20 channel catfish in mid afternoon

Today - I decided to fish under the hwy 89 bridge - to see if crappie were biting with this cooler weather - well no crappie - from about 2:30PM until 3:30PM - I was catching channel catfish - got 4 on minnow / crappie hooks - and 16 on magic bait with rod n reel (just threw it out to kill time - and was surprised at how fast the catfish were biting

Now for the bad news - 19 of the channel catfish were between 1/2 lb to 1 lb (I checked weight of one - at 3/4 lb - and it was typical of 'middle size'

I put on a bigger hook and a bigger 'ball of magic bait' and got a 3.5 lb channel so that made it worth time (not to mention it was fun catching fish as fast as I could keep bait in the water (I lost about half a dozen cause I had two rods and some got away

Anyway - not a big deal but with the two catfish I already had (one on trotline this AM - I have a 'mess' to clean (was too tired tonight so 3 fish are in my plastic pens

BTW: Never did get a crappie - but catching 20 fish (even little ones) was fun and the 3.5 lb was a fighter so I had a blast

3 catfish last night - nothing important

Been lazy - didn't post about the 3 from my fishing pier - cause only one was a keeper (2 lb 6oz channel - on small bream). Also baited trotline last night - first time in a week - but didn't catch anything (dang turtles :( Mixture of bait - bream - shad from freezer - magic bait - one minnow (in case a crappie came by my fishing pier)

Baited tonight - 3 hours ago - and turtles don't even seem to be biting tonight (at least around my fishing pier) - so not 'hopeful' for tomorrow :(

Lot of little catfish on little shad

I don't take time to discuss all the little catfish that I catch on yoyo's - off my fishing pier.

Just for example, I got two tonight - between 9PM and 11PM - and one was about 1.5 lbs (almost big enough to keep). However most are around a pound or less - in fact in the last three nights I've released 6 small ones (3 / Tuesday - 1 / Wednesday - 2/tonight (so far)

Main reason I'm adding this post is to mention that most of these were on shad or shad clusters like the 4 lb the other day - actually 4 on shad - 2 on magic bait - and I only put out one hook for each of these baits. Oh well this is time of year when shad bait seems to pick up - the cooler the water gets - the better shad bait seems to work so I plan to use more and more shad in next month or two.

4lb Channel catfish - Shad cluster - new nets

Reason for net video: Ever since my neighbor lost a 40 or 50 lb catfish - I've worried more about my nets e.g. I'm making sure I'm ready with a big net for 'my big fish' (I know there is one out there with my name on it :)

I've had various combinations of nets (for shad and fish) and yesterday I played 'musical handles' i.e. changed around handles - video to follow with first catfish in my new 'super net'

I got a 4 lb channel catfish (4 lb 3 -5 oz - so I couldn't call it a 4.5 lb :) - used my new long handle net with the deep (4' salmon net)

I had various bait for the trotline (saved the bream for the yoyo's on my fishing pier) - but it was a 'cluster of small shad' that got this catfish. When I have small 2-3" shad that died - I usually put 3 or 4 on the same hook - and call them a cluster (they are fresh i.e. not stink bait but shad that just died or are about to die

What perfect timing - since I got my new super long handle shad net yesterday - and will head to dam today to refill my freezer for the winter - there are tons of shad just waiting to break in my new net (will make video later today - showing catfish - shad catch and more important my 'perfect nets'

footnote: Well almost perfect - I still have plans for one more for big fish net with a slightly longer handle and salmon netting - need real long handle to reach water over top of my fishing pier which has 'kid proof wire' on the sides. I've got the one new long handle big fish net (5 foot handle) but want one more maybe one - two foot longer for times the lake is really low.

2 lb channel catfish (on magic bait) - lost weight

I still have my 'must be at least 2 lb or maybe 3 lb somedays' before I clean a catfish - so this AM when I got a 2 lb 5oz channel catfish - I was thinking that I MUST clean this one.

But when I was taking the treble hook out of it's mouth I had a difficult time cause one barb/hook was in top lip and one in bottom - so that his mouth was sorta held open and it took two set of pliers to get the hook out - and that is when I noticed / heard a slouching sound - it sounded like his belly was full of water and it was slightly bulged out.

Bottom line when I saw that it was slightly over 2 lbs - I figured it was full of water and actually weighted less than my 2 lb rule (limit) - so I could let it go but I didn't think of this loop hole until I had already put it on a stringer.

BTW: I also saw that it was looking health and not likely to die e.g. I never throw back one that might die - no matter what the size.

Then I remembered a new neighbor that I met that might want this fish - so I may have got lucky - may have someone that is hungry enough to 'save my 2 lb rule'. e.g. I may not have to use the water filled belly excuse reason to let this one go.

For the record, got this one on a cheese cloth / magic bait ball. I used a strip cut out of cheese cloth to wrap up 8 magic bait cubes (chicken liver / chicken blood) i.e. used a good size cheese cloth / magic bait ball to make the turtles have a harder time stealing the bait - and to go with the theory - that bigger bait equals bigger fish

BTW: still catching 1 - 1.5 lb channel on 3 magic bait cubes in a ball - on fairly regular basis.

