Mississippi River-World Class Catfishing "part 2"

[crane]

Here we go again.:) :)

[slimcat]

Matt, congrats on another nice big blue. Hopefully me and shane can tie into a few of those next saturday. Hopefully SHane can start another 50lb streak. I see the river is gonna start dropping about mid week and will drop about 2' a day.

[rwilley3]

Anybody fish today?

[three_rivers]

Way to go MATT!:eek: Thats a beautiful blue!!! That picture sure fits my quote. LOL Did you guys have to throw anchor or did you manage to bring him in against the current? Last week i passed on the chance to fish around them with them being underwater. I guess i'll have to drag out the big anchor and give them a shot. I've anchored around the front with the smaller anchor and had problems staying hooked, thas the reason i've passed up on fishing those spots lately. The bigun will hold out as long as i can draggin it up. If i can drag up a 65 pound houseboat anchor a 50 pound blue will be a walk in the park. LOL I had to get a second look since i've yet to catch my 50! I'm sure hes a waitin..............;)

Shane, can you remember if the river was on a rise or fall when you caught most of your fish? Or was it both? LOL

I'm hoping i'll get the opportunity this week to get back out there.. It sure reminds me of my first couple of fish on the sip............... A day i will never forget.

Warren, welcome to the board! Look forward to hearing more about cumberland and some monster blues..................

[turtle1173]

Danny, most, if not all came on the fall. Also, all my big ones came above the dikes when they were submerged. Although I did get that 47 lber at the end of June when the dike was out of the water (and the 30 lb Flatty).

I'm going to do some "experimenting" this year with how far from the shore I fish (above the dikes). Last year, I more or less let the current dictate how close to the tip I anchored. I was only half way out then. It would be worth knowing if staying out in stiffer current (closer to the tip) would result in better fishing or if closer in is the ticket. <sigh> More research is needed, LOL!

[bigriver]

Roger, I fished for a few hours on Sunday. The debris was so bad that I threw in the towel at about noon. There seemed to be stuff everywhere and it made fishing a real pain. Hopefully with the river falling fast, all that debris will get flushed on downstream.

Danny, the current above the dike was very slow. We could have gotten away with 4-6 ounces. I guess it had something to do with it being the last in a series of dikes. We tried the next dike up, but the current was swirling too much. And also tried the uppermost dike, but the current was too strong.

[rwilley3]

Well Matt you still did better then me by just going. As I sat in the blind that morning and the wind really wasn't bad like they predicted and we weren't killing anything nor seeing much I really wished I had went fishing. Our duck hunt Sat. ended up about like my season. This seemed like the worst I remember in the 35 years or so I have been going. I know a few guys who finally did okay this last week but as our season usually goes around here it seems if we have cold weather up north (like we actually had in December) we don't have water and once we get water no cold weather. Oh well now I am ready to get back to full time hard core fishing.
Roger

[turtle1173]

Not much to report today. I got out for around 3 1/2 hours. Lost one in the 20-25 lb range. Caught one that weighed 15 lbs. The main river was cleared of a lot of debris but the cuts were holding a big amount.

I guess the best news was that I caught some nice shad today. I had 5 that were 10-12" long! I haven't caught any like that in quite a while. Of course I caught a bunch of 4"-ers also.

Beautiful day out and a great time to be out there with my 3 year old son. He had his Scooby Doo rod with the orange fish practice plug. I imagine he cast that thing 100 times today, LOL. He would make 5-10 casts, stop and take a drink of his coke, take a lick or 2 of his candy sucker he brought, then go back and make some more casts, LOL.

Can't wait to get out there again!

[Little Mac]

Shain, Sounds like you are teachin that youngun right. Will make a fine catman someday Soon. Cant wait for my Grands to get old enough to fish!

[three_rivers]

I'll second that mac. He'll be reeling in all those bruisers for long! Shane sure sounds like you guys had a great time. Where did you pick up that fish and bite, dike, straight line, cut?

There's a little work to finish on the boat and i'll be out there this comin week. Sho wanted to be over there this week, yesterday was my only day somewhat free and it had to rain all day. Next week i'll just have to make up for it.;)

Mac, hows that boat coming along?

Any of you guys goin out this weekend? Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Little Mac]

Its comin along Danny, Just lack Registration, Insurance, a little tweeking on the trailor. Can't wait to get it in the water!:) You get some rod holders?
Mac

[turtle1173]

Danny, the one that got off was in a very large cut. The debris was very tough in there. I was anchored in 45 casting in probably 60 feet. There's 100 foot water in there but I would have had to get out and walk to it, LOL. Too many logs to get any closer than I was.

The fish I caught came out of 80 feet of water on a different cut. This cut had virtually no debris and I was able to hold just like I wanted to. Boy, don't you love it when that happens! LOL

The only other spot I fished was a drop off. It goes from 27 feet down to 65. The current was moving good and I used 10 ounces on all my poles. I got a hard hit on one pole (bam!) but that was it. I'm sure circle hooks were the key to that spot, LOL!

[rwilley3]

Well we made a day of it today and fished from a little after 7 till a little past 4. The main problem was there was not much catching to speak of. Ended up with 3 fish with the largest probably topping out at about a scale busting 5#. We didn't have two of those until about 3 or 3:30 so I guess we proved sticking it out and looking for that "magic" spot till the very end pays off(hah). It was also a little chilly out there today with the wind blowing like it was but I had some good company and the laughs were pretty plentiful so made for a good day anyway. Does anybody else have any "good" fish stories to share from today?
Roger

[three_rivers]

Roger, i'd take a five pounder anyday compared to sniffin the butt of that "skunk". LOL Here lately the only thing my cameras been taking pictures of is tugs! :rolleyes:

Mac, it sure looks great! All them hours last year is gonna pay off. Right now i'm without an arm, leg and part of my tail. I went with the cabelas since they lock in the upright position. So the rods will be off the deck. I've lost one set up last year with the rods laying on the deck, i'm a bit more careful now!

