Wagon Train

[bigredcatfish]

The cats are hitting hard at Wagon Train. Went out the other day and we caught nothing under 5lbs. Yes, we were shallow, as shallow as we could go and not be in the moss that is already growing up from the bottom.

[skawez]

theres alot of moss at wagon train. Alot. i keep trying to catch something in the shallows off martell rd with no luck but i cant get out of the moss. idk have to try something else. thanks for the info

[bigredcatfish]

don't use any weight???

[catfishjohn54]

Nice going! Were you in a boat? What were you using for bait? I just spent two days fishing wagon train with shad sides and shrimp and i got one bite. i have been fishing the north side off of the rock jetties. Any advice???

[catfish_jordan]

hay when catfishjohn i think i might of seen you there at wagontrain!!

[catfishjohn54]

Was it off of Martell road entry?

[catfish_jordan]

o never mind. we were fishing at the camp sites and the fishing piers.

[catfishjohn54]

Last night went to shallows at Wagon Train. Fished shad sides and shrimp. caught two small fish on shrimp. When the weather improves next week I'm thinking about trying elsewhere on the lake. any advice?

[catfisherman_eky3]

congrats on your catches

[bigredcatfish]

stay shallow, we have been catching some nice fish in between the islands and the trees! Upwards of 7lbs. on shrimp and cut bait.

[catfish_jordan]

wow i wish i could catch ones that big!:ooooh:

[skawez]

im sure you will. you keep tossin that line and learnin which by the way is never ending. and youll yank bigger ones in then that

[catfish_jordan]

im gunna try some cut gills this year and see if i get any hits.

[bigredcatfish]

skawez, how was branched oak the other day when you went out??

[skawez]

skawez, how was branched oak the other day when you went out??

oh not bad 3-8 mph wind out of the east bout 55-60 degrees sunny. the water temp varied between 47-51 depending on where we were in the lake. all in all it was a perfect day. especially the fact i finally got off the bank and in a boat for once. didnt catch anything tho. what the FFs found wasnt biting on the worms the jigs or the dough bait. tried to get some cut but like i said nothin was biting for us for some reason. we fished up against the trees and in the channels and leibers point. and out by the big trees too. seen some carp splashin around way back in the sapplings. and the pelicans were out too idk it was a good day i enjoyed it. sunday the WHOLE clan about 15 or so of us are goin to converge on wagon train. we'll see how that goes.

[bigredcatfish]

All you guys from Lincoln, where do you get your bait?? Tackle Shop?? Where??

[skawez]

All you guys from Lincoln, where do you get your bait?? Tackle Shop?? Where??

when im in lincoln depending on what i need to get. ill go to the tackle shop although i do believe he is high priced and somewhat rude alot of the time.

since i live just 5 miles from hickman and they have a new bait shop there with just about everything that the tackle shop has not to mention alot that the tackle shop dont i go there when ever possible. its cheaper by the way the entire family runs it and is alot more friendly.

but never count out scheels. when in doubt and theres something you cant get at a regular bait shop you can usually get it thru scheels.

[bigredcatfish]

my buddy is thinking about buying the tackle shop!! Dewayne that has the tackle shop is very rude. What would you want as far as bait in a tackle shop. Or how can it be made better??

[skawez]

my buddy is thinking about buying the tackle shop!! Dewayne that has the tackle shop is very rude. What would you want as far as bait in a tackle shop. Or how can it be made better??

i dont think his shop is bad just his personallity. new blood in there would i believe make it take off again once word got around. i know alot of people that wont go there for that purpose.

he could sell skipjack.. and those monster chubs year round. but that is bout the only place i know of round here anyway to get head on shrimp.. open up on the bait too he really dont carry much for that. add some cattin bait other then worms and FROZE liver.

[bigredcatfish]

Yes, He is going to have more bait and less tackle. Large chubs, sunfish, shrimp with heads, skip jack, frogs, ect.

[catfish_jordan]

i go to the tackle shop a lot but i never had any REALY rude comments?:confused2:

when i was about 5 years old i used to go in there and buy candy there because my anunt used to own a store over there. some might remember it. basket kraze or some thing like that?

[catfishjohn54]

The guy sells half dead nightcrawlers, and dead meal worms sometimes. Yes, he can seem rude, I just think he lacks a real personality. I like a bait shop owner that will tell me the truth and smile and laugh with the customers. He is high priced. He has a good selection, but he lacks big shrimp and live sunfish for bait. The first time I met him was when I bought bait in his store and went crappie fishing at Branched Oak dam in April of 1975. I was a young two-striper on leave fresh out of Air Force technical training school. My wife's folks lived in lincoln. I caught a stringer full of huge crappie that is unmatched today. Anyway, my impression is the guy is burned out.

