Tabbert Pond 9/25/12

[dick tabbert]

Terry from BBG came by this morning to catch some of my catfish which I'm trying to get out oof the pond. He caught 4 Hybrid Strippers and 6 or 8 Bluegill and no Cats. First picture is two 17" hybrid strippers.

[Rick King]

It was suspose to say Catfish. Im new to this forum and used the edit but must have forgot to save the changes. If anyone could use help it is me.

[dick tabbert]

Rest assured if anybody needs help it is probably me. I do have catfish right at about 20" to 24" and I do need to get them out and I think in the next week or so I will be getting some out. My wife says there my pets but the bluegills have priority over them so they will have to go. They will eat good with all the pellets they have eaten. Only problem is when you catch 3 or 4 all the rest disappear I think they have a way of communicating. Last time I caught a few out they were hiding for about 2 months they even quit the feeder.

[Rick King]

Found this on the web - not sure it will work, but if you have not tried it. Might be worth a try.

Catfish are the easiest fish to catch. They eat just about everything. They are not fussy about line size and just about any size hook will work. However, if you follow the method recommended you will catch more catfish.

First tie a # 2 or a # 4 bait holder hook to 6 - 20 lb. test line. DON'T USE ANY WEIGHT as the weight of the bait is enough.

Then cut a 2 in. piece of mackerel and put the hook through the skin. The
skin helps keep the bait on the hook. Don't worry about hiding the hook because catfish are used to eating things that have bones sticking out. Cast the bait out. You can also use anchovies, chicken livers and hot dogs. Contrary to popular belief fresh bait is best. Not week old, rotten bait.

[Walt Foreman]

Mackerel is indeed a good catfish bait...But whoever wrote the "info" above is living proof that not everything you read on the world-wide-web is true.  Catfish are notorious among professional pond managers for being far and away the most hook-shy fish one can stock in a freshwater pond; I'm a better than average fisherman, and have experienced firsthand more than once how difficult they can be to get out of a pond, especially once they pack on a few pounds chowing down on one's expensive high-protein pellets one intends for other species.  There are several monster channel cats in one of my best ponds, and they wallow in the pellets, taking a great quantity away from the bluegill I'm trying to feed; but cast a bait in there (chicken liver, blood bait, nightcrawler, mackerel, etc.) and they'll ignore it with all the disdain of a brown trout in a clearwater stream.  And on the rare days when one slips up and bites, forget about hooking any more catfish that day - it's as though the one that got hooked got out a bullhorn and alerted every other catfish in the pond not to feed for the rest of the day (more likely they send out some sort of electromagnetic signal, or fear hormone).  

[dick tabbert]

Walt that is weird how it happen but that is the way it is. I can catch 2 or 3 then there in deep water mode with lock jaw but I have witnessed numerous time and that is what happens. Don't know how they communicate but they do.

[Walt Foreman]

I hear you, Dick - have seen it many times.  It's not as bad with smaller (under five or six pounds) channels; but the big ones really seem to have some sort of way of communicating.  And if ever there were a fish that displays learned behavior, specifically to not eat anything with a hook in it, channel cats are it.

[dick tabbert]

Well today I found my rubber legged dragon caught something I wasn't expecting one of my catfish 23" and about a 10 minute fight on the 4wt. Was a blast but for him this dinner one day this week.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Nice Dick....covered up the entire Bump Board....LOL

[Rick King]

Before you have him for dinner , ask him where his relatives hang out and what they like to eat.

[dick tabbert]

I can tell you his relative have got lock jaw at this time and at this point in time I don't think he well be answering anything he had a run in with a fillet knife yesterday.