[bigriver]

Danny, I wish I had a better report for you.... but things were slim pickens this weekend. Fished Friday and Saturday and was so tired of being cold and fishless, that I stayed home on Sunday. Water temps were around 46 degrees. The floatsome was bad on Friday, but gone by Saturday. Grand total for the weekend was four in the 1-3 pound range and a 12 pounder. The wind gave us the most trouble both days, but we still found a few places that looked good. But the fish didn't cooperate.

Shane, glad to hear you had a fun trip with your boy. I got my little boy out for his first fishing trip on Friday. He just ran from the front to the back and back to the front.... all day. Between rounds of licking himself, he licked up all the skipjack blood that dripped in the boat, so that I guess that was an advantage. Mostly he just barked at the floating sticks.

[dudlbugr]

Hey, everybody. Congrats to you Matt on your last good fish! I'm hoping to do some fishing next week.

You better watch out for letting him lick the skipjack blood! If he's anything like mine, he'll develop a taste for skippy, and the next thing you know, you'll cut a skip into 3 pieces, put the head on one, cast it out, reach for the bait and see baby boy licking his chops with a smile on his face! On the upside, though, he's always up for stopping by a dike to check for skippies!

[three_rivers]

Welcome back Reb! Good to see ya back on the board.

Matt, that sounds really familar! A good romp on one of the closest sandbars always takes the wind out of sister most time. I guess she burns off some nervous energy.

The work on the boat is finally wrapped up so tomorrow or fridays looking fishy! Gotta see what ol man winter has on his mind first......

[bigriver]

Has anybody fished around here in the last few days? Danny, did you ever make it over? You had said that you might make it over on Thursday or Friday. If you did, I hope it was Thursday, because Friday would have been a tough day to be on the river. It started snowing here a little after noon. We ended up with about four inches of wet snow. Luckily no ice.

The roads were clear today, but I decided not to fish and the wife and I drove up to Reelfoot in search of eagles. We didn't see any eagles, but we saw all the ducks that Roger and Jason been chasing all year. We watched one hole that the ducks loved. They piled in there by the hundreds. It was a sight for sure. That's a refuge for ya. We got snowed on pretty heavy too. It was cool seeing the snow showers come across the fields.

If the wind lays I might give it a shot tomorrow, after it warms up a bit. Next weekend I won't be able to fish, but the forecast is for temps in the sixties. Sure wish I could be there.

[rwilley3]

Matt
I wanted to fish today but my boys and my preacher roped me into going crow hunting. It was pretty fun and we ended up killing 14 and shot at quite a few more. I at least thought it would be neat to be able to say I fished when there was 5" or so of snow on the ground. I hope to be out there next weekend though. I think Bobby is out of town next week as well so maybe with you and him both gone there will be some retards in the river for me to catch. Sorry you didn't see any eagles. There has been one up around Shelby Forest and I think Bobby has saw a couple just above Jimmy Woods. All the ducks here after season closes well don't that just figure?. The deer have been out in herds as well in the fields these past couple of weeks. My oldest son went gone coon hunting in this snow since tonight was the last night of the season. I had told him they were wasting their time but youthful exuberance won out and they went anyway. He just called and said they had killed one and were on their way to another place. Man what I would give to have their kind of energy again. Anybody else get out there today?

[three_rivers]

Matt, the only thing i ended up catching was that flu thats goin around:mad: . The flu shot i got earlier in the year must of been a little late kickin in or this is a different strain. It was almost 10 oclock when everything got wrapped up on the boat wednesday. Thursday mornin was tough! After the meds and fluid started flowin good i almost went out friday and now i'm sure glad i passed. The body achin is gone and all i'm left with now is a stopped up knoggin. A few kleenex's oughta deal with that.


Those eagles are a sight to see. Theres a lake here close to the house that has a few. We were easin down the field road on a fourwheeler headed on down to check out the river. A hooj juvenile flew up and i quickly realized it wasn't a hawk. The size alone was a dead giveaway. We got to lookin and in one of the cypress trees had a hooj nest bout the size of a lazyboy recliner! Ran home and picked up the camcorder, when we got back a mature eagle was in the nest. After getting some good film one of the farmers stopped by and told us a story about when the juveniles first hatched. He said they were running around all over the field road and figured they must of fell out of the nest. He was sure surprised they made it.....

On a good note, the rodholders really gives the boat a superclean look!! Everythings topped off and ready to go, only thing that it needs is bait in the cooler. If the wind will hold, i'd sho like a "couple" days good fishing!:) Gotta make up for some long overdue fishin.

Anyone get out this weekend? Coach, i know you been fishin, any whoppers??

[coach]

i got the boat winterized for spring......................... no fishing for me now.... gotta earn my keep on the baseball field... good luck to u fellows!!

[guthook]

hey three sorry to hear about the flu. those shots give about three months of coverage. so if you got one in early november then your runnin out of time. most everyone at work will takem as late as they can. seems like every other person commin into er has the full blown flu.

the brother has been tryin to get me back over to the big muddy but i'm votin for a bait trip first.

[turtle1173]

Sorry to hear about your flu problems Danny. Nothing worse than planning a fishing trip and then coming up sick :crying:

Today was a disappointing day. I had big plans to head out on the river since it was going to be the only possibility (it seems) for the week with rain, T-storms, snow and very cold weather ahead. My wife had to be gone all day so it was going to be me and my 3 year old. I got all the gear loaded up and the boat hooked up. We went and got gas and some snacks. Got to the ramp and the waves were just pounding. The wind kicked up hard and didn't let up until sunset.

I wouldn't go out on a day like this by myself because it is next to impossible to get the boat back on the trailer (in one piece). That south wind wants to plow the boat up the ramp, while you're off getting the truck & trailer. Anyway, with my son with me, it wasn't even really a choice. We turned around and headed back.

This has been a tough month, mainly because when the wind is down, it's below freezing and when it's warm enough, the wind is howling! Oh well, maybe next week will be better :sad:

[three_rivers]

Guys i'm heading out to get the surf/fishing report tomorrow. Winds supposed to be kickin so were gonna try and ride the bank and hide out of the wind the best we can. Theres a biggun just a waitin i know it! The way the rest of the weeks looking theres not much of a choice.

