running full throatle good by lower unit>>>later the load

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators
Posted

Wasn't there plans for a Catfish gathering thread last winter?
I have a remote spot thats OK, might be better for Sm and Eyes then Cats but it never bothered me.

Posted

BigRed70,
I now live in TRF but grew up in Cloquet only a 10 minute walk to the "spot" and grew up catching smallies all the time and I have taken people to the "spot" you say where you can catch 100 smallies in a couple of hours. I told my one friend about this catching smallies with a bobber and a crappie minnow and he just laughed so I took him from TRF to Cloquet and took him down to the spot and it was unbelievable for him. I will be down by the "spot" during the 4th. While only a few might hit the magic 16 inch mark it is a blast!

[This message has been edited by Wobbler (edited 06-14-2004).]

Posted

Ya we should hit a couple spots in the next week or 2. Who all would be interested. We can do it in or out of boats. What would everyone like to do.

Posted

i think i know the "spot" you are talking about and was there yesterday. we ran out of about 3doz crappie minnows in about 45min. we probably caught 30 to 40 smallies and was that a blast. i grew up in cloquet and still live around there. if anyone wants to see the smallie action for themselfs just post

Posted

Hey LETSgoFISHIN just post what, and E-mail addy?

[This message has been edited by Skunked-Rookie (edited 06-21-2004).]

Posted

Also what would be something fun to go for off shore in Scanlon at the Thomson Reservior? I took a walk down there the other day and saw just beyond where you put your boat in they have a little area set up where you can fish from shore.

[This message has been edited by Skunked-Rookie (edited 06-19-2004).]