Wife and I went fishing all day at Wagon Train off of Martell road today using shrimp and sides. NOT A BITE!!! No one out there was catching a damn thing. What the hell is going on?

[bigredcatfish]

I agree, burned out!! Sorry to hear that they weren't biting out out at Wagon Train. Was out at BO on Saturday for the tourny and they were slammin the poles.

[catfishjohn54]

Good! You must have a boat. Were you on the north or south side of the lake?Shallows i assume.

[bigredcatfish]

south side!! It was alot of fun

[catfishjohn54]

Thank you Steve, and Cory! Your info got me into the catfish at Wagon Train yesterday. I hiked in and I put my old butt "between the islands and the tress." The water is still up so casting was a trick, and I had to yank them over brush, but I had a blast. Eight fish, a 32 lb. stringer. the largest was 7.10. I lost a bigger one on a submerged tree stump. They were running hard with cut bait and slamming shad sides, and shrimp. You had to be patient, but the bite was on and the fish were there!

[bigredcatfish]

Way to go!!! Nice stringer!! Which island were you sitting in front of?? The east or the west on??

[catfishjohn54]

East! I found them next to the bank, on the edges of brush, out deeper, it didn't matter. But I'll tell you what, if I had been using whimpy gear the day would have been nothing more then a bad memory.

[catfishjohn54]

It was a cold sunday and they were not biting!~

[bigredcatfish]

Is everyone doing the tourny this weekend at Wagon Train? I do believe that there will be a good turn out!!! The fishing at Wagon Train was been real slow for me. I haven't caught a fish in the last two times I was out there. I don't know what has happened?!?!?!?!

[catfishjohn54]

Don't feel bad, Cory. Last Thursday afternoon I left early to haul out a #4, #5, #7, #10 catfish from Wagon Train. They went nuts. so, what do I do but invite someone who has never fished along on sunday afternoon. What happens? Not a bite! Not a bite yesterday except two tiny cats. Weird.

[catfishjohn54]

Don't feel bad, Cory. Last Thursday afternoon I left WG early to haul out a #4, #5, #7, #10 catfish! Sluggish bite in the morn, but they went nuts in the afternoon.so, what do I do but invite someone who has never fished before along with me on Sunday afternoon. What happens? Not a bite! Not a bite yesterday either (except for two tiny cats). I fished almost all day. I don't have a boat (yet) so I am forced to fish off of the bank. I hammered the west and east sides for hours with shad, cut, and shrimp , between the islands and the trees. Nothin', nadda. No more shallow water feeding frenzy. Weird. I don't know what the hell is going on, except perhaps they are gorged with food and taking a break, but that seems unlikely for every catfish... It's interesting to note not one of the catfish from last week had eggs in them. And, the big boy had three small sunfish in him.

[bigredcatfish]

john,

I don't know what has happened, either. They are back there it might be that we were fishing at day rather than in the evening?? I caught them all year last year back there. I think it is just a little early for the eggs to start showing up. They usually don't start to spawn until the water gets at least 70 degrees. The water is only 56 degrees on sunday. How big were those sunfish?? Have you tried to use sunfish, or cut blue gills? I haven't.

[catfishjohn54]

Saturday afternoon I'm taking a live chicken, a bottle of rum, and some incense out there and doing a voodoo spell on them. I'll get 'em !!!!!!!!!

[catfishjohn54]

It's su[pposed to drop down to 36 degrees tonight. i will go tomorrow. i'm too old for that anymore.

[skawez]

they arent hittin too well anyway. was out there for 4 hrs before the tournament guys started showing up. only had one bite but it was big enough to stick to the bottom and snap the boys line. that was the only taker tho. had fresh liver bad bad liver HUGE shrimp some stink bait and some worms and this awful smellin shad sides. by the way it was the shad sides that got the bite.

[catfishjohn54]

I'm gonna try it again today. Shad sides, shrimp, and sunfish. Too nice to stay at home. east side shallows this time, chicken, rum, and all...

[skawez]

ive been fishing wagon train for ever it seemed with no luck except for one hit that we couldnt get to come up before it snapped the boys line saturday. as for today we went to stage coach. once there with the other 23 boats thought maybe we should have gone to wagon train... it has room for that many atleast . kept gettin shoved from one area to the next we did.. oh well if they could catch them more power to them but i think them guys were a bit dumbfounded to find us fishing where we were we werent goin for crappies and walleye like the rest we're catfishers! their fish are prey to ours~! well theres always next time i get time off work. maybe next time ill run into one of you guys on here and you can show me what im doin wrong. look for the BOC hat and youll find me.