Jason, its good hearing from you guys and i'll sure be looking foward to them upcoming fishing reports. If you guys find some freshies be sure and let a bro know!

Shane, back at the shelby gathering this last year we unloaded the boat and even holding it out in the water the wind pushed it back up on the bank no matter how i held it. It was tough just getting off the ramp in those conditions so i couldnt imagine unloading or loading doing it on my own much less what condition the boat would be in. I was sure looking forward to a fishy story from that way though!

If any of you guys get out, stay safe and make sure to bring us back a photo!!!!!!!

[85Dave]

i got the boat winterized for spring......................... no fishing for me now.... gotta earn my keep on the baseball field... good luck to u fellows!!
What and where do you coach?

[bigriver]

Shane, that's one of the toughest things I've had to do. It's definitly no fun to get all geared up, head to the ramp, and have to throw in the towel because of the weather. I have done it a few times myself. Other times that I haven't listened to my common sense, I usually regretted it. Wind and rain are tough. Fog is even tougher. You seldom know how bad it is until you get to the river. It's nothing to fool with. Glad you listened to your gut instinct.

Today was one of those bad days Danny. It looked great outside. I walked out for lunch and felt the high sixties temps. I wished I was fishing, then I noticed the wind. It was howling. The river must have been rolling something fierce. Hope you weren't out there, but if you were I hope you caught a whopper.

Dudlbugr, good to hear you're home. You gonna make it up here while you're on leave? Maybe even drag Joe up? I know he's gotta be jones'ing for another fifty plus.

[turtle1173]

I was kicking myself today when I drove by the river. It seemed every bit as windy today as it was yesterday except the river was nice and calm. :crying: I can't figure it out. Same direction and seemingly the same speed. I wish I would have decided to try and fish today instead of yesterday. Of well, I guess the fish need a day off every once in a while.

This weekend is surely looking bad for fishing. 61 Thursday & 34 on Saturday with snow. Ouch!

[three_rivers]

Matt, i've been kickin myself every since tuesday. Wednesday morning the wind was gusting up here and i passed. Kicked myself real good after seeing the afternoon and decided on thursday. Walked out and it was worse. Any of you guys ever fished an artic front?:0a18:

Every since tuesday i've been hooked up to the boat. Just unhooked it after feeling the temps outside. It was certainly disappointing! The next decent day i'm going to set everything else aside and head that way! I sure miss being out there..............

You guys have a great weekend!!!!

[turtle1173]

Well I don't guess anyone has been doing too much fishing here lately. I know I sure haven't:confused:

The last week or so (before we got this latest snow), I've been working on a new anchor. Not that mine hasn't been working or anything but I've been trying to amuse myself while I can't be on the water. The plans for my anchor came from Bigriver several months back. The main holding power comes from 1/8th inch thick by 1 1/2 inch wide flat steel.

My 2 anchors that I have now consist of a 25 lb (plus chain) river anchor (tri-fluke) for sandy areas and a homemade rebar anchor for the rocks. I hope that this anchor I'm currently working on will possibly replace the river anchor in many applications. Honestly, I'm just trying to make it easier on poor Demetrius who gets to lug the big anchor in when we go out, LOL :p

This anchor consists of an 18" long Galvanized Steel pipe (1" diameter and threaded on both ends). On one threaded end goes a floor flange and on the other end goes an end cap. I've then got a 3' long piece of flat steel (1/8" thick X 1 1/2" wide). I cut that in half and attached it to the floor flange. Drill a hole for attaching a heavy duty eye on the top and you have a nice anchor. I also took Matt's advice and melted a good amount of lead to fill up the pipe.

Matt suggested using 1 1/4 diameter pipe but I opted for the 1" pipe because it was a couple dollars cheaper, plus the other components were likewise cheaper.

Here's a couple of pics of the basic design. I don't have the end cap on yet but you get the general idea.

Thanks a lot Matt for all the info to make this!

[rwilley3]

Shane
I haven't been in two weeks and it feels like it is killing me. I have been fighting the urge to take off Friday and go to Pickwick to try for some fresh bait for Sat. but I think work is going to force me to wait until next week. I looked where last year on 2/17 I had caught some but water temp was 49 degrees. I talked to someone who fished today up there and water temp was only 42 degrees so probably a good thing I can't take off. Looks like warmer weather is forecast so maybe next Friday I can head up there and then fish here with some fresh skipjack. Matt if I catch any I will repay.
Roger

[85Dave]

Shane,
A couple of suggestions. Bend the flat bar up so that it looks like a grappling hook, and hold off on pouring the lead inside the pipe. Try it without the lead and see if it sinks and holds OK for you. Pulling up 25 pounds of anchor is no fun.

[bigriver]

Hey Shane, that's a good looking anchor. Like you, the last anchor I built was out of the 1" galv. pipe and components. I've used it a bit and like it better. It throws better and I think it sinks better, and because of its small diameter, you can't fill it with too much lead. Like you said, it's a bit cheaper than the 1.25" pipe. They still cost a little to make, but it's easy for us "non-welders". Also try 3/16" flat bar from 3/4", up to 1-1/4" wide. The 3/16" doesn't fail as quickly as the 1/8" bars.

It looks like I will finally get out on the river this weekend. It has been three weeks or more since I have been out. Roger, if you catch some skipjack, I'll sure take you up on your offer.

[85Dave]

We'll probably be out there this weekend as well. Matt, are you putting in at McKellar? We've got a radio now. Is there a certain channel you guys monitor?

[turtle1173]

I appreciate the comments and suggestions guys. I did bend the flatbar up to more of a grapple hook look. I had already poured the lead in it but like Matt said, it doesn't really hold enough to weigh too much. I haven't weighed it but it's not anywhere close to 25 lbs, I don't think. Total cost, including a 2 foot heavy duty section of chain, was $25.

