A couple questions for you catfish gurus.

DeerJerky

Six Pointer
Contributor
I have tried catfishing the last few weeks a couple of times using both jugs and fishing poles.
I have tried the yadkin above high rock and have tried high rock itself.
I have tried gizzards and hearts soaked in garlic and chicken livers.
I have caught two small fish total and was just wondering what I'm doing wrong.
Been fishing from before dark till 1 am.
Can you guys that are more seasoned catfisherman shed some light on what I might be doing wrong?
Thanks so much in advance for your help.
Don
 

nekkedducker

Ten Pointer
Try using a cast net to catch some gizzard or threadfin shad. On jordan and harris it was hit or miss with cut bream, livers, etc. As soon as we starting using shad our success doubled. Remember no live bait on jug or limb lines, but dead works just as good.

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stilker

Old Mossy Horns
Try shallow,moving water if you've got some spots like that....use some carp or sucker meat cut into strips for bait.
 
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HarryNC

Eight Pointer
Try a buffet of fresh cut and live bait; shad, bream, crappie, white perch. See what they prefer that day. Try different depths, and spread your baits from near the top to the bottom. If you've got a depth finder, and can find schools of bait, fish near the bait fish.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Chicken breast cut in 1" cubes placed in ziplock bag with salt, garlic powder and strawberry jello has done great for eaten size cats.

Got several blue, and channel cats at gaston on sat night and sunday.
Also got one flathead from the looks maybe two but they were only 16" or so.
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Large minnows if you don't have time to catch bait......squeeze the head good and hook em up...........expensive but it gets quick results at Kerr Lake
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Try chumming for them with a net bag filled with dry dog food set out at least a day previous to your fishing trip. Suspend it from a limb or from a gallon jug a couple of feet above the bottom just above the place you plan to fish(try to find moving water to find your best concentration of catfish)and use any of the natural baits mentioned previously, even a big wad of earthworms or nightcrawlers will do the trick. The dog food attracts lots of small baitfish and invertebrates and can help concentrate catfish into an area. You can also use canned corn but it doesn't last as long, and can attract bream like crazy that will clean you out in a minute.
 

DeerJerky

Six Pointer
Contributor
Wow! Thanks so much for all the input folks. That helps a lot.

A couple more questions.

When jug fishing, what length line do you normally use? Do you try to get the bait near the bottom or just a few feet down from the surface?
Also, is it better to jug fish in moving water or is it best to find calm water off the main channel. Near the bank or further out?

Thanks again for the help guys.
Don
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Chicken breast cut in 1" cubes placed in ziplock bag with salt, garlic powder and strawberry jello has done great for eaten size cats.

Got several blue, and channel cats at gaston on sat night and sunday.
Also got one flathead from the looks maybe two but they were only 16" or so.

I've had good luck with breast cut in 1/2 x 2" long strips. I just load them up with garlic salt. It works great in the Catawba chain but no luck in the Yadkin chain.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I don't use edibles for catching other edibles,,,,so not much on using chicken etc

my absolute favorite is panfish that's too small for the fryer (but is there really such a thing???),,,,or shad when I have more than I need for pickling (ssshhh,,,don't tell nccatfisher,,,,,he thinks I eat all of them!!!)
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
I've caught thousands of pounds on cut bream on a jug with a line no longer than 2-3ft. Chicken tastes way better than catfish, save it for the plate. You shouldn't have any money in bait for catfish other than tackle. I can take 2 red worms and have enough bait for a whole night and then some.
 
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nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I don't use edibles for catching other edibles,,,,so not much on using chicken etc

my absolute favorite is panfish that's too small for the fryer (but is there really such a thing???),,,,or shad when I have more than I need for pickling (ssshhh,,,don't tell nccatfisher,,,,,he thinks I eat all of them!!!)
Exactly, in that area you are going to be primarily targeting channels and flatheads with the occasional blue. FRESH shad or live along with live bream, shiners crappie etc. If you keep up with the stink bait etc, for the most part your results will do the same, stink. LOL

And do yourself a favor, if the river is the color of chocolate milk like it is right now go home and clean your reels and make weights and get ready for when the water clears. I have lived right in that area off and on for close to 50 years. You will occasionally catch one when it is that muddy but more than likely it will be foul hooked. It isn't like some of the other body of waters where high dirty water triggers the bite, just the opposite.
 
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DeerJerky

Six Pointer
Contributor
Guys, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the responses. A lot of good information here. Man, I love this site... People helping people. That's the way it aught to be.
Keep up with the tips and all, I'm sure there are more folks out there than me that can use the help too.
Thanks again,
Don
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
I don't use edibles for catching other edibles,,,,

my absolute favorite is panfish that's too small for the fryer (but is there really such a thing???),,,,or shad when I have more than I need for pickling (ssshhh,,,don't tell nccatfisher,,,,,he thinks I eat all of them!!!)

Pickle them.....

Man I wish I could reach into the water and grab bait like I can the fridge and grab bait to catch something with.

but when I can catch bait I do.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Pickle them.....

Man I wish I could reach into the water and grab bait like I can the fridge and grab bait to catch something with.

but when I can catch bait I do.
That is the one good thing about fishing on HighRock/lower Yadkin. If you can't catch bait you most likely need to go home because you don't know how to catch the other fish. It is a bait fish smorgasborgd.

Now some of the lakes a little farther down can be a PITA at times.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
I can stand at the ramp before I drop the boat in, with an ultra light, 4lb mono, #8 Aberdeen hook with no weight and about 1/4 of red wiggler pinched onto the hook and catch 5-6 bream in about 3min, rebait, repeat. You can have 30 in 25-30min and never get the boat wet yet. Just flip over a board or something out in the back yard and grab a couple worms before the go down the hole.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I can stand at the ramp before I drop the boat in, with an ultra light, 4lb mono, #8 Aberdeen hook with no weight and about 1/4 of red wiggler pinched onto the hook and catch 5-6 bream in about 3min, rebait, repeat. You can have 30 in 25-30min and never get the boat wet yet. Just flip over a board or something out in the back yard and grab a couple worms before the go down the hole.
Or a power bait or jig and load up with white perch.
 

nekkedducker

Ten Pointer
Thought about this post last night after we got back, these were caught on red hot dogs coated with a pack strawberry kool aid mix. They inhaled the dang things so deep I couldnt get the hooks out hardly.
6e0547c62e6afca5c1475b0a026edeef.jpg


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nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
All depends on what size you are fishing for, on most any given day I can throw a cast net once for shad then go drift 4 rods and catch them that size up to 10# all day long and never keep all 4 rods in the water at any time.

I just prefer to catch something that is really going to give a heck of a fight unless I am into freezer fishing. Then I will be crappie fishing.
 
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