[catfishjohn54]

Well, if it's any consolation to you, today I had a bass fisherman cast and snag my catfish line... You aint doing anything wrong, they are not feeding! Or, they are gone from the shallows altogether. The catfish at WT have moved, but where? I fished the east side shallows off the rock bank for 3 hours today- not a bite, and i fished two places on the west side shallows for four hours- including my "hot spot", not a bite, except for the turtle that ate my sunfish. This is very strange. Personally I suspect they headed back into deeper water. I don't have a clue.

[skawez]

well today got rained out at work and decided i just had to go out fishing... wagon train just tired of it... stagecoach nah.. been fishing them since ice out and i could get anything to bite!

So today for the first time. i went out to bluestem to drop the boat in the water alone and wind picked up to 10-12mph out of the north. once in i headed to the north end with all the trees and the waves were just to rough. so i went back in a cubby hole on the southwest end. tossed out the anchor and baited with liver in 4' of water and tossed back in the weeds.. set down the rod and picked up the other to bait with shad and before i got the hook off the eye the liver was runnin reeled it in and had a 3 lb channel~! first fish on that rod. thought today was the day for me i was gonna be busy catching fish.. i was wrong 3 more bites and a mulligan (didn't get the hook set and lost it) the real fun came when i was trying to dock with the wind and the gusts oh well live and learn i guess. BUT I GOT ME A CAT TODAY!!

[catfishjohn54]

Congratulations! You did better than I. I fished WT for 7 hours today with only one bite. Five different places from the bank to include clear up to the mouth of the creek, and in the shallows in four different spots. . . This is disgusting. There are a whole lot of catfish in WT, but where the heck are they, or why are they not biting I don't know.

[bigredcatfish]

they are biting after dark. I think that they are as shallow as you can get. 6 inches of water!!! They stays in the little holes in the day and come out in the night. The water is too clear and they don't like that. There is no bait fish that shallow with the water that clear.

[skawez]

Congratulations! . Five different places from the bank to include clear up to the mouth of the creek,.

thank you. Finally got to break that pole in!

all the way to the creek huh? like you went back past martell road? in a boat? if so what side did you slip in on i went up in there and never made it to the road before i started tappin the bottom. would like to get the boat back there.

what ya fishin with? i heard shrimp was doin good. that new tackle shop there in hickman has these GIANT shrimp like 1"- 1 1/2" dia 6-7" long HUGE 6 for 3$ so not too bad for the size of em im gonna tryem out on the river hopefully next weekend.

[catfishjohn54]

I walked in, but if you have a shallow draft on your boat i believe one can get back there if you follow the contour of the creek. Lift the outdrive on your motor!! If you are suckin' mud then forget about it. But, you know this. Google earth helps a bit although the satellite photo was taken in winter. 2' is the average I suspect. A lot of boats are way back in the newer part of the lake, but that's all i know. Never been in there in a boat. I am getting action on dead sunfish, but shrimp is getting hit on too. Don't waste your money on the extremely big shrimp. The frozen raw shrimp from the grocery store works great! Last year in Kansas i used shad sides uintil late April then I switched to shrimp and the fish crucified them!. Most really big ones, though, hit shrimp but prefer bigger baits. I will use sunfish- dead or alive- all year. Someone told me the other day there are flathead in Wagon Train. Anyone know if this is true??

[skawez]

dont know for sure... havent caught any out there before ... bullheads yea been awhile few years actually. but its possible i guess.. theres some nice flatheads in Bluestem. buddy of mine pulled a 43 lb'er out of there couple years ago.

[catfish_jordan]

i had my best fishing expirence at stagecoach 2 weekends ago. couldent keep the cats off my line.all we used was worms.and one cut gill which cought me the bigest fish4lb chanel.caught over 20 cats around 2-3lbs, about 7-8 bass 3lbs but 2 bass 5lbs and 20 inches. no crappie or walleye but its ok.

if anyone goes to stageoach, at the far south side,where the campgrounds are, if you see numerous trees cut down then that is from me. i got pissed at the trees being in my fishing spot so i cut them all down. so now we can fish like 25 yards of the shore instead of 5 feet.


here are my 2 bass.


40754 40755

[catfishjohn54]

Good job, Jordan. Maybe we should all hang out with you! lol. If i keep spending ll of this money fishing without any results I'll have to start panhandling downtown. I'll hold up a sign that says "Will Work for Fish"...

