Well, the only thing I caught yesterday was a buzz, but at the same time we had a good time. We didn't have very long to fish as the kids get off the bus mid afternoon and so we couldn't stay as long as I'd have liked, but I was using a specific bait (Tijuana Momma hot pickled Sausage, and a Slim Jim Chili Cheese Coney Dog flavored) to target Channel Catfish.
Yesterday was more or less a try and see kind of thing; Catfish start moving generally more after Morel Mushrooms start popping up it seems, and We went into town to fish so I found out that in mid day the Catfish aren't actually biting yet though I did have a few tugs now and then on the line.
I've caught Channel Cats well over 10 pounds using those Slim Jims and generally I keep one in my gear bag so that I always have bait. The Canadian Geese were getting mouthy but none came over near us LOL. I've had them hiss at me before at that spot, which is fine.... Haven't ever been attacked but I'm pretty sure if they did I'd have some fresh heart for bait that day.
I'm pretty sure there was some kind of massive fish swimming around though; Wife and I were sitting there and all of a sudden multiple Geese on the water took off and flew away after some movement near the surface (Probably a huge Pike or Musky.... possibly Flathead of Channel Cat, as ll of those would have no problem nailing a bird) but we didn't see anything really.
This is one I caught at the spot we were at yesterday though:
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That was caught two years ago maybe ?
I had a solid week where I caught 3 around that size (Between about 11 pounds and just about 13 pounds or so, maybe less) and one of them was caught on a Slim Jim (Spicy kind) and then another was caught one me being dumb as fuck; I was out fishing one day, and I had multiple hits on one of the bigger rods, but not really pulling too hard, and after a while of that happening I decided to bring the line in and check the bait.
When I reeled in, I got the line maybe halfway in and started noticing the line was spinning in circles and that there was a fish on..... OK odd I thought, and then, I see this Silver fish I'd never seen before was on the hook..... I had no idea what it was, and thought at first it was a White Bass, but it had no stripes or anything, and had swallowed my hook..... First time I've ever had to use my de-hooking tool literally ever LOL.
Then it spewed "Fish Milk" all over me as I tried getting the hook out....It was hooked deep too; literally swallowed the hook! I figured it was gonna die anyway, and having no clue what it was I didn't know if it was even a legal keeper size but if it's gonna die anyway I'm not gonna waste it I thought, so I put it on a stringer and cut that hook off, and tied on a smaller Circle Hook so it would be less likely to happen again.
A few minutes later the same thing started to happen; Tugs and then nothing.....Tugs, and then nothing.... OK I thought, I'll check the bait again, and sure enough another fish of the same type had taken it. Reeled the fish in, and to my surprise, he had swallowed the CIRCLE HOOK!
The hook barely fit in his mouth.... I'm a Catfish Angler, I don't use small hooks unless I'm getting Sunfish for bait, so I had no idea how he swallowed THAT hook LOL.
Anyway, again, it was swallowed, and the fish was probably gonna die, so I put him on the stringer next to his friend.
Anyway, after I left, I brought the fish back, still not sure what they were, and after picking up the Wife from work, we went back to the house, and she asked her Dad about what I had caught.
He took one look and said "White Perch" and so I'm like "Oh! OK! Those are edible fish, so I'll go clean them"...... The SIZE of the two fish didn't even come into my mind.... The fact that it was a White Perch..... Nope, didn't even think about it..... AFTER I cleaned those two fish, I was sitting in the bedroom reading about White Perch.... Then it dawned on me...... "Wait our state record is 2 pounds......A Master Angler Award worthy Fish of that species is almost HALF the size of the one, and just under half the size of the other......."
Yeah.... I was incompetent to say the least.... I looked at the one fish that was 18 inches or so and realized I could have gotten an award for this thing but it was now partially in the freezer (The other part wasn't) and the other one was pushing the two pound mark..... The biggest of the two was probably a state record, and the smaller one was easily a Master Angler Award worthy fish but I didn't know what it was.
I was a little annoyed with myself, but shook that off and took those filets to the River where I caught them, and used them as Bait. One of the biggest Channel Cats I've ever caught came out of the water with that as bait.
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All in all it worked out just fine LOL. I now know though that White Perch don't normally get that big.
I also now know that White Perch and Yellow Perch are NOT that line shy..... They were all caught with a neon green Berkley Big Game 40 pound test Mono leader....
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I had a very small budget when I started getting back into fishing; I fished when I was little and did pretty well, but then about 5 years ago I got back into it, but had no gear. I had a 40 dollar budget and got a Southbend Rod and Reel combo for like 40 dollars, and a 15 pound Carp destroyed the reel LOL. The sand the reel landed it didn't help and may have been what actually smoked it, but I ended up taking that back and getting that Berkley Fusion Spinning Reel and Rod combo for 40 dollars. It came with 17 pound Mono.
Then I got that Spinning Ugly Stik Catfish edition for a similar price.
The two Rods on the left are Christmas Gifts from my Mom (One Big Cat Fever Rod a year for the last few years....The Cork handle Rod was a gift from my the in laws as they cost like 60 bucks on sale) and the Penn 209M on the one on the right was given to me by the soon to be Father in Law, and the Okuma Classic CLX-450-LA was a present from my Mom as it only cost 40 dollars (The budget she had to work with).
I spend money on Hooks, not other gear really. The ONLY two high profile things I own other than the Big Cat Fever Rods, are two Penn Fathom Lever Drag Reels. I have a 15 and a 25.
The 25 is on an Extra Heavy Action Big Cat Fever Rod (Pure S-Glass, Aluminum Reel Seat, Re-Enforced Stainless Steel guides) as that is my "Sturgeon Stopper" in case I ever hook into one LOL. The 25 maxes out at 33 pounds of Drag so I figure I have a shot at landing one with that set up LOL.
The Size of those Trokar Circle Hooks..... Man if I ever see a Bull Shark hahaha!