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.

A blue is better eating than a channel IMO. The meat is whiter, doesn't have that yellow or gray tint to it.

X2! And I actually prefer a Yellow cats meat on a big fish because there is less stuff to trim off than on a blue. Cut everything that's not white off and discard if you don't you will not like it. I had rather eat a squealer or a big fish over a medium or good eating size as everyone calls them.

I like white cats the best, well out of the river anyways. We feed them at my dad's pond everyday and they taste really good.

Good night man come by the house and I'll give you some fish to eat... Crappie or Shellcracker fillets.

I didn't get to crappie fish much this year. I like catfish, good eating. I'll bring you some Walker if you want to try em.

I've tried them...I guess I've turned into a snob when it comes to fish. We catch the heck out of them blues in June on jugs,we usually float back side of island or state line to train bridge. I probably give away a 1/2 ton of blue in June.

well I'd rather fool with crappie myself too but I'm having to take what I can get.

I completely disagree, prefer a channel to a blue any day and 10X if both are over five pounds.

10-4 I didn't mean to sound like peckerhead... The offer is always good on crappie and shellcracker. On the blue cat I buy the cheap chicken with the skin on and cube it up and pour garlic salt all over it. Wrap meat in skin and nothing can get it off without swallowing it.

I may take you up on some crappie sometime. I wanna learn how to catch them in the summertime. I have a hard time catching anything once they go deep, I don't have any experience doing it.

You catching some good shellcrackers?

Yes but they are about done,we have been wearing them out on the beds but all the females are layed out.I'll pm you about a crappie bite that will last til middle of June.

alright thanks Walker i'll owe you one buddy

I hope to go next Saturday. I took The Boss and MIL to eat at Guntersville State Park. Afterwards we walked out to the restaurant overlook. The lake looked great. If the MIL wasn't visiting, I would have gone back home and hooked up the boat.

I went this afternoon for a little while before the rain got here. We managed to catch ten blues and a gar. All perfect for eating. I think that's 21 blues in two afternoons of fishing.

I am going to try to eat gar one day. I have had it but I didn't cook it.

well I didn't clean the gar, I threw his butt back.

I've heard they have clean white meat, but I ain't gonna find it

No catfish at all on Saturday. Wouldn't even bite on cut skipjack. So tired of fishing where they ain't.

I did learn you can't go slow coming out of Sebold. Dang grass clogged up my water intakes three times before I could reach deeper water. Coming in, I told my passengers to hold on.

Gar is really good. Lookup gar ball recipes. This is how them Cajuns cook them.