Hey, Cory, I took your advice about fishing extremely shallow, and in the moss, etc.- I spent seven hours yesterday following your advice. I got news for you pal, there aint diddly squat back there. And, what's this jive about 6" of water and night fishing ? You make no sense to me, son. It's way too cold to fish only at night, and I go after big catfish. Big catfish aint scared of clear water. They aint scared of anything, and common sense says only guppies hang out in 6" of water, in fact, no decent catfish can swim in 6" of water without exposing it's back and throwing a wake and a lot of water. I'm 54 years old, and I've been fishing a long, long time. I've fly fished for giant browns in England, caught shark and sturgeon in California, world-class steelhead and salmon in Oregon, and many, many years of catfish, bass, crappies, etc., so you'll have to excuse me for questioning your advice. Let's stick to the truth here, OK? We fishermen lie, but let's not do it to one another.

[bigredcatfish]

I don't have the necessary time to answer to your current post. But I will prove what I have said with facts and pics.

[skawez]

Good job, Jordan. Maybe we should all hang out with you! lol. If i keep spending ll of this money fishing without any results I'll have to start panhandling downtown. I'll hold up a sign that says "Will Work for Fish"... i agree good goin Jordan and ill catch you out there one day i will~!:big_smile:

Next subject... Let's stick to the truth here, OK? We fishermen lie, but let's not do it to one another.

ill stick with agreeing to this...part of the post...i completely understand the rest of it but dont want to get into the argument that looks like may be coming.

all i can say is .. ill let you all know what i catch where and with what and when. im still learnin alot and trying other things out... i gotta have the truth i have little time during the right time of year to fish and 4 kids that want to do it as much as me! with as much as i work and as little time as i have off to fish when its nice out and 3 boys and a girl fishin with me i kinda gotta get into the fish small or large.. to keep the peace between them and the minds on fishin not arguing. I THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR INPUT.:big_smile:

[catfishjohn54]

No problem. If and when I catch fish I will keep you posted on the exact when, exactly where, how, and on what I catch fish. I'm a grandfather and I appreciate your concerns. I support you as fisherman and it will be a joy to help you help your children get into the fish. As a matter of fact, I will be going fishing again in the morning. Stay tuned, I'll get back with you.

[catfish_jordan]

i try to keep yall up dated

ive been REALY busy with school!

[bigredcatfish]

Catfishjohn, for the record I'm not starting an argument, I'm ending it. First I can not believe that you have the audacity to tell me that I am not expressing the truth on my post and that your questioning my advice. Lets not forget that the only time that you have ever gone out to Wagon Train this year and caught fish was from my advice and expertise, or have you forgotten? If so, let catch you up to speed.

Post #10 (bigredcatfish's post)
stay shallow, we have been catching some nice fish in between the islands and the trees! Upwards of 7lbs. on shrimp and cut bait.

Post #26 (your post, catfishjohn)
Thank you Steve, and Cory! Your info got me into the catfish at Wagon Train yesterday. I hiked in and I put my old butt "between the islands and the tress." The water is still up so casting was a trick, and I had to yank them over brush, but I had a blast. Eight fish, a 32 lb. stringer. the largest was 7.10. I lost a bigger one on a submerged tree stump. They were running hard with cut bait and slamming shad sides, and shrimp. You had to be patient, but the bite was on and the fish were there!

Next, who in there right mind would complain about one man's advice and then follow that advice. To me, that is really showing your ingnorace. I was trying to guide you to do something different, because doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the defition of insanity. Again, for the record, I am not calling you ignorant or insane, but it sure is tough not to argue the point. As far as my creditablity to fish for catfish, I have for the last two years competed in the Nebraska Catfish Anglers Association and won. This assocation has the largest membership in Nebraska and is one of the most competitive. Not only winning one tournament but finishing first each year in the total pounds and points for the year. I am not tell you this to brag or boast but for you to understand that I may know a few things about catfishing. I understand, you don't know what you don't know. That's fine. Not understanding that six inches of water holds huge catfish, is a true mistake and could be a reason that you don't catch a lot of catfish and may be the reason you have your wife look at you wierd everytime you come home empty handed. With the lakes in Nebraska so siltted, six inches of water "to a fish" is not six inches. If you have ever taken a step in one of our lakes, you will sink another two feet at least. The catfish can easily move through the silt and bait fish get confused and die in the silt. I can not tell you all my secrets, but I will include several pictures to prove my point.

Also, quite being a wimp, fishing at night is not as cold as your making to be. Put a extra layer on and I promise you this, if your catching fish you won't be cold.