Turtle Counting :(

My neighbor's new brush pile came apart in last storm and the logs don't have brush on them anymore - so the turtles love it. On two logs I just counted 23 turtles

Sneaky Channel Catfish Scared Me

First for those that do not 'know trotlines' - you have to be careful - not only of the hooks, turtle, gar - but especially of 'foul hooked turtles.

A 'foul hooked turtle' is one that is not hooked in the mouth but has 'snagged itself' such as having the hook in its tail or a foot. This means the snapping turtle head and mouth might be about 9" (a drop line length) away from your fingers when you lift the line - so you should always be looking ahead for the drop line / hook - to make sure there isn't a turtle waiting on you - they may not be very active but still alive (not drown yet).

Anyway this AM the trotline was coming up just beside the boat and I was moving slow so I could untwist the drop lines - I hadn't felt any tugs at all and just as I pulled up last few hooks - I almost jumped out of my skin (not to mention the boat :) - when I looked down and something was on the line right under me (inches away from my hand) - right beside the boat - I immediately pulled myself / boat / line back - expecting to see a snapping turtle head with mouth going for my fingers.

But as I backed up and lowed line - in a flash I saw it was a catfish - which I then figured must be dead - it was not moving a muscle. So I pulled myself back up a little so I was over the fish - and then he woke up giving me my morning shower and slapped the side of the boat - so I immediately backed up again so he would not 'drown me' and beat against my boat to get free.

Of course, the landing net was just barely out of reach (I usually have it moved close when I feel a tug on the line - but this sneaky catfish wanted to scare me and give me a shower (it must have been on all night and worn out from fighting the weight which was only 3 hooks away).

Anyway to make this 'now long' story shorter - it was / is a 3 lb (2 lb 15oz min - 3 lb 4 oz max) Channel Catfish.

I'm dry now and going back to bed but my heart just recently stopped pounding and I'm sure to dream of a big ole snapping turtle that would have been eating my fingers if it was sneaky as this channel catfish.

Record Flathead that got away

Fact 1: The Arkansas state record for flathead is from the Arkansas river at 80 lbs.

Fact 2: The gates at the spillway were open to get ready for the storm (Ike) - and a potential record catfish must have entered Lake Conway.

Fact 3: The neighbor with the boat (Mike) took his next door neighbor (we will call him Tommy G. L - to protect the innocent) to help run the trotline. He is a young strong (or so we 'thunk') man that should have been able to lift the huge fish up with the trotline.

Fact 4: He lifted the fish high enough that it was obvious that this was probably a Lake Conway record and maybe a state record . But as soon as the fish saw Tommy Glenn (oops I wasn't suppose to let on that is his real name) - it dove and almost pulled The Muscle Head Tommy Glenn off the boat (He claims it hurt his back - so now the neighbors are thinking of buying a weight lifting set so Tommy Glenn (yep that's his real name - the one that people around here know - to heck with protecting him - at least I didn't give his last name ) can work out and not let another big fish get away. (he should have got the fish up for the net the first time he lifted the line)

Fact 5: When Tommy pulled the fish up for the second time - it got a really good look at Tommy - and the catfish must have realized it was a young wimp on the trotline - so he took off and straighted out the hook (a stainless steel 4/0 - which next time may be a 5/0 - or 6/0)

Fact 6: The entire neighborhood was planning a fish fry on a certain Birthday - in early December - and this fish would have fed us all. So now the neighbors are not speaking to Tommy and some may even throw rocks at his car the next time he drives by.

Fact 7: Tommy is still in the house and will not even come outside so all the neighbors can 'talk' to him ( he may think he's about to be thrown in the lake - hmmmmm - now that he thinks that - maybe that's a good thing to do )

Fact 8: Tommy's Old Lady (as he calls her) will probably help throw him in the lake cause he's not suppose to call her - 'My old lady' - but he does (so he's on more than one persons SHIT list.

Fact 9: I was going to make a video showing who Tommy is - so other people on Lake Conway will know what a wimp he is when it comes to landing a huge flathead catfish but again he's hiding in the house.

Fact 10: Tommy is going to tell people that the fish was probably only 40 - 50 lbs but Mike saw it - he told off on Tommy e.g. it was probably much bigger.

Summary: Tommy may go swimming if he ever comes out of hiding - it's a crime around here to let a trophy fish get away. Especially if Tommy was jealous that his yoyo - trotlines have never produced a fish as big as the one on Mike's trotline - makes one wonder if the 'it hurt my back' excuse may have been a cover just to let Mike's fish go - maybe that is who he is really hiding from ! !

Queston of the day - Was Tommy jealous of Mike's fish so he let him get away ? ? ?