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Goodness. I feel like I'm on some kind of site for the mentally ill sometimes.  🤨 I know he said this but look at the last board printout!  He meant smurfy on April 29th!   8 hours ago, JerkinLips said: Because I temporarily changed the rules, and smurfy was the 2nd person to wager a guess, I changed his prediction to April 25th.   I changed it to just a date numb nuts!  April 25th! DH'O  🤭
    • smurfy
      😖🙃 pretty certain everyone else here isnt guessing Edwards lake...........goofball!!!!!!!🤣
    • Wanderer
      Up until April 24th? 😉
    • leech~~
      April 25th! DH'O
    • smurfy
      🤣 WELL.......LEECH...... since its free where's your name????????🙄
    • leech~~
      Dang, this is like a free meal on Lakestreet in Mpls.  I didn't know this many folks were still on the site until someone said "Free raffle drawing"  🤣 🤣 
    • SkunkedAgain
      Nah, I'm not changing my guess. It's more fun to make early predictions and see how far off I am.   I'll turn on the hair dryer and see if it helps.
    • JerkinLips
      Because I temporarily changed the rules, and smurfy was the 2nd person to wager a guess, I changed his prediction to April 25th.  Also, since SkunkedAgain was the originator of this competition and was the 1st person to guess, I will give him until Friday to change his prediction if he wants to (although he may regret if the ice goes out on April 18th).  After him, no more "changes" will be allowed on my board.   Lots of "good" open dates available for those that have not predicted yet.  Updated board below:  
    • SkunkedAgain
      https://www.timberjay.com/stories/moccasin-point-upgrade-has-longtime-users-concerned,22802   Moccasin Point upgrade has longtime users concerned DNR hopes to get major remake of key access underway later this year Posted Thursday, March 20, 2025 10:36 am   Marshall Helmberger LAKE VERMILION— With funding finally in place, the Department of Natural Resources is planning to move forward with an estimated $2-plus million renovation of the Moccasin Point landing, and users of the site say they’re concerned about the changes. The landing has been heavily used for decades by anglers, Boundary Waters visitors, residents of nearby islands and other remote-access properties on Lake Vermilion and, perhaps most critically, by emergency responders for everything from fire to medical response. Moccasin Point has also been a protected harbor for private barges loading and unloading as they service the many water-access properties in the area. Sarah Schmidt, who spends summers with her husband Jake at their cabin on nearby Pine Island, said there’s a lot at stake for people who depend on the landing. “A lot of people have designed their dream home around having access to that landing,” she said. “People need propane, they need lumber, and if they need to install a septic system, they need lots of gravel,” she said. For the many hundreds of island or other water-access property owners on the lake, all of that material comes by barge. Moccasin Point is particularly well suited for such use, since it is arguably the most protected harbor on Lake Vermilion, with islands and mainland protecting it from wind from just about any direction. It’s also centrally located on the sprawling lake and close to concentrations of island homes and cabins. Scott Kelling, northeast regional manager for DNR Parks and Trails, said the plans for the reconstruction of the landing are still being finalized, but insisted they will take into account the unique mix of recreational and commercial use of the landing, including use by all three of the barging companies that service customers on the lake. According to Kelling, the remake of the landing will include removal of the old pier and the reconstruction of a new one in nearly the same location. “The new pier will serve the same function,” said Kelling, and will include an additional ramp that will be dedicated for barge loading and off-loading. Kelling said an engineer’s inspection of the existing pier determined it was near the end of its useful life, although Schmidt said she thinks that opinion reflects the DNR’s desire to remove the structure rather than its actual condition. Kelling acknowledges that it’s not the only reason for replacing the structure. “With our redesign it’s just not in the right location,” he said. Adequate parking is another major concern of longtime users of Moccasin Point. Tim Logan, whose family has owned island property near the landing since the 1950s, said plans the DNR had shared a few years ago seemed to show less parking than is typically used at the site. Schmidt notes that during high-traffic weekends, the parking area is frequently full and overflow parking can extend for hundreds of feet along Moccasin Point Rd. She said she counted 163 vehicles parked at the landing at one point last Memorial Day weekend and said there are routinely 90-100 vehicles during the summer season. Many of the regular users of the landing, particularly those on island properties, use the site for long-term parking of their vehicles for days, weeks, or months at a time. That’s unusual at public landings, which are typically limited to day use. Kelling said the DNR is making an exception to that rule for Moccasin Point, given the many varied uses of the unique property. “Overnight parking will be allowed,” he said. Kelling said the current plan will allow parking for a bit over 100 vehicles, which is more than some original plans for the site. “We’re doing everything we can to maximize the parking there, at some considerable expense,” he said. Longstanding issues Kelling said the DNR’s plan for reconstruction is motivated by a desire to “manage the site more responsibly on a number of fronts.” The DNR acquired the site in 2008 and had planned to undertake reconstruction of the landing back in 2013 but lacked the funds at the time to accomplish the work. The funding was approved in 2023 and the DNR has been working on design of the project ever since. According to Kelling, the site has operated essentially as a “free-for-all” for years, with uses and resource impacts that aren’t typically permitted at DNR-managed access points. “There are currently a number of transgressions out there,” said Kelling, including long-term storage of personal property and building materials. He said the site, which slopes toward the lake, also contributes large amounts of sediment into Vermilion during heavy rainfall. “We need to better manage the stormwater,” said Kelling. “Currently, a lot of sediment and other things end up in the lake when it rains.” Schmidt questions whether the change will be an improvement, since the DNR’s reconstruction of the site will convert the existing grassy hillside that currently serves as the site’s parking lot into a paved parking area. Kelling said the parking area will be leveled before being paved and that stormwater will be directed into one of two planned stormwater ponds in order to contain sediment. Schmidt claims the ponds will become a mosquito breeding ground. Kelling said he expects the final design will be completed soon and he is expecting to hold an open house in early summer so interested users can see what’s planned for the site. He expects actual construction to begin sometime in October if all goes as planned. That initial work will include blasting of some underlying bedrock in order to level the site. But most of the work will take place in 2026, he said, and during that period, it may be difficult to maintain public use of the site, although he said use of the site by barges should still be possible, with potentially some minor delays. But he said other users of the site may want to explore other access options for that summer. Kelling said he hopes to have more information on that at the open house later this year. “A goal of the open house is to really share the timeline and alternatives for users,” he said. “They might need to park somewhere else in 2026.”
    • smurfy
      i wanna change mine to the 29th of april...........i've been seeing ice reports to much up that way. 🙄
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