Blue cat spawn

27 sailfish said:

Million dollar question. Where do you think the Blue Cats go after spawning ?

In the Severn / Magothy area - they disappear after June last few years. None caught even by accident.

Not a fish built for a long migration but crazy how no one gets them.

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paxmule said:

I would have to say, into the rivers to feed. Post spawn is one of the best bites of the year. The majority of my best days last year were in July. Most luck came from fishing Channel edges in 25+ feet. The only time I've had crappy fishing in these tidal rivers for blues was winter.

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Steves191145 said:

We're you catching them during the day in July or at night?

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paxmule said:

I would have to say, into the rivers to feed. Post spawn is one of the best bites of the year. The majority of my best days last year were in July. Most luck came from fishing Channel edges in 25+ feet. The only time I've had crappy fishing in these tidal rivers for blues was winter.

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Chris Surowiec said:

Water temp for blue cat spawning is at least 70 but optimally closer to 80 degrees. The males are the ones making and guarding nests. My understanding is they don't eat while on the nest. The females come to the nests, find a good one, lay eggs, and leave. The males have a bigger broader head in relation to body size and as they get ready to spawn they get darker and sometimes have injuries on their face and fins from battling other males. Post spawn, the males put on the feed bag. Where they do that in the tidal rivers is hard to say but probably dictated by food availability and salinity. Find the beds of clams and mussels in the fresh to brackish water and you'll find them.
View attachment 284553
This gravel bar pic was on the Susky below Conowingo. I'd bet most of those empty clam shells came from blue cat poop. I've caught some fat ones that were absolutely jingling with shells in their belly.
View attachment 284554
This one was from 2021 and it was not full of eggs, it was full of clam shells.

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27 sailfish said:

Million dollar question. Where do you think the Blue Cats go after spawning ?

In the Severn / Magothy area - they disappear after June last few years. None caught even by accident.

Not a fish built for a long migration but crazy how no one gets them.

Click to expand...

Chris Surowiec said:

Water temp for blue cat spawning is at least 70 but optimally closer to 80 degrees. The males are the ones making and guarding nests. My understanding is they don't eat while on the nest. The females come to the nests, find a good one, lay eggs, and leave. The males have a bigger broader head in relation to body size and as they get ready to spawn they get darker and sometimes have injuries on their face and fins from battling other males. Post spawn, the males put on the feed bag. Where they do that in the tidal rivers is hard to say but probably dictated by food availability and salinity. Find the beds of clams and mussels in the fresh to brackish water and you'll find them.
View attachment 284553
This gravel bar pic was on the Susky below Conowingo. I'd bet most of those empty clam shells came from blue cat poop. I've caught some fat ones that were absolutely jingling with shells in their belly.
View attachment 284554
This one was from 2021 and it was not full of eggs, it was full of clam shells.

Click to expand...

Joefish1 said:

Also if there butt hole is hanging out or really red it’s from passing shells so that’s an indicator to fish the shell beds.

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crabby and son said:

I once saw a woman like that. I asked her if she ate shells and she just looked at me. I settled for a bj..........Gary

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paxmule said:

There are still some sporadic Blues that haven't gone completely on the nest yet. Caught 9 fish in 4 hrs today. Still mostly females that haven't dropped eggs yet. Biggest was a male at 14 lbs with a broken dorsal fin and a lot of fresh nesting marks on his head. Water was 72 degrees. Bait was fresh cut menhaden.
This was not the 14. This was a 12.

View attachment 284605

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