| Cats, The Misfit Gamefish by Chris Powell |
I remember growing up in West-Central Wisconsin fishing for walleyes
with Mom and Dad. Once in a while we would get into something that
felt a little bigger, and a little better. That is when we would get it up to
the boat, and see the ugly head poking out complete with a set of
whiskers. “Disgusting!” My mom would yell. Dad wouldn’t even touch
them. The line was cut, and the fish would swim away.
with Mom and Dad. Once in a while we would get into something that
felt a little bigger, and a little better. That is when we would get it up to
the boat, and see the ugly head poking out complete with a set of
whiskers. “Disgusting!” My mom would yell. Dad wouldn’t even touch
them. The line was cut, and the fish would swim away.
“Never touch the whiskers,” they would
tell me, “you will get stung if you do.”
This was the mentality that was set into
my brain as a child. One day fishing
with my grandpa and a buddy, we
caught 3 decent channels that went
directly into the livewell. “Aren’t those
disgusting?“, I asked in amusement.
Which was met by hearty laughs from
the older gentlemen. “Some of the
best eating fish there is!“, was the
response I got. I also noticed the cats
were being handled like any other
fish. They showed me what to really
watch out for, and twirled the
whiskers. There was nothing to be
afraid of.
tell me, “you will get stung if you do.”
This was the mentality that was set into
my brain as a child. One day fishing
with my grandpa and a buddy, we
caught 3 decent channels that went
directly into the livewell. “Aren’t those
disgusting?“, I asked in amusement.
Which was met by hearty laughs from
the older gentlemen. “Some of the
best eating fish there is!“, was the
response I got. I also noticed the cats
were being handled like any other
fish. They showed me what to really
watch out for, and twirled the
whiskers. There was nothing to be
afraid of.
Even knowing this, and pursuing cats myself in my
early adult years, I was shocked to see that catfish
were actually considered a gamefish, and were widely
popular. And for good reason. When you wrestle a
big cat, you are in for the fight of your life. They will
hang right to the bottom, until they have nothing left,
and after catching a few 20 pound class fish in a day,
you may not have much left either!
Catfish are found throughout Wisconsin, most
commonly channels and flatheads. Look for them in
slow current, river backwaters, and reservoirs. Catfish
feed on, well, everything! Yes I mean everything. I
have heard of people using hot dogs, chicken livers,
minnows left out in the sun for a week, you name it.
Many of the bigger bait companies such as Berkley
offer products in the form of a blood bait, for example,
to the public. All of these will work for catching smaller
“fiddler” cats, which are outstanding in the frying pan.
But when you are targeting larger cats, fresh cut-bait
may be your best option. Be careful to check your
regulations, however. With the new VHS laws you
cannot use frozen fish from other bodies of water
anymore. I would recommend buying some muskie
suckers and using chunks of them, it will work just as
well.
early adult years, I was shocked to see that catfish
were actually considered a gamefish, and were widely
popular. And for good reason. When you wrestle a
big cat, you are in for the fight of your life. They will
hang right to the bottom, until they have nothing left,
and after catching a few 20 pound class fish in a day,
you may not have much left either!
Catfish are found throughout Wisconsin, most
commonly channels and flatheads. Look for them in
slow current, river backwaters, and reservoirs. Catfish
feed on, well, everything! Yes I mean everything. I
have heard of people using hot dogs, chicken livers,
minnows left out in the sun for a week, you name it.
Many of the bigger bait companies such as Berkley
offer products in the form of a blood bait, for example,
to the public. All of these will work for catching smaller
“fiddler” cats, which are outstanding in the frying pan.
But when you are targeting larger cats, fresh cut-bait
may be your best option. Be careful to check your
regulations, however. With the new VHS laws you
cannot use frozen fish from other bodies of water
anymore. I would recommend buying some muskie
suckers and using chunks of them, it will work just as
well.
When targeting cats you will want to use a heavy duty rod and
reel. You don’t have to get too fancy, because the
behemoths can wear on your equipment. I usually use a
mono line 10-20 lb test. Use a #2 size hook or bigger, and
just enough weight to fish the bottom.
Fish the low-light periods of the day. While you can catch
cats at any time of day, I have found early morning, and early
evening to be best. This is because they grow more timid
during the daytime.
reel. You don’t have to get too fancy, because the
behemoths can wear on your equipment. I usually use a
mono line 10-20 lb test. Use a #2 size hook or bigger, and
just enough weight to fish the bottom.
Fish the low-light periods of the day. While you can catch
cats at any time of day, I have found early morning, and early
evening to be best. This is because they grow more timid
during the daytime.
Now is starting to be the best time of the year to catch multiple
cats. My rule for catfish weather is “The hotter the better”.
Nothing beats chasing them on a hot, humid day.
Get out and enjoy the catfishing opportunities in Wisconsin.
Odds are, you have a goldmine right in your backyard. Have a
great summer.
Chris Powell- Chief Administrator for Wisconsin Fisherman/O-L-O, and
a licensed Wisconsin Fishing Guide.
Contact Chris at Fat Guy's Guide Service
715-577-9771 or on the web at www.fat-guy.org
cats. My rule for catfish weather is “The hotter the better”.
Nothing beats chasing them on a hot, humid day.
Get out and enjoy the catfishing opportunities in Wisconsin.
Odds are, you have a goldmine right in your backyard. Have a
great summer.
Chris Powell- Chief Administrator for Wisconsin Fisherman/O-L-O, and
a licensed Wisconsin Fishing Guide.
Contact Chris at Fat Guy's Guide Service
715-577-9771 or on the web at www.fat-guy.org
