Should rename this forum... Catfish Club

[TommyRobinson]

Not that it's a bad thing but would love to see more reports and stories for other species in here from time to time. Come on guys, let's get some mugshots of other fish and other hotspots besides the Chick and James. If you like I would start it.

[RANGER690]

Start!

Tag. Your it!

[Katnip]

I vote for a "Virginia Catfishing" Board![excited]

[willis]

Virginia Catfish board [grin][tongue][excited]

[kepone cats]

I second that!

[RANGER690]

The Bass guys did that already. Bad idea. You guys are a bunch of seperatist! Get rid of the bass board. Make it all one board.

Combine all the boards. Lets get rid of the freshwater board. Start posting on the orginal boards again and make the salt guys wade thru our reports.

And if you did make a cat board, why limit it to just VA.

Bunch of morons![tongue]

Dayton

[richmondfishing]

I think we should have all kinds of fresh water fishing on this board - as long as the subject is blue cat fishing between Richmond and Hopewell on the James River

[kepone cats]

We are moorons. Can't be happy for nothing.[grin]

[Katnip]

"Milky Way Catfishing Board"

Inclusive enough now?[wink]

[RANGER690]

I like Snickers![smile]

[TommyRobinson]

RANGER690 originally wrote:
Start!

Tag. Your it!


Ok - here's a report for ya - caught a goldfish in the Tidal Basin last week - now that's definatley a change of pace.

PS - bet those big blue cats would gulp this thing down :).

http://images.snapfish.com/343889%3A%3B23232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2346%3D749%3D796%3 DXROQDF%3E232384886%3C%3B%3B2ot1lsi

[Gottheblues]

How about a "Dutch Gap Catfishing" board?

[javelin99]

Gottheblues originally wrote:
How about a "Dutch Gap Catfishing" board?


hey Chris,
that board would have all the big catfish reports on it[grin]

[Big Cat]

danzig!

[spin-a-bait]

Hey Javelin 99 Katie says she likes your Tiger rod[grin]

[javelin99]

did katie catch the 43 on my rod.im glad some is catching something on those rods [grin]

[javelin99]

did katie catch the 43 on my rod.im glad someone is catching something on those rods [grin]

[spin-a-bait]

no but your rod was right beside the one she caught it on

[John Rooney]

Hey Tommy, nice red carp! In Germany, carp is commonly eaten. Folks, especially ex- military say it's really good.??

John

Oh yeah, 6lb. 5 oz bass from the Chick last Sat.!! Yeeehaww! Sorry no pics.

[TommyRobinson]

[Q]john rooney originally wrote:
Hey Tommy, nice red carp! In Germany, carp is commonly eaten. Folks, especially ex- military say it's really good.??

I'll take their word for it :) .

[Slipsinker]

You VA guys have this catfish thing sewn up down there. Wish we had some bigger cats up here in the Baltimore area. Oh well, guess I'll have to be satisfied with eating size cats.

Tommy...You've got a lot of PR work to do to sell those carp. [grin] Everytime I hook one of those monster trash fish I'm hoping it's a big cat.[tongue][grin]

[TommyRobinson]

That's okay bro = more for me to catch with less competition :). Speaking of trash fish .... I am sure tired of hearing about those rockfish :) . Outside of the culinary part - they really are useless. Eat everything insight and diminish other species like perch and such. Fight isn't even close to those fish of mine :). Never had the big blues but if they fight like their cousin's (channel cats ) then I'll stick with my carp [grin].

[kepone cats]

I used to catch a carp every now in then when I fished from the shore at the mouth of the chick. during March and April. I was using worms for bait, sometimes with a little piece of cut white perch. They fought hard but I can not see myself targeting them. Once I tried baiting the channel cats up a creek with corn. I went back a few days later and the carp were so thick the water was stirred up and muddy. They can be baited up easily. I had more success with wheat but that day corn was all I had. It is something I may do some day again if I get bored.

[willis]

When i was a kid i grew up on Falling creek near the James and we could catch those carp in the 20-30lb class pretty often on corn. Straight out the can on a J hook and whats left dump in the water and you could get a whole family gathering of carp. It was fun as a kid but pound for pound ill take the blue cat. Glad to see some anglers fish for them.

[RANGER690]

I like all fishing. I am glad to see new folks and new fish. Post more pics and keep us up to date. Lets see some big Carp please.

And how about your biggest crappie?

Dayton

[TommyRobinson]

Big Carp - I can share a few pics of some good fish that I've had the pleasure to catch...

Here's some of the biggest I have caught over the past year or so.
My biggest to date - at 45+ pounds.
http://images.snapfish.com/3438998323232%7Ffp46%3Dot%3E2346%3D749%3D796%3DXRO QDF%3E23237%3A9574332ot1lsi

Fish like these pull like a freight train on the right equipment

http://images.snapfish.com/3438998323232%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3255%3E658%3E6%3A5%3EWS NRCG%3D323289%3A47%3A%3A%3A%3Anu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3438998323232%7Ffp54%3Dot%3E2346%3D749%3D796%3DXRO QDF%3E23237%3A9573%3B49ot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/3438998323232%7Ffp47%3Dot%3E2346%3D749%3D796%3DXRO QDF%3E2323848875272ot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/3438998323232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2346%3D749%3D796%3DXRO QDF%3E23237%3A956%3B395ot1lsi

Can't help ya with the crappies - never really caught big ones - maybe 14" - Love to catch them and other panfish as well - especially big bluegills and yellow perch.

