Been catching blues on the MO since February. Heading back down this weekend. Shad is the go to bait. 4 trips and only shad has produced outside of a 51 lb blue on half of a bluegill. Chubs not getting so much as a sniff.
If I cant get gizzard shad, Id stay home right now.
You west side guys do not forget about the Catfish Chasers tournament at St Joe in July. There were some hawgs caught last year. Big cash and chance to win truck. Of the first 75 entry they going to do a drawing for free entry fee. Got mine sent in already.
Fished big gills under a bobber with little luck this morning. Changed over to cut gills and immediately started catching fish, though nothing over 7 lbs. Left one gill under a bobber had had a run on it that skinned all the hide off the 6inch gill but didn't get stuck.
Starting to pick up some but no flatheads yet. Caught a 26lb and 14 lb blue on live gills under a bobber. Cut gills didn't see any action today. Forecast for river to make a slight rise so I think I'll try it again in the morning.
Still using gills under a bobber and picked up a 49in blue this morning. Just can't seem to get into the flatheads yet.
My first and biggest flathead came on May 12th last year. This year we haven't had any real high water yet.
Caught another big blue last night on the river. 50 1/2 inches on big bluegill under a bobber fishing for flatheads. Also caught another smaller blue around 5 lbs or so. Can't seem to be able to figure this picture thing out.
Don't have a scale on the river so I just measure them. I did catch a 42 inch blue this morning that came home with me. It weighed 36 lbs. The MDC has a chart that tells the average weight of a blue or flathead for a length. I've noticed it to be a little lite most of the time. It showed a 42 inch blue as 32.xx lbs, a 49 inch blue at 54.96, and a 50 1/2 at 60.8.
Sam,I'm fishing them down about 5 to 6 feet just off the bottom in the rip-rap along the channel. I use a 3 inch slip bobber with 4 ounces of weight. The rig uses a 3 way swivel with a 8 inch leader to the hook and the weight is attached using 12 lb test line. The weight catches in the rocks holding it in place. This puts the bait about a foot off the bottom. When the fish hits it will usually break the weight off. If no fish bite usually the weight is able to be retrieved because of being jerked up vertically.
Well the gar have started in. I went this morning and all 4 hits I had were gar and I mean big gar. I'm going to head out here in a bit and see if the night bite is any better
Only managed 1 blue last night about 6 or 7 lbs. Nice breeze blowing kept the skeeters at bay.Only fished till midnight as the full moon was getting on the water.
Haven't been on for a while. Finally traded my glass boat in for a pontoon so can get out on the big muddy again. Went out last night will little success. Netted some really nice 10" threadfin shad Wednesday night and used them for cutbait. Had a lot of small bites and the bait was torn up a little. I suspect it was gar. Caught a Asian carp with my casting net and switched to that on one rod but no luck. Lord it was HOT!!
New coin added to CC tournament in St Joe purse. $12,000.00 first place to $400.00 for 12th place. Boys this is big time coin! Plus you could win a truck. Got to get over there. Already have my entry fee paid.
Pert near 100 teams signed up for the CC tournament on the 14th and river starting to drop like a rock. Hope it settles quick. Paying to 20th place with fishing rods added to big fish pot. St Joe is going to be BIG TIME CATFISHING !
I've been catching some nice size blues ( 20 to 30 lbs.) at night from the bank in this high water. Just have to avoid all the trash coming down. The river here is suppose to start dropping here in a couple of days so that will probably change the locations I've been catching fish.
I've been targeting inlets around islands and ditches entering the river from pump structures. Basically anywhere that a current seam is created that has something diverting the trash. I'm using big gills for bait under a bobber.
109 teams and river dropping. Forecast showing it to be between 17 and 16 ft next weekend. Going to have plenty of water. Looks like it is going to be HOT!
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