Matt I looked at the 3/16" because you had said something about that in the e-mail you sent me last year. But it looked rather intimidating!! Depending on how this one holds up, I'll determine whether to go that route or not next time.

Guys I'm heading out to the river tomorrow!! I haven't been out this month yet and I've got a 50+ lber to catch, so I've got to get with it. Tomorrow's high is going to be 56!! (Woo Hoo!!) and the winds are supposed to top out at 9mph. I've got plans to fish the dikes hard. I haven't been up there all year :) .

[turtle1173]

I wanted to share this old photo with you that my Mom sent me today. Nothing special just me and my older sister with a good mess of catfish. This was where I grew up in the Bay Area of CA. I would of been 3 or 4 years old in the picture (I'm 32 years old now). You can probably see that my sister has her nose squished up while looking at the fish. She was always a pain, LOL. Incidently, this is the same boat that I fish from today. My Dad's 16 foot 1972 Starcraft that he gave me (some 15 years ago).

[slimcat]

Shane, thanks for lightning my load a little.LOL. Maybe I will have a little more strength now for those big cats. Good luck tomorrow, I hope to see a 50lber when I check back tomorrow. This weekend looks really good as well.

[solomon]

my how you've grown shane:)

[rwilley3]

Shane
Those anchors must be like a "disease" because I have one just about like it as well.:)
Roger

[solomon]

what type of terrain are those best suited too?

[three_rivers]

Shane, thats a great picture! Thanks for sharing! I've got a few i've been meanin to get scanned myself. I'm wondering will that anchor hold in sandy bottom?? It looks like it should do the trick for sure!

Everythings locked up and ready to go for tomorrow. The weathers right so maybe we'll sore lip a few and with a little luck find a WHOPPER! Yeeeeeehawwwwww!! If the fishings good i may not come back. :thumbsup:

Solomon, hows the boat coming along? Is it gonna find its way to the muddy?

[solomon]

Had a mixup with the dealership and the bank. They were waitin on me and I was waiting on them. Anyway, I ordered it today. Should be here in several weeks. Then I'm getting a removable deck/livewell/dry storage built for the forward half and an aluminum fuel tank. Can't wait to get it wet though. One day I would like to fish the Mississippi. Looks like it'd be a lot of fun. Guess I'll have to stick to the old Pearl right now though.

[solomon]

how big a boat you need to fish the big river?

[85Dave]

how big a boat you need to fish the big river?
I've seen 14' jon boats out on the river, as well as canoes and kayaks. But I wouldn't go out in something that small. It all depends on how you are going to fish. In some situations, a 20' boat isn't big enough. Wakes from the barges can make a big boat feel small.

[three_rivers]

Theres been quite a few kayaks on the water. Its more about what your comfort level is and how you deal with situations. Doing everything with safety in mind first is the only way to go. Barge traffic can be tough also. Those wakes will test your confidence. My rig sits extremely low in the rear about 6 inches out of the water. It doesn't bother me so much now, although when i first got out on the river a tug put water up to the back pedestal which was an eye opener to say the least. Even now it sits in the back of my mind. I'll tell ya this, just being out there will give you a rush!!! A river where anything is possible!

Oh i forgot to mention, got the snoopy poles and spam loaded. Zero or hero today! :) See you guys in the p.m...........

[rwilley3]

Okay Shane and Danny we will all be waiting on a good report back and something to get us "weekend warriors" pumped for Sat.

[solomon]

The one I ordered is a 16' with 4' bottom, 20" sides. I don't know if I'd take that out there.

[turtle1173]

An unusual day today. My son and I started off by netting about 60 shad 3-4" in length. We then headed up to the dikes. Decided to fish the upstream side of my two favorites first. Nothing Zero Nada. No runs, hits or errors.

Headed over to the other side of the river to fish the backside of some deeper dikes. That's when the action started heating up. This one dike has about a 70 foot hole off the tip of the dike on the downstream side. However as you continue running parallel to the dike, there is a "secondary drop" that was around 40 feet. I saw a few large returns and set up on that spot. The wind was coming right at me, so I ended up double anchoring on it. Water temp was 40 degrees. I had a "tap" on a pole. I walked over and picked it up. He tapped it again and I gave a real short jerk. He surprised me by bending the pole over hard. I was expecting one a couple lbs hitting like that. He ended up going a hair over 25 lbs. As I released him, another pole was bouncing. That ended up being the real lunker of the day at around 1 lb. Pictures of both of those fish are attached.

I'll make the rest of my story shorter. I caught a couple more in that spot around 5 lbs. Went to the tip of the dike, caught a few more in the 5 lb range.

Then I moved downstream to the next dike. At this dike, I caught several 10-11 lbers.

I lost the exact count after I got up to around 13 fish. However, between 15-17 would be a good estimate. This is by far the most fish I've ever caught in one day. A couple were 1 or 2 lbs, Several were 5 lbs, Several were 10 lbs or there abouts, and then the 25 lber. The 25 hit the lightest of all the fish.

I'm not used to catching so many fish. My arms are sore, LOL. It was a good day but I was hoping to find the dike that held only 50 lbers!! :p

Danny, I hope you got some whoppers today!!

[rwilley3]

Good deal Shane
I hope they are biting that good on Sat. Did you catch them on those shad you netted? or did you also have some skipjack out as well. Was there current in the places you caught them? Danny what did you do yesterday?

[turtle1173]

Hey Roger, I didn't bring any bait with me yesterday and was hoping to catch some bigger shad. I ended up putting 2 - 4 shad on a hook since they were smaller. If I had 3 shad on a hook, I would usually cut one in half and maybe put a slice in another one. Just something to get the juices flowing. It's funny, the smallest fish I caught (the one my son was holding in the pic), had 2 whole shad crammed in his mouth, plus the 7/0 Kahle, LOL. He had to be working at that!!

All the spots I fished had current. The spot I fished where the 25 was caught (secondary drop), didn't have enough current to hold me straight since the wind was coming directly against me. So I double anchored there. In hindsight, I think the lower current areas are probably going to be a better bet. The water temp had dropped 3 degrees since I was out last (40 degrees yesterday). They are likely holed up in sheltered, less current areas.

