This is the first year I have really started fishing cats. I pretty much fish lakes and sometimes the river from the bank. One thing I notice is that when I'm catching fish, mostly channels, is that they come in waves. I may catch 6 in an hour, then nothing for 2 hours, then 4 the next. Why is this and is there anything I can do different during the slow time?
Catching fish in spurts
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Big Vert... Really wish I knew the answer to this one. The only thing I can say is move to try to locate the fish, on a boat with a fishfinder makes it easier but from the bank it is a little tougher. I have the same thing when I am fishing for flatheads. Alot of nights I will sit by my poles all night and catch one fish or none. Seems like if they are in the mood to eat we sometimes have two or three bites at once and catch a few until they quit biting altogether again. I have read the charts telling the major feeding cycles of the fish but they have never seemed to help me. I always do better without a bright moon, I don't do nearly as well when there is a full moon but I go anyway. 
Last night was a full moon and we had 8 poles out all night. We were fishing from a dock with the poles laying flat on the dock. I got one run and it was the hardest run I have ever had, it took a large bullhead and stripped off over 100 yards of line in seconds before I could get to the pole. Had a big Gama circle hook on and raised the pole only to have the fish wrapped up in a snag. I have had such good luck with circle hooks I was beginning to think they were magic until this one got away. He was wrapped clear past my mono leader because when I finally had to break the line the Power Pro line snapped before the leader. This one will haunt me for awhile. I will be making some heavyduty dock rodholders before the next trip. I don't like freespooling with the clicker on when I am using circle hooks, if I would have had it in a rodholder with the spool locked and the drag tightened enough for the fish to hook himself I believe he would have been caught. It was the only bite we had all night with 8 poles in the water with several different baits. I would have sworn it was a big blue cat if I weren't fishing in the Muskingum River here in Ohio. Abu
Last night was a full moon and we had 8 poles out all night. We were fishing from a dock with the poles laying flat on the dock. I got one run and it was the hardest run I have ever had, it took a large bullhead and stripped off over 100 yards of line in seconds before I could get to the pole. Had a big Gama circle hook on and raised the pole only to have the fish wrapped up in a snag. I have had such good luck with circle hooks I was beginning to think they were magic until this one got away. He was wrapped clear past my mono leader because when I finally had to break the line the Power Pro line snapped before the leader. This one will haunt me for awhile. I will be making some heavyduty dock rodholders before the next trip. I don't like freespooling with the clicker on when I am using circle hooks, if I would have had it in a rodholder with the spool locked and the drag tightened enough for the fish to hook himself I believe he would have been caught. It was the only bite we had all night with 8 poles in the water with several different baits. I would have sworn it was a big blue cat if I weren't fishing in the Muskingum River here in Ohio. Abu
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If the river is tidal this will have a major impact on the availability of cats in a given spot. Do some recon work and look for areas that should hold cats. Inside bends,log jams,rock piles and structure in general. Ya may wanna try puttin your baits out at different distances. This will help if ya don't know the depth of the water ya are fishin. Good luck to ya.
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Hey Big Vert,
I fish the bank also & that's the way it goes sometimes - "any where". Most Catfish travel in schools - sometimes big schools - sometimes small ones, so that I think is the reason for the 6 fish in one hour and 4 cats two hours latter.
and your never know when that will happen -
so if I where you - I'll just keep at it - because it can start-up again at any time. :006:
That's is what I think (but what do I know :know-big: )
Take It Easy,
Bert
I fish the bank also & that's the way it goes sometimes - "any where". Most Catfish travel in schools - sometimes big schools - sometimes small ones, so that I think is the reason for the 6 fish in one hour and 4 cats two hours latter.
and your never know when that will happen -
so if I where you - I'll just keep at it - because it can start-up again at any time. :006:
That's is what I think (but what do I know :know-big: )
Take It Easy,
Bert
Yeah, I felt bad last night. I was fishing by myself and had 2 on at once and was barely able to get them both in. The, about 10 minutes later I had to runs. I got the first in and the second turned out to be a 3.5 pund largemouth on a cut shad tail. I called my buddy and told him to get down there. He did, but I never saw another bite the rest of the night.
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