Catching channel cats: do i need to take a page from chaos theory?

what else lurks in brays bayou do y'all think? Originally Posted by pxmcc

Turtle soup is a good option. I think some might be weary harvesting feathered game with avian influenza being confirmed in the state but I wouldn't worry about it.

You should use the Chillis approach with a gift card to Macys or Sears then HATS OFF

MR.BUBBLES OR TITO COULD BE NEXT

You should use the Chillis approach with a gift card to Macys or Sears then HATS OFF

MR.BUBBLES OR TITO COULD BE NEXT Originally Posted by Seeskylar

does that work for channel cats too..

and i didn't know Sears was still a thing. i thought the vulture capitalists were finished parting it out..

i have a confession to make. i spent 22$ at fiesta for a redfish. that is not at all urban survivalist..

#urbansurvivalfail
#ifyoucantcatchdinnerjustgohun gry
#butthere'sstillplentyofedible herbs..

You should use the Chillis approach with a gift card to Macys or Sears then HATS OFF

MR.BUBBLES OR TITO COULD BE NEXT Originally Posted by Seeskylar

but eccie's greatest free verse poet is always welcome in my threads, off topic or on..

I think I would go with road kill before I would eat a channel cat.
Too tough to tell if the fish is full of toxins.

I think I would go with road kill before I would eat a channel cat.
Too tough to tell if the fish is full of toxins. Originally Posted by Tigbitties38

in my current slump, it may not matter lol. like, don't eat too much tuna, shark or swordfish. will have to add channel cats 10 miles or less from the ship channel to that list..

in my current slump, it may not matter lol. like, don't eat too much tuna, shark or swordfish. will have to add channel cats 10 miles or less from the ship channel to that list.. Originally Posted by pxmcc

Oe talk one of your "friends" into trying it first

man be trying to catch these channel cat around here. dough bait spinner bait grasshoppers worm these cats aint biting.
Used rodnreel jug lines and trotlines. Im fixin to go full deep sea diver and go scuba and harpon one.

them dag gum cats plum vamoosed? started doing a lil noodling. nothing spectacular. few snakes, found a baby gator. but that last rock. Always the last one right? something bite me hand and wouldnt let go. I tried ever thin to free my hand. finally i dug it out and lifted it out of the water with both hands. freakin snappin turtle. got on land and used a lil trick i know to get loose. my cajun neighbor loves turtle soup.
guess im gonna try tele-phoning next??

them dag gum cats plum vamoosed? started doing a lil noodling. nothing spectacular. few snakes, found a baby gator. but that last rock. Always the last one right? something bite me hand and wouldnt let go. I tried ever thin to free my hand. finally i dug it out and lifted it out of the water with both hands. freakin snappin turtle. got on land and used a lil trick i know to get loose. my cajun neighbor loves turtle soup.
guess im gonna try tele-phoning next?? Originally Posted by winn dixie

that is hilarious.

wait, so you tried to hand-catch a channel cat and "caught" a snapping turtle instead?

i was messing around with a snapping turtle i found by buffalo bayou and i found out those things give zero fucks. he tried to bite my hand even though i outweighed him by like 170 pounds. he reminded me of a frickin honey badger. hadn't thought of turtle soup tho. maybe next time..

so here's what i've learned of late:

1. channel cats love shrimp. best bait i've tried so far. slim jims and squid have not netted me a single catch.

2. embrace chaos theory. channel cats are fast learners. if you pull one up from a certain spot, abandon that spot for at least a couple of weeks. every time should be a new look.

3. stick and move. i've made all my catches within the first few minutes of dropping my line. i have caught nothing from any lines i set and left out, other than random shit. plus the Parks and Rec people will cut any lines left in the water.

(4. Topineer perfect circle casting nets for beginners are tangly as fuck. i modified one, adding a 50 foot heavy line extension to throw from overpasses. good idea, but i let my lines get tangled up, thinking it was no biggie, and had to literally throw out the tangled mess of ropes, lines and weights. watch the videos before you even open up your perfect circle cast nets. casting nets from bridges, done properly, looks like a sure bet, imo, because fish cannot see what is directly above them, only to the side. the 50 foot of extra line will allow you to hit the water from basically any overpass you find. are casting nets legal? i have no idea, but who cares is my thought. never have i seen anyone get in trouble on buffalo or braes bayou for using a casting net. it's just that the fish get spooked quickly so even a good caster will catch nothing unless the water is muddy, like on Buffalo Bayou.)

5. i've made all my catches in the morning or late afternoon, but none late at night.

so question. what's the best water depth for catching channel cats? the bayou by me is about 6 feet deep at most. i've made a number of catches using basically the top of the water line in the deepest part of the channel without using a bobber or sinker. is there a better method?

any other channel cat tips?

and, anyone know how to keep Wonderbread on the hook for catching carp, and what's the best way to cook carp? i'm going to try Mickie-Ds french fries for bait until i can get the hang of the Wonderbread thing lol.

Don't waste your time with the bread. Shrimp and dough ("stink") bait work much better. If you insist on trying bread, use a treble hook and use 1/4 of a slice of bread and squeeze it hard with your hand into a ball around the treble hook. Obviously a risky endeavor and not worth the trouble unless you are looking for a real cheap bait that can work at times. The dough/stink bait is 4 or 5 bucks at walmart and you also squeeze it hard around the hook but you can use a single hook, #3 is a good size, no need for a treble but you can use a treble if you want. About twice the size of a marble is good. You can also use it to play practical jokes on people by holding it under someones nose or just getting the smell on your finger and swipe it under someones nose. This is particularly amusing with little kids because most of it looks and smells like poop. I'm lmao just thinking about when I've done this in the past.

Generally you'll catch most fish toward or on the bottom but you can certainly catch them at any depth.
I caught a 25 pounder in 2 feet of water at Toledo Bend.

Have you caught any blue cats or yellow/flathead cats?

I'll pass on eating carp! ech!!!

Don't waste your time with the bread. Shrimp and dough ("stink") bait work much better. If you insist on trying bread, use a treble hook and use 1/4 of a slice of bread and squeeze it hard with your hand into a ball around the treble hook. Obviously a risky endeavor and not worth the trouble unless you are looking for a real cheap bait that can work at times. The dough/stink bait is 4 or 5 bucks at walmart and you also squeeze it hard around the hook but you can use a single hook, #3 is a good size, no need for a treble but you can use a treble if you want. About twice the size of a marble is good. You can also use it to play practical jokes on people by holding it under someones nose or just getting the smell on your finger and swipe it under someones nose. This is particularly amusing with little kids because most of it looks and smells like poop. I'm lmao just thinking about when I've done this in the past.

Generally you'll catch most fish toward or on the bottom but you can certainly catch them at any depth.
I caught a 25 pounder in 2 feet of water at Toledo Bend.

Have you caught any blue cats or yellow/flathead cats?

I'll pass on eating carp! ech!!! Originally Posted by majorjones

good tips sir! thanks!

no so far only channel cats, using chicken or shrimp as bait. how do the other type of catfish compare taste-wise? channel cats are pretty delicious imo. (armored cats are so so.)

further downstream than the med center, i understand there are a good number of alligator gar, and of course in buffalo bayou. anyone had any luck catching alligator gar?

All tastes the same to me but I have a most insensitive palate.