Good luck to everyone this weekend! Danny, I hope you didn't fall in!

[three_rivers]

Shane congrats on a great day! I wished we could of brought something back worthy of a picture. We got out to the ramp yesterday to find all the catfish, carp were sittin at the ramp waiting on us! They all had their mouth out of the water which was really weird like they had no oxygen. I know cold weather is tough on them, anyone have any ideas why they were like that?

Got the boat backed in, grabbed up some of those carp for bait and we headed towards the river. The birds were thick in mckellar so we took our time. Got to the river and it was like glass. We fished the dikes which netted us two fish, the biggest around five pounds. Jumped into some cuts and fished them for a while. As i was reeling in one of the rods it felt different. Once it got to the boat i knew why. Little ol blue about 6 inches. I didn't measure him but i'm sure he was at least 6 inches. LOL We finally through in the towel as the sun was going down.


Good luck to all you guys this weekend!

[turtle1173]

We fished the dikes which netted us two fish, the biggest around five pounds.
Danny, do you usually net 5 lb fish? LOL;)

The cats and carp might have been making a desperate plea for you to take it easy on them :). That is odd though. How big were the carp you grabbed for bait? Did you have any other bait for the day? How deep of water were you fishing?

Maybe they will be more cooperative next time. Still, a great day to be out on the Big River!!

[TNVOLCAT]

Hey guys, just wanted to let yall know that I enjoy reading your posts on the Miss. River thread. Seems that yall get to fish alot and therefore have alot of fishing reports. I live in middle TN. and mainly fish the Cumb. and Tenn. rivers when I do get to fish. I have fished the Miss. river one time with Harold Dodd, some of you might know of him, and I know what you mean about it being tricky. We were in a big deep-v boat and he knows the river very well so I was pretty comfortable the whole trip. Anyway, keep the good reports coming!

[GaryF]

Shane, That's pretty awesome, even if they were all under 50lbs, sheesh. Congrats on a great outing! :)

[coach]

hey tnvolcat................ get hooked up with some of these guys........ they'' ll take u afishing !!!!

[three_rivers]

Shane, we slide most of our fish right up on the transom. The smaller ones just ski right on up. LOL I did end up netting alot more fish right there at mckellar just to get a look at them. Their gills were still really red so i was at a loss to see all them swimming around on top of the water like that. At the bank of the ramp alone their was at least a dozen 3 or 4 pounders and alot of smaller ones. Carp where everywhere!!! Just north of the ramp where their was alot of birds we seen one catfish that should of went 10 pounds. Weird to say the least. They must of just decided to give up. :0a10:

We fished everything from 15 feet right at the boat where we anchored to 70+. After seeing the fish on top in mckellar we fished some back current and 20 feet straightline to see if they where shallow. The carp we cut up were i'd say 7 to 8 inches long mainly using the head and gut pocket. Not one bite on the carp. They were all caught on frozen skips, heads and gut pockets. It was a beautiful day to be on the river with hardly any wind. We made it back safely so a great day indeed.:thumbsup:

TNVolcats welcome to the board!

[85Dave]

Dad and I will be out there Sunday. If you see us, stop by!!!

[coach]

u know danny, hearing u talk about those fish coming to the top, brought back memories of my squirrel hunting days............. i was so good at squirrel hunting , i was a legend around my home town..............got to where i could go out in the woods at daybreak and just tap my gun barrel on the trunk of a tree and the squirrels would come down the tree walking on their back legs with their little front paws held up over their heads in surrender!!!!..... game and fish finally quit issuing me a licenses............... hell of a deal!!!!

[Arkie55]

Coach,
I sure am proud I have my boots on and my feet up. They could get a little smell on them after reading that post.:p

[Little Mac]

Dang coach, Spinnin yarns again I see, The legend of coach Adams! :) my my. tsk tsk. Fella's Glad to see ya'll had a good day of fishin. Danny did you net the 6"er? LMAO, I woulda put it in the aquarium at home. LOL. Topsgtlawrence and I tried on ole dardenell today and only come up with a 6lber and a 2 pounder, but it was a nice day. Mac

[rwilley3]

We fished about all day today and had it pretty slow. Shane we tried to get some shad but we had no luck only caught one carp. We fished with frozen skipjack and ended with one about 5# and one in mid teens. Had quite a few small pecks but not really many good bites. It ended up getting pretty chilly this afternoon after front came through and wind picked up but still a good day to be outside and a couple beats smelling that skunk anytime.:sad:

[turtle1173]

Roger,

That skunk is a big motivator to try and get something in the boat. If it's a tough day, I at least want a 2 lber!!

That wind really picked up here around noon. Demetrius was fishing up around Cape Girardeau yesterday. He said it got pretty rough as the day went on.

If you can get a fish in the teens, it's not a bad day in my book. It may of been a slower day but not a bad one :)

Sometimes those shad are tough to get. I've got a spot where I can get them just about all the time. Sometimes they may be in the middle of this area or sometimes they will be up closer to the shore but I can usually find them. This is a side channel. However, if the water is lower than 10 feet, I can't get back there. If it's higher than 20, then there's current going through and that makes it more difficult.

As long as your skipjack isn't mushy, you should be fine with the frozen.

[Charlesp54]

Well guys I gave it a try today the water temp was about 41 degs. It was chilly this morning but not really cold. One of the new board members went with me so I was trying my dead level best to put him on some fish. Well it didn't work that way we got skunked. We did however manage to loose three anchors, I think that we would have been able to retrive the anchors but I kept having visions of Tin and Mac sinking the boat so I didn't try very hard. We tried fishing deep, shallow, slow current, fast current, cut banks, wing dams and drop offs and still no fish. :sad:

[85Dave]

It was tough out there yesterday. Only 1 fish, 3 lbs. And we didn't even know we had him until we were pulling all the rods in to move. Lots of pecks, but no solid pulldowns. We were using frozen skipjack and fishing cuts and wing dams.

