Anyone catching any blue cats? I'm going for the first time this year today so hopefully I'll have one or two.

I caught a cat on a cricket bluegill fishing the other day. On a riprap bank pretty close to shore. I think it was a flathead.


He was sporty on the ultralight.

The wind is so bad here that I think I may not get to go. It's hard running noodles in a 16 ft flat bottom with the river so rough like it is today.

that looks more like a channel cat, nice catch.

That's definitely a channel cat. There's a little test you can try and I will guarantee you will learn the difference between catfish. Just simply jab your hand with one of the side or top fins and if it's a Flathead or Yellow cat it will not stick you but any other type cat will stick you and you won't be able to pull the fin out. Try it sometimes

Channels and blues have forked tails, flatheads do not

The blue cat bite has slowed down on lay lake. I believe they are on bed . I mainly catfish but the stripe are on fire so I'm catching what's biting. You might have better luck with the flatheads for the next week or so.

Well obviously I don't know my cats. Thanks for the ID tips.

haha, the good news is that the channel cat is good table fare, esp that size.

My cousin caught a blue in the 70 lb range this morning above the train bridge in the river. I'll get after them as soon as the giant shellcrackers quit biting.

I'm out here now, I think we have 11 or 12 in the boat so far. All nice eating size blues.

What y'all catching 'em on?

Cutbait

In Conroe I used to catch them on spinnerbaits both before and while they were on the bed. It happened mostly on rip rap. Every time I encountered them I could have loaded the boat with them.
I just stopped fishing a spinnerbait , they didn't hit a pplastic worm. Any of you done that?

Nice work! What depth?

With AC870 catching his last weekend on riprap that made me wonder if they're moving to the rocks and bluffs for spawning. Years ago I fished with a guy over on Pickwick who used a fly rod to dabble nightcrawlers around the rock bluff walls. If there was a crack he'd drop the worm in, set the hook and have a heck of a fight.

Seems it was about mid-May or mid-June when he said they started spawning. I'm sure they'd knock the piss out of a spinnerbait coming around their nest or fry.

I always caught them up next to the bluffs between Cowford and Elk River this time of year.

main river channel, 25' deep

You eat them blues out of the river?

shoot yea Walker! Fine eating if you clean them correctly. You have to get the blood line out of the center of the fillet, and soak em in salty water. I change the water I have them soaking in about 7 or 8 times, until the meat is pure white and the water is clean. They'll taste better than any farm raised catfish. I got 3 gallons worth from those yesterday.