[Individualist]

OK, we have the namesake river posted and a dandy river it is. But we also need to get the missouri river up too. It's my personal favorite and because it's nearly in my back yard.

River levels are coming down and in a few more days things should stabilize and be back to normal, I hope. I'm ready to get back into action like before the rains came. Anyway, I need a new Avatar, this Avatar is kinda fuzzy, my wife must have been falling asleep when she took it. We'd had just got home at 4:00 in the morning when she said, "Hey hold up that flatty and let me take your Avatar", soooo like a good hubby I did.

 

[crazy]

Yep river is on its way down. Although more rain in the forcast for this week and the weekend. I don't think there calling for a lot though. Then again what do the weather people know.

 

[GaryF]

The forecast says sunny for the next two days. Tomorrow AM the roofers come to tear off my old roof. Please pray for me and my house, lol. Charlie, keep them clothes on!

 

[Individualist]

I've included you and your house in our dinner time prayer Gary. I hope it works out for you and if not, I'll then pray that your insurance premium is paid up current.

 

[McFlat]

Good luck Gary. The last time I had to go through that there were enough sheets to replace that I decided to dig deep into the coffers and have it re-decked.

 

[GaryF]

Yup, It's 2 layers of asphalt shingles over the original cedar shake, it all comes off and new plywood goes down. No suprises there, though, I've been planning this for a couple of years. I did a roof like it myself about 15 years ago, and I'm happy to pay somebody to do it this time.

 

[kcgeoff]

Good luck with the roof Gary. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.

 

[Individualist]

Geoff, Did you here anything about a catfish tourney up in atchison recently. I know a gal that owns a resturant across the street from the south boat ramp up there and she said that the winner was 40 something lbs but that most of the people didn't do well at all. Just wondering?

 

[kcgeoff]

Brian,
Yea they had a tourney. It was a Super Cats tourney. It was at the Indepence park which is across from the restraunt right by the river. I believe that is the restraunt you are refering to something like the Landing?

Anyways, I heard the big fish was something like 38-39lbs and the 2nd biggest was only 20 something. It was VERY hot and in the middle of the day. They wanted $250 to enter it which seemed really steep for your average catman. One of these days I'll go by Southside bait and get more info on it. Its just that I don't like going in a bait shop if I'm not going to buy anything. Everything as far as hooks etc I buy online at Catfish connection or ebay. With the occassional item at Cabelas or Walmart.

 

[kcgeoff]

I just read online at the Atchison Globe that the the big fish was a 46.8lb blue cat. It was caught off a leopard frog. They had 3 fish total for 64.1lbs. There were 25 teams total. 2nd place was 7 fish that weighed 62lbs total.

 

[Individualist]

Geoff, Thanks for the info. $250 a pop is a lot of money to fish in the hot sun.

I need to hunt down some leopard frogs, that has got to be one of the top baits for cats. Every time I have used them, they produce bites quick. The gar love them too. I caught one on a wing dike last time out and thought ok this should get me a cat. That frog was gone to a gar in 3 minutes, couldn't find any more so back to the carp I went. That wasn't a good night for fishing.

 

[GaryF]

That's what always happens to me when I get a good bait going, I'm thinking, man this is gonna draw in a monster. Then a turtle or a gar gets it, or I throw it off the hook with the first cast, lol. I had a 2lb carp ready to go, but he ended up laying on my garage floor all day before I even got a chance to try :crying:

 

[kcgeoff]

I'm still lost! LOL It took me forever to find this thread again.

Brian,
I wouldn't pay that kind of money either. According to the article 1st place got $500 in cash and prizes per person. That doesn't seem like put for pay $250 for 2 people. Seems like you could $250 on lottery tickets and have a better shot at more money!

I caught a leopard frog a couple days ago and thought I'd get a big channel on it real quick. I tossed it out and watched it sit there for hours. While I proceeded to catch 3-4 channels off shrimp on my other poles. I reeled it in, took the frog off and put shrimp on. Never got a bite on that pole even with shrimp! I reeled the pole in and put it in the car. Fished with 2 poles and still caught cats. Lesson learned that pole was just bad luck! LOL

Gary, I hear you on the bait issue. I don't know how many times I've tossed my best bait off the hook on the first cast right when I get to the river.

 

[Individualist]

Ok guys, I have to admit it, oh yea I throw the bait off my hook, about four times last weekend. I tried to blame on the new reel I just got, and then it happened on another pole that I use all the time so I can't use that excuse. I'm patient when it's in the water just not patient getting it in the water.

Geoff, That's funny about your jinxed fishing pole, all of mine act that way sometimes.

 

[kcgeoff]

Was headed out to a local lake last night to get some gils to have ready for fishing this weekend. The sky turned dark and the wind/lightning showed up. I turned around and headed home! LOL We got dumped on! I've noticed the Missouri has raised 2 feet since then. It outta make for some good fishing if the debris is at a minimum.

 

[crazy]

I always have better luck when the missouri has been stable for a few days. On smaller rivers I know the water rising makes them bite.

 

[kcgeoff]

I think when the Missouri rises with all the debris the cats move to deep holes such as scour holes off the tip of wing dams. I've caught cats when the water is dropping, rising and stable. I've always heard rising is better but I've caught most my big fish when the river is stable aswell.

 

[GaryF]

Fish the backside of the dam during a small rise of 1-4 feet. It's a tip I read in Catfish Insider that paid off a couple of times this spring. The theory is that the fish are fleeing the debris.. all of the small crud like what collects on your line when you fish in those conditions.

 

[Individualist]

I'll be heading out on the big river tomorrow night. I usually don't do that well after the river rises. We will see what happens though. I was on to something before the monsoon came. Now me and the fish are all jacked up. Behind the dam is probably the only place to cast and be free of debris for maybe 15 min at a time. I'll post the results of this expedition. Good luck to you all.

 

[crazy]

Went out and caught some perfect size carp for a hook tonight. Man the Ameristar has a great pond for carp & bullhead. Just scope the place out first so you don't get caught. Feed the carp some canned sweet corn go in have a few beers then go out and throw the net. Only problem is the security office is close by oh and the cameras.