Fly rod PB - 4 lb channel catfish

Just got my PB (personal best) on a fly rod - I was trying to fish for bream to bait my yoyo's and trotline - a storm was moving close to I laid down my fly rod and started putting up the yoyo's

About that time my fly rod started flying down the fishing pier and I grabbed it and held on

I was fighting it - letting it run (like I had a choice) - and a neighbor came out down the street and I yelled for help

He yelled at another neighbor and they got a net - I figured I'd never get it out - but it was getting tired by time someone arrived with net and I dragged it into the net


By this time the rain was moving across the lake - so I gave the fish to the guy with the net and we all ran for cover (still didn't get to bait my yoyo's - and the trotline will not be baited tonight (dang it - perfect night but can't bait in a storm and short on bait (need about 3 dozen to bait yoyo's for bait thieves and 21 hooks on trotline

We didn't have time to weight the fish - I may see if they still haven't cleaned it tomorrow and go weight it - but it's a 4 lb or better according to my trained eye (e.g. I'm usually pretty close :)

I had 4 lb leader on my fly line and was using a #8 hook (yep I said #8) - had half a large red worm (was trying to get rid of the last half (I cut them in half for bream fishing) - best guess is that a bream got on the line first then the catfish - hard to believe a catfish that big would waste time on half a worm :)

I was surprised the catfish didn't straight the hook - but I let him run all he wanted - had to play him a while before someone showed up with net.

I've got 3 lb bass before on fly rod - but this is biggest fish - the channel catfish for fly rod

Catch of the night - 7 lb

Used 5 yoyo with bream and 2 with magic bait.

Good news - two channel catfish on magic bait (same yoyo - one at 10PM - one at 6AM) - bad news both were too small to keep ( about 1 lb and other about 1 1/2 to 2 lb)

Good news - got a 7 lb fish around 10PM - bad news it was a drum (worst news - it pulled my PVC pole clamp loose - will have to fix it before tonight. More bad news - it got one of my bait /bream that was so big I was suprised it fit in the drum's mouth. I know this bream was going to catch a 30 lb flathead if that dang drum had not come along :( :(

Latest catch (on bare hook)

Yesterday - just a 1.5 lb Channel catfish - on small bream / yoyo - let it go

Last night before bed - one harmless water snake - was already drown / dead by time I found it on yoyo / small bream

This AM - a 2 lb plus channel catfish (didn't weight it cause I took it to crappie fishermen under the bridge - they were not catching any decent size crappie so I gave one of them the catfish

This last fish is only reason I'm updating blog (usually don't report ever catch if I let it go - snakes - etc. but the fish I gave away was taken on a bare hook on a tied / floating noodle on my fishing pier

I tried a new set up - with two hooks on the drop line - one at top was 4/O J hook and one at bottom was 3/O treble hook. I had a 2-3" shad on the top hook and had planned to put magic bait (stink up the area) on the bottom hook - but was running low so I did not bait the bottom hook.

Well you guessed it the catfish had the un-baited treble hook in his mouth (his tail had got snagged with the other hook that had the shad) - my best guess is that the catfish stole the shad then turned and bit the bare hook cause the bare hook was in his mouth and he was hooked solid i.e. he was NOT snagged on the bare hook it was completely in his mouth

This is not first time I've got a catfish on a bare hook - happened before on trotline (even happened a couple times in daylight - hook may have been shiny - but this is first time it happened on noodle.

So the lucky crappie fisherman has catfish for lunch today. BTW: the two guys down there were two of 4 guys that use to fish under the bridge every morning in the spring and fall. They usually start catching them in mid Sept -until Dec - so it wasn't surprising that the big ones haven't started biting down there yet - just little ones.

how to fillet catfish (best - more details on removing skin)

I got a 4 lb Channel Catfish that I had to clean (i.e. bigger than my 2 lb cut off / limit) So I made a better - how to fillet a catfish video -

Text from my youtube/arkieprince:

This version of how to fillet a catfish shows more detail on the removal of the skin - also this catfish was bled to death (put to sleep) so there is no blood - also the belly meat was saved (not someting I usually do)

flathead 6lb + 2.6 lb channel catfish

Summary: 5 catfish in last 3 nights - but only two to clean

Baited trotline last night first time a while because of high water (water falling now) - used bream / shad / magic bait (2 hooks) - the 2 lb 10 oz channel catfish was on the magic bait.

The 6 lb 5oz flathead catfish was on bream on yoyo on my fishing pier - where I'm catching more fish that on trotline - probably cause I chum for shinners / bream / minnows with presoaked dog food i.e. plenty of bait fish aroung my fishing pier and the brush pile beside my pier

I don't expect to catch a lot of fish in this shallow water or on my trotline which is in front of my house so I can get to it easy - my neighbors all catch more fish by going to deep water / channel near bridge - but I don't leave home and catch more than enough :) (especially since I don't like to clean them and don't have enough people close that will clean them right away (I don't like to let the lay around - they might die / spoil - so I either see that they get cleaned in short time or let them go.