Last couple of weeks the channel cats in the big ponds have been cruising the banks all day long, today for some reason they were going after something at the surface. I seen one cruising the surface and tossed a white Strike King spinner bait at it and it exploded on it. Kept it up and caught 11 more doing the same thing, they were hammering that spinner bait for some reason. What really surprised me was how viciously they attack it. These cats were all between 3 1/2 to about 6 lbs and hit like they were Northern Pikes. Pain in the arse to get off the hook but fun none the less. One straightened out the hook and another broke a hook, they hit violently!
Last couple of weeks the channel cats in the big ponds have been cruising the banks all day long, today for some reason they were going after something at the surface. I seen one cruising the surface and tossed a white Strike King spinner bait at it and it exploded on it. Kept it up and caught 11 more doing the same thing, they were hammering that spinner bait for some reason. What really surprised me was how viciously they attack it. These cats were all between 3 1/2 to about 6 lbs and hit like they were Northern Pikes. Pain in the arse to get off the hook but fun none the less. One straightened out the hook and another broke a hook, they hit violently!
In several of our ponds this time of year (all have vegetation around them) we have Bullfrog tadpoles that are in the Metamorph stage (in between). So they are large Tadpoles up to young frogs with tails.
The Bass and Catfish just tear them up. One big explosion of water after another right up on the shoreline. I'm talking in 6" of water sometimes.
We can throw any top-water lure (under 3" in length) and it will be hit within the first foot of movement, if not immediately upon landing.
Don't know if your ponds have frogs or vegetation but that's the only time we see catfish up around the shore. Bass are there all the time (if there is enough oxygen).
I was throwing a rattletrap in a creek at my deer lease in young county two weeks ago. I discovered a whole new crop of catfish must have come upstream from the Brazos during the flooding and stayed. Channel cats where slamming that rattletrap. Not unusual to catch the occasional one on a lure, but this was a consistent pattern that day. Did not catch a single bass which was also unusual for that stretch of creek.
[quote=HWY_MAN]Last couple of weeks the channel cats in the big ponds have been cruising the banks all day long, today for some reason they were going after something at the surface. I seen one cruising the surface and tossed a white Strike King spinner bait at it and it exploded on it. Kept it up and caught 11 more doing the same thing, they were hammering that spinner bait for some reason. What really surprised me was how viciously they attack it. These cats were all between 3 1/2 to about 6 lbs and hit like they were Northern Pikes. Pain in the arse to get off the hook but fun none the less. One straightened out the hook and another broke a hook, they hit violently![/quote bet that was a great time, love top water action.
Have caught several channel cats out of ponds, especially neighborhood ponds on rooster tails, beetlespins, and spinnerbiats. Have caught many blue cats fishing a rattle trap at night for white bass as well.
They think you're going to put them in an ice chest. This time of year it must feel like they're swimming in a crawfish boil. They just want some relief!
There's only 2 seasons in a year. Deer season and getting ready for deer season.