[rwilley3]

Matt did you are anybody else fish Sunday? How about that last spot you were set up on Sat? Hero or zero?

[guthook]

well boys i finally made back out on the river on saturday for the first time since october. it was a full service trip with my guide bigriver and my brother crane.

the morning started out glassy and not to cold, and we did manage a 23,pounder plus 13, 6, and a 5. but after the wind blew out of the north the catching quit.

we fished behind the dikes, straight current, slow current, fast current, and even dead water. but there was no pattern that we could find. and for those that have seen all the big fish on your depthfinder in the dead water and wondered what they were. well leave it to bigriver to not only catch one but he was able to snag one in the tail. after a couple of drag bustin runs we were able to see the monster. A 20 PLUS POUND DRUM!!!!!:crying:

but don't worry boys, crane was able to unhook it without allowing the fish to touch him or the boat. remember never ever touch the goo...its bad luck.

all said and done it wasn't a bad trip at all and would take a 20 plus pounder any day. blue cat that is

thanks bigriver for the trip, and thank mrs bigriver for the good chili

[turtle1173]

Glad to hear of the good day Guthook. Sounds like you all had a great time.

Matt, I'll bet you thought you had a pretty nice cat only to find out it was a tail hooked drum, LOL. Do you ever catch any cats in straight line current during the winter? I've thought that was more of an area for when they were on the move but then I haven't really tried it much this time of year.

I had plans for going out yesterday but the wind was just too much. Wind from the SW and it was white capping. A nice day to drive on the levee and look at it but a bad day to be out in it!

[three_rivers]

Congrats guys, sure sounded fun catching or not! Good to hear they are still feeding. I bet you guys were ready too with that long layover this winter! Where did you guys find the fish, dike, straight-line, cut? How fresh was the bait? We marked alot of fish along the bank up north and found some fishy spots last time out, darkness just fell on us way to fast to get the chance to fish them.

Tomorrow i really need to settle up with the revenooers but if the weather will hold that will have to wait til friday! Those spots along with this weather is just to much to bear...............:cool:

With reports of goos that size, those boys down south will sure perk up...... LOL

[solomon]

them gaspers is some fine eatin

[rwilley3]

Headed out in the AM for Big Muddy. I had intended to go to Pickwick but no skippies there yet according to a couple of people I have talked to so will hold off for another week or so. It ought to be a nice couple of days to be out on the big boy anyway. Anybody else getting out tomorrow or this weekend. Will be looking for some stories of the big ones that didn't get away and I hope one of them is mine.

[dudlbugr]

Congrats to both Guthook and Matt! All of those fish sound like a lot of fun!

I fished some new water today, so did a good bit of riding and looking at the depth charger, but I did set up and fish 3 times. Marked fish on 2 cuts in revetment, in 20-35 ft of water, but got no bites. Marked fish on an acre or so of flat bottom in 25-35 ft, with an eddy on top of it, and with-in 10 minutes of my first bait hitting the water, I had gotten bites on all of my rods, but I caught exactly zero of them.

Riding and looking, I marked most fish in either 5-12 ft ( I have trouble fishing for them in July... in March it just may not happen), or 25-35 ft. Marked some small fish in 50-60 ft, and nothing in the deeper water. Didn't see anything on the dikes. Marked a few late in the day on sand spots on rock banks, but I had picked out a spot on the map, and didn't fish for them. Maybe I will on Saturday...

[three_rivers]

Today was a good day! Not so much in the catching near as much just as a learning experience. We fished everything today. The front of dikes, the back of dikes, straightline current, cuts, dead water, blow throughs on dikes, off the end of partially submerged dikes, along with some Super current which made me a little nervous to say the least! We would sit up and move every 20 or 30 minutes or so. We wound up with 6 fish and the first fish sure made the day look promising. He hit just after the bait hit the bottom as i was still baiting two other poles. He was a sweet 19 pounder! The others were 14, 9 and a few 5-6 pounders. They looked to be in great shape from what i could tell. Fat as can be!!

All of them came out of 50 to 70 feet of water in some good current. Around 5ish we called it a day. Between the tugs rockin us back and forth and swingin back and forth near the scours something sure didn't agree with me...............:sick-big:

After getting a couple hours rest i'm ready to do it again. LOL Next week i'm tied up so you guys better sore lip all you can!!!!! Good Luck!

[rwilley3]

Danny
That sounds like a pretty good day for "catching" to me. I hope we do some good today and we don't have us one of those "should have been there yesterday" days.
Roger

[squirtspop]

Crane. I live in the Ash Flat/Salem area. Never fished the "Big Muddy" before and have been wanting to try it. Where would one go to put in? Bait to use, etc?

[turtle1173]

Great Day Danny!! What spots were you catching the fish in? I've been itching to get out all week but it aint gonna happen, unfortunately :crying:

I've got a wedding to do tomorrow, so there goes my Saturday and then the rehearsal is this afternoon, so ... Oh well, there's always next week!!

[three_rivers]

Shane, they were all caught behind dikes. Four was caught on one and two on another. It was looking pretty dismal that morning after a few nibbles. We started out on some straightline current and cuts. We worked the fronts, a few blow throughs going north and on the way back that afternoon hit the scours which was where we found our fish. The one thing i did yesterday was move, move, move.

Roger, how'd you do out there today? Be lookin forward to hearing about the one that didn't get away!

[rwilley3]

Well we fished it hard from just after daylight till just about dark. Ended up with 4 fish but biggest only about 8# and he was a channel cat, one was about 5 and other 2 in the 2-3# range. We did have one hard pull down but the rod snapped back up and apparently we had a nicked line or something because we had no swivel, leader, weight or nothing. Got quite a few bites this morning then kind of slow during day then a few more bites late. It was about 5 degrees colder all day than I was dressed for though. The wind was pretty stiff all day out of the north. All of the fish we caught on the ends of dikes in pretty good current but we tried straight banks, cuts, slacler water and even above the dike (Shane just for kicks). We gave them all about 20 minutes or so then off to the next place. I am going again in the morning and hope it is a little warmer(or I wear more clothes). Anybody else hit it today?