You have a couple of options, the way I look at it. First option, you can take the advice from this incredible website and use what pertains to you to better your fishing skills. It is like a grocery store. When you go shopping you don't get everything in the store. You pick what you need. Same with this website. No one said you had to listen to my advise, it was a chose you made. Second option, you can go back to England and fish for giant brown, catch shark in California, or fish for steelhead and salmon in Oregon.

I will not stop giving what I believe is qualified advise. I am sorry that you didn't catch the fish you thought were entitled too.

[colburn]

I just want to post my 2 cents. I am also a member of the ncaa. I have watched cory fish for the last 2 years and takin his advise. It works VERY well. I have seen him at weigh in with 70 plus pound stringers and i saw where he was fishin. His Line was damn near on the beach. I have also fished this shallow.. I have had good results cant quite get the ones cory gets but they are there. And if you think fishin at night is to cold i guess either keep your dress on or get a pair. There were 18 true fisherman out there this weekend and if im correct come 5am it was around 38 degrees. but when your workin to catch fish and not a whimp it aint bad and fishin at night is way better than durin the day

[Catfish Rage]

Bigredcatfish I'm not quite the poet you are but I don't think I could have said it better my self!!!

[catfishjohn54]

Gentlemen, there have been times in my life when I too have issued a little
"whoopsie." I am a fishermen and I too am prone to stretching a fish story. I could have accepted 18", or 12", but 6" was too much to accept, especially after spending a cumulative total of 14 hours beating the extreme shallows of Wagon Train without so much as a bite. This prompted my recent comment.

I have seen #25 striped bass chasing shad in 24" of water. I have seen #40 salmon fighting like mad to traverse 4" of water on a gravel bed, and TV shows us killer whales grabbing seal pups from the beach, but this is rare animal behavior. But the next time you bring home an #5 catfish, measure out exactly 6" of water in a cooler and drop your fish in it and then tell me what you think the problem is. The day I personally observe anything more than a 1o-inch cat feeding in 6" of water I will issue Cory a public apology on this forum. Meanwhile, with over fifty years of fishing experience- including Nebraska catfishing- well, momma didn't raise no fools. Any catfisherman out there that catches me casting my bait into 6" of water, please find the biggest piece of driftwood you can and hit me over the head with it. Please try and understand how difficult it is to accept this.l

Meanwhile, be careful with the use of the word "whimp." People who know me, know better. Be it known I do not intend to use this forum to beat on my own chest, but I have wet a line in conditions and circumstances that would send most fishermen home in tears, to include fishing alone on my boat in 12' swells on the Pacific ocean with water busting over the bow. I've paid my dues, boys.

However, an apology is due. I regret expressing my feelings to you, Cory, on this forum. I did so out of frustration, and it was inappropriate. I should have kept my opinion to myself. I wish you, and your partners, a fishing season full of catfish, good times, and success.

[skawez]

although i do enjoy some of the argumentative posts i have to commend those who openly understand this is not the place for it. sometimes tho you can get great info out of them. its the heated ones we dont need..that being said.

IM HEADED TO BLUESTEM...figure if everyone goin at it about wagontrain ill go wehre no one else is fishin and enjoy the peace and quite and maybe have better luck with those cats not fished so hard. ill let you all know if i get one or a hundred.. lol yea right. tight lines everyone!

[colburn]

did you try fishin that shallow at night when they come up and feed

[catfishjohn54]

I have caught catfish in the shallows at night when they feed, but not this year. Are you having any luck at night??? I am waiting until it gets hotter out. Perhaps I am missing out, though. Thanks to the advice of the other fellas I got into a school of cats in 18" - 24" of water two weeks ago, but they are gone now or completely stuffed. Since then it has been horrid for me. I can't find a big catfish to save my life. But I have learned I am certainly not the only one. I have only fished in Nebraska for two years out of the last three, and this seems like very very strange spring weather to me and it seems it may have an adverse affect on feeding patterns. Food for thought... If i had a boat things would be better for me, but we are in the process of buying a house and the wife is asking me to wait a bit on the boat... and we all know how that works.

[skawez]

im Back from bluestem and they are hittin on liver the fresh stuff not the green or black gunk. in 3-4' of water not shallower not deeper just 3-4' around the brush off the shore line. NOT shrimp NOT shad NOT crawlers JUST liver FRESH. caught one Missed quite a few. im either slow not paying attention. but they are hittin good and regular take more then one bucket of liver when you go or youll be home or at the store in 4 hrs like me :sad2:

[colburn]

i had decent luck on saturday night caught 8 only a couple over 5 but had lots of bbites and caught some fish

[catfishjohn54]

where were you fishing?

[colburn]

i fished all over that night i started not to far from the docks moved towards the damn than worked the shalows down to the sticks i prolly fished 20 some spots that night