Like I said - have nothing against any fish - like to catch just about anything if it fights better then a washcloth [grin]

I'll chime in to brag from time to time with all of the above and I know you guys will appreciate it = well maybe some of ya [grin]!

[ketch69]

Hey Tommy

You should have balcked out the background in them pictures. You will soon see a Ranger 690 with one Dayton Keene aboard looking for you spots.


DEAN

[RANGER690]

Watch it Ketch! I resemble that remark.

Cool Carp. That looks like fun. I like the dark pic the best. Looks like fishing in a storm. Very hard core. Not like these Yahoos around here where it has to be between 58 and 71° with a wind no stronger that 4 mph.

Keep the pics coming.

thanks,
Dayton

[wasabi]

Willis,

I grew up around that Falling Creek area too. I used to go 4-wheeling (sometimes in my sister's Dodge Dart no less) down that steep hill out past Ft. Darling (Drewery's Bluff?) and shoot those carp when they came up the creek. This was just up from Falling Creek. Had a buddy fall off Drewery's Bluff all the way down to the bank of the river one day when we were pointing guns at seagulls. Good times....

[TommyRobinson]

Bowfisherman huh...

Wonder when the DNR will allow Rockfish , Bass and Catfish to be taken with a bow? That is one prehistoric ritual that never seems to be accepted from most carp fishermen. Not totally biased on the matter but shooting a fish for waste is something I disagree with. Nothing against taking them for the table - if that's your bag but when I see hundreds of dead fish in a dumpster it's pretty sad. Put these other species in mind and it's an altogether different response that you get from bowfishermen. It's a right of the sportsman so I'll leave it at that .[tongue]

[Katnip]

Nice fish Tommy!

Pullage is Pullage, and you definitely got some Major Pullage represented with those fish.

Thanks for sharing![grin]

[Slipsinker]

TommyRobinson originally wrote:
That's okay bro = more for me to catch with less competition :). Speaking of trash fish .... I am sure tired of hearing about those rockfish :) . Outside of the culinary part - they really are useless. Eat everything insight and diminish other species like perch and such. Fight isn't even close to those fish of mine :). Never had the big blues but if they fight like their cousin's (channel cats ) then I'll stick with my carp [grin].

Just bustin' you a little Tommy about the carp. Those are beautiful fish you caught and whether you're a carp fisherman or not you have to appreciate the skills involved. You're right about rock fishing, no real fight - only meat for the freezer. Keep posting those pics. The interesting thing about carp is that no two look exactly the same.

[bottomline]

Nice Carp Tommy! I'll bet that was a pull. Thank's for posting the pics.[wink]

[John Rooney]

Hey Tommy, nice fish! How about sharing some tactics and rigs for catching those big dudes. thanks.

John

[striperjoe32]

sorry guys to put an end to this but.............CATFISH RULE ! ! ![smile]

[TommyRobinson]

Thanks guys -

As far as techniques and rigs - it can be as simple as a small hook (size 8 or even smaller) with canned sweetcorn - or more complex the hair rig with harder baits such as boilies and field corn. It takes alot of patience and also luck to get those big ones. It helps to fish waters that have a good amount such as the Chesapeake Bay tributaries. None of it is really complicated but just sounds that way - the hair rig is basically a rig that has the hook exposed with a strand of line extending down for the bait to be threaded on with a needle. The fish suck the bait down deep and thus leaving the exposed hook right in the mouth - The fish feels this and bolts off - the fixed heavy leads ( 3+ oz.) sets the hook. The reels should be equipped with a baitrunner or live liner to allow the line to easily come off the spool to avoid losing the whole set up. We use stands called pods that the rods rest on (out of the mud) and have an alarm that the line rest on - once the line moves off of the spool - it triggers it. Can even come with a transmitter to allow you to walk away and socialize or take a nap. Sounds bizzare but it really grows on most people that enjoy catch and release bank fishing. I bet some of the catfish guys would enjoy it as well - I know I have caught quite a few of them while fishing for carp = it works great.

Check out the link in my signature for more information on carp fishing.

Thanks alot fellas - cool to be accepted by someone :).

[TommyRobinson]

Hey Joe - Archie called .... he wants his chair back meathead [grin].

PS - not even close ... Big bluegills come before catfish!

[smile][smile][smile][smile][smile]

[ketch69]

Here's my take.........When you can take Carp and move it around a little and end up with Crap that should tell ya something.

I do agree on bluegills before cats cause you gotta ketch bait first.


DEAN

[TommyRobinson]

Can't please everyone [grin] but like I said before ---- more for me!

[striperjoe32]

nice pics Tommy. I used to catch them at the city of richmond near the annabelle lee. We actually used to catch them on wheaties and coke(one of the best baits ever). Some folks like them so much that one day we had some locals trading a beer for each fish we pulled in! ! ! We had several beers stacked behind us on the rocks. Never got one over 10 pounds but my old neighbor back then landed a 49 ! ! ! striperjoe[smile]

[bassmanpete]

Carp are very underrated as far as game fish, and can be very difficult to catch even under ideal circumstances.

I pursue smallmouth, which are tough sometimes too, especially for big brutes.

Wouldn't mind a big cat to put a bend in the rod though. Long as it pulls it's good. Just leave the panfish outta the talk.

[TommyRobinson]

Ah Petey ... those panfish are great on light tackle - especially those big BULLGILLS !

Thanks again for the compliments fellas.

PS - gonna get a quick session in tomorrow - hope to provide a report and a few pics for the board if you like :).