[rwilley3]

Well we fished it hard from just after daylight till just about dark. Ended up with 4 fish but biggest only about 8# and he was a channel cat, one was about 5 and other 2 in the 2-3# range. We did have one hard pull down but the rod snapped back up and apparently we had a nicked line or something because we had no swivel, leader, weight or nothing. Got quite a few bites this morning then kind of slow during day then a few more bites late. It was about 5 degrees colder all day than I was dressed for though. The wind was pretty stiff all day out of the north. All of the fish we caught on the ends of dikes in pretty good current but we tried straight banks, cuts, slacker water and even above the dike (Shane just for kicks). We gave them all about 20 minutes or so then off to the next place. I am going again in the morning and hope it is a little warmer(or I wear more clothes). Anybody else hit it today?

[rwilley3]

I got to smell that old nasty "skunk" today and he was an especially foul smelling one. Had one pull off on a head after a good slow pull down and about a 10 second fight. Other than that I only had a handful of bites the rest of the day. I guess he was just planning on a "take out" meal and wasn't planning on dining in. I fished a new section of river today and after yesterday catching all 4 on fish on dikes and being the retard that I am ended up fishing a section where there were only about 6 dikes(only 2 really fishable) in about 20 miles of river. The only bright spot is hopefully I located some dandy looking spots for some straight bank, deep water fishing this summer. It was also a beautiful day out with very little wind and a little catching would have made it a dandy. Anybody else fish?

[dudlbugr]

I fished the same new water today, and did a little better. Did manage to catch 1 8# Blue on a head within 5 minutes of the bait hitting the bottom. Had one more bite while messing with him, but didn't hook up. Fished some different spots today (no dikes, but I looked at a couple). Marked fish in mostly 40 to 60 ft of water today, and had a few nibbles, but no other takers. Oh well. They'll be better in April and May!

[turtle1173]

This week is shaping up to look kind of messy, weather-wise. So the only remedy I could come up with was to go out fishing today :)

I figured fishing would likely be tough with that big front that moved through yesterday. I was right, it was a tough day. My son and I got out at around 10 this morning. It took 45 minutes to get enough shad to go fishing with. The water is low, so I had to use my "alternative" shad spot. I did get several shad that were several inches long, so that was a nice change from the 3-4 inchers I've been getting.

I can't believe the water temperature. I figured it would be higher than it was 10 days ago but I was very suprised. It was 40.5 degrees last time I was out and it was between 44-45 today. That's a huge jump!

We didn't head up to the dikes today and decided to stay closer in. So we fished cuts and drops. I marked a bunch of fish in the 70-80 foot range in a big cut. Fished two different spots in that cut over 1 1/2 hours. Not a nibble.

Decided to try something different, so I went to the revetment bank. There's a 40 foot hole that goes up to 26 feet rapidly. This was a "full 8 ounce" current spot. Had two poles in the 26 and two poles in the 40 foot hole. After 5 minutes at that spot, pole #3 went down. I grabbed it, set the hook and started bringing in the fish. Then pole #2 went down. I grabbed it with one hand, set the hook and put it back in the holder. I made sure the drag was adjusted properly. So I start playing my first fish again, when Pole #4 goes down. I grab that one with one hand, set the hook, and put it back in the holder. I had to losen the drag some on that one because after the pole was back in the holder, the rod tip was in the water :confused: I couldn't help but smile when I'm watching these two poles bouncing while I'm still playing my first fish, LOL.

The stiff current made me think I had some better fish on than what I did but pole #3 ended up being an 11 lber. Pole #2 ended up being an 11 lber and Pole #4 ended up being a 20 lber. Both the small fish were from the 40 foot water, the 20 came from 26 foot.

So that's my story. I fished some other spots on the revetment bank and didn't do anything. Only a tap or two here and there. So it was one of those days where you stay out for a long time and they were only feeding for about 5 minutes.

Two other catfishermen were out there today. Jerry Whitehead and another guy. Jerry caught an 8 lber at the dikes and that was it for the day. The other guy didn't get anything. So I was glad to hear that it wasn't one of those days where I should have been up at the dikes, LOL.

Anyway, nothing big but a nice day to be out with my son.

[rwilley3]

Glad you had a good day Shane. Did your son "reel" any of them in? I bet he thought that was a big day with some many fish at one time. I need me another day like that because I had one of those similar experiences last year and it was a blast.

[turtle1173]

Roger, he didn't reel any in. Actually he was trying to go to the bathroom when all the action started, LOL. That just made it all a little more interesting.

[dudlbugr]

Congrats on a great day, Shane!

That's about what happened to me. Fished most of the day and they were feeding for 5 minutes. I only managed to hook up with 1. Good job!

[slimcat]

SOunds like a good day Shane, catching fish is always fun. The weather is looking bad for the rest of the week. Hopefully it will not rain saturday. The water temp is really looking better.

[guthook]

congrats shane on a good day!!!

i think the brother"crane" is going to be out of commision for awhile. his computer is officially dead. i told that boy it's not the 1970's you got to take precautions, and now his computer is on one of those commercials rock climbing or whitewater rafting.:crying:

he should be back on the site soon. i told him about the triple, or was it quadruple hookup and he's trying to plan our next trip

[bigriver]

Shane, glad you guys caught a few fish. That's all we have been catching too.

Dad and I fished on Sunday. We fished hard, probably many of the spots Danny sore-lipped them the day before. We managed six or seven. The biggest blue was 17 pounds. The weird thing was that we caught three really nice channels. All were about six pounds. We caught them in places we normally don't catch channels, good current and deep water. We don't usually catch many channels on the river, probably because of the bait we use and the depths and current that we fish. But Sunday was different. The water temp was up to 47 to 48 degrees... it was 42 last weekend. Maybe the warming water has the channels on the move. Maybe.... hopefully, the blues will be back on the move soon too. March and April have been good months in the past so we've got a lot to look forward to. A little fresh bait would do us a lot of good. A few good, slow pulldowns would definitely increase our enthusiasm.

