Archive for April, 2011
3 Quick and Inexpensive Catfish Rigs
Written by Ed Harp
Thursday, 07 April 2011 10:00
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Three Way Rig

Start with a three-way swivel. Tie the line from your reel to one of the rings. Tie a short piece of line with a sinker attached to another ring. Tie another length of line with a hook on it to the third.

Adjust the length of your lines according to conditions and experience. Lengthening the line from the weight to the swivel will raise the bait further off the bottom; lengthening the line from the swivel to the bait will allow more freedom of movement and let your bait move naturally in the current.

Slip Sinker

Bass fisherman will recognize this as a Carolina Rig. Slip a barrel sinker on your line and then add a bead or two. Tie the end to one ring of a barrel swivel. Tie your leader and hook to the ring on the other end of the swivel. Adjust the length of the leader running down to your bait to the prevailing conditions.

Bait Walker/Bottom Bouncer Rig

This is commonly known as a Lindy Rig. It consists of an L-shaped wire with your weight on one end and a ring on the other. A wire extends down below the weight to permit your rig to “walk” along the bottom.

Tie your line from your reel to the right angle bend (elbow) in the wire.  Tie your hook to the ring with a leader. With most models you can adjust the length of the wire from the sinker so as to adjust the height of the bait above the bottom. This rig is especially useful over rough or snag infested bottoms.

 
73 Pound Blue Cat Caught Saturday
Written by Ed Harp
Monday, 04 April 2011 10:00
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For those of you who think it’s too early to be fishing the river, or who think it’s too cold and muddy, you’d better think again. The other guys are catching your fish. According to press reports released by KingKat, Rob Benningfield (Bowling Green) and Ed Moore (Louisville) landed a 73.65 pound blue catfish while fishing in 25-30 feet of water just west of Louisville. They reported using skipjack for bait.

As big as that fish was, however, it isn’t all that unusual. The Ohio River is considered one of the better catfish fisheries in the country. Blues and flatheads over 40 pounds are common, with channels up to 10 pounds routine.

For the most part all three species can be found in the Meldahl and Markland Pools. Typically they’re found near baitfish, along drops and channel swings as well as in or near current. The biggest ones are almost always caught with cut or live bait, although eating size channels are famous for slashing into crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

KingKat is a serious catfish tournament trail sponsored by Cabela’s and other top-shelf industry companies. They have several Ohio River tournaments scheduled this year. To fish one of them, or learn more about their organization check them out at www.kingkatusa.com.