Danny, did you notice how many net jugs there were on the Y dike across from the short dikes? I counted eighteen jugs. The commercial guys must be doing pretty good on that dike. Glad the short dikes are off limits.

[dudlbugr]

So, Matt, I'm guessin' you reeled in those channels 1 at a time, and moved each time, right? That IS the standard precaution against channels, right? :rolleyes:

[three_rivers]

Shane, a triple would sure make for an exciting trip! Congrats!! A day like that would make me want to stay and stay and stay. LOL

Jason, i'm sure feelin his pain. This ones goin under the knife at the end of this week for a little soupin up! Between the pictures and emails its acting like its got the case of the hiccups. More power, more power ohg...ohg...ohg!!!

Matt, last time out there were two boats behind that one and the dike behind the new bridge. We anchored on the front out from tip, got the rods out and the anchor gave way letting us slide right toward the tip. My co-pilot sure nough saved the day. She started it up and kept us in place long enough to get the rods in and pull anchor! Close call for sure! Arkansas has the 34" rule now to so i'm almost certain any bigguns they catch will be going back in the drink. As many warden's that i've had the pleasure of meeting out there they soon will too! LOL

Another month or so and it should be back to prime time fishin!!!! Wonder if those greenville guys feel up to fishin memphis in another month or so????? There ought to be a fifty in it for one of them. LOL

[85Dave]

Dad and I went out Sunday and only caught 1 drum. We put in at Shelby Forest, and fished around Brandywine. There's nets on all the wing dams and cuts. Some of the wing dams had 2 nets set up. We saw 2 guys working the nets. They were throwing fish back, but I couldn't see what kind.

Our tilt/trim unit leaked its oil out, and we broke the skeg off. The boat is in the shop now getting all that fixed. Hopefully we'll get it back soon. The weather is too nice to be sitting at home.

[gofish]

...Another month or so and it should be back to prime time fishin!!!! Wonder if those greenville guys feel up to fishin memphis in another month or so????? There ought to be a fifty in it for one of them. LOL


Another month or so and my busy season will be over for the most part. Now that I'm not in research any more, summer is the slowest time of the year! :thumbsup:

I'm up for a Memphis trip some time in April or May. Let's put it together and go get 'em!

[dudlbugr]

I'm up for a trip to Mempho anytime in May, and April, after the 23rd or so.

I'm outta here, guys. On my way back to work tomorrow morning, if the wind will let me fly!

I'll check in on y'all sometime. Y'all be careful out there!

[bigriver]

Dudlbugr, have yourself a safe trip and don't work too hard. When you get back, drag Joe and Coach up for some fishin'. We'll be here. We've got a tournament in Mempho on April 22 I think. Big entry fee, but an equally big payout. Ya'll have had some good luck up here in the past. Might be able to pay for your trip! The Mhoon Landing ramp is a good campsight if you can put up with the late night drive-thrus. We'll try to scope out some honey-holes in the meantime.

[three_rivers]

Reb, take care and we'll see you when we see ya! You guys just name the day and i'll hash it out at work. Our little mini gathering last year was a blast with all the good company and i wouldn't miss it for nuthin! After catching a little bit of sun that day the looks at work was tough!! :)

Dave, i sure hate to hear it! Summers comin up really fast and i've yet to meet you guys so i sure hope everything gets lined out so we can do some fishin!!

[MOblues]

Hey guys, fairly new to this board and my new friend Shane (aka Turtle1173) told me about this thread. Good stuff here! I live real close to him and fish the same waters, so maybe we can get out there together sometime and he can show me where those "hotspots" are, haha.

Looks like there will be a break in the weather tomorrow, so I'll be hitting the river bright and early tomorrow morning w/my wife (meh). I'll let you guys know how we do............

[gofish]

Randy,

Welcome to the BOC! As the season heats up, this thread will be smoking. I'm looking at making my first run of the year Saturday. Good luck out there tomorrow. The weather should be beautiful!

Watch out for that Turtle guy. He talks a mean game but if you ever go fishin with him.......well, I'll let him tell you that story. :cool:

Keep us posted on what the fish are doing up there.

[solomon]

welcome Randy! I've been very impressed by this Mississippi River bunch, and I'm sure you will be too. Good luck tomorrow!

[rwilley3]

Good luck Randy and welcome
I hope to hit it again Sat wind permittting. Looks like we have a few nice days ahead after these storms. We would all like to know what you catch and some details about bait, current, depth. You know all the juicy details. Always good to hear about those ones that didn't get away.
Roger

[turtle1173]

Joe, Joe, Joe ... Is it my fault the blue cats around here didn't like that Mississippi brand of skipjack? :p And didn't I let you catch a fish the 2nd day we went out? LOL I don't know what all this complainin' is about :rolleyes:

Boy did we have the storms last night. I thought the house was going to blow away, or worse yet ... My boat!! :confused: Our power was out until 2am. We had shingles blown off the roof, limbs all over the place, one crashed down on top of the roof and knocked my attic vent off. No telling how far that flew cause it sure ain't around here anywhere. Looking around town here, there are trees uprooted and one neighbor had the stones of his chimney ripped out!

Randy, did you make it through the storm and out on the water today? It was a beautiful day for sure. My wife had to go to Nashville, so I entertained the kids all day.

[solomon]

was was the deal with the wind :confused: We didn't have anything like that but it was pretty bad. Started having flashbacks :sad: I kept looking on the weather to see if they were gonna name it. Opened the door to my office trailer yesterday and the wind caught and broke the top chain. Hard to believe that wasn't coming from the gulf!!

[Charlesp54]

Well guys I went to Tunica today and gave it a try. The water was 50 degs. and it was a nice day. I did manage to catch three small fish but with the luck that I have had lately I was glad to get them. One was about 5lbs and the other two were a bit smaller. They were caught frozen skips.

Coach, when are we going to meet up at tunica again?::0a17: