# Big Cat Monday



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

TexasGG and his crew, Robert, and Bobby, took me out for some big cat fishing Monday. It was the most successful big cat trip I have ever been on. We started at 9:00 and cruised out to some structure south of hwy 190 and began to drift with cut shad. It took a long time to score the first cat, about 4 lbs, and not in the size range we were looking for. So he went in the cooler and we got back to big game hunting. After several more cats between 4 and 6lb we get a 12lb blue that is more like it.
The day had been very overcast and dreary but around 1:00 it began to lighten up and the sun broke through the clouds every now and then. A 16 lb broke the ice and then a 40+ lost at boat side by me. It hurt my feelings; it was a big catfish and just came unpinned with a last surge.
Not 5 minutes later I get another hit from a big cat, after a hard fight Gary nets a 36lb blue for me, oh yeah this is more like it. Gary then brings the fish of the day to the boat, a 50 monster. When I bent down to net it I was awed by how big it was, it was hard to lift him in the boat.

Gary has some additional pics that cover more of the story, I'm sure he will add them or send them to me so I can.
The pics are of the big one, a 50lb scale bottomed out with this fat blue. The pics Gary has with people holding it give a better idea of big these fish were.
A cooler(92 quart) full of nice big cats, and some bowed rods fighting big blues.

I forget now how many we had in the 4 to 15 pound range, quite a few, but our three biggest fish were 50, 36, and 32, I think. We had a cooler full of eating size blues at the end of the day and had done battle with the biggest R&R cats I have ever caught.
Thanks again Gary, Robert, and Bobby for showing me the ropes on trophy blue fishing. I had a great day on the water with you guys and look forward to more days of cut shad and khale hooks.
SS


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## Dwight (Dec 15, 2007)

*I'll be right there.*

Man, I'm biting at the bit to go get some of that. No kids this weekend and a boat with a full tank of gas. Oh yeah SS I graduated last week.


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## RAYSOR (Apr 26, 2007)

Great pics, which I was there


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Dwight, if you have the time, I got bait, lets go. Just Pm me when you have an idea of when you can make it. Congrats on the graduation, it takes some stuff to see it through to the end, don't it?
SS


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## SaltH2oAssassin (Jan 25, 2006)

Nice report and pics as usual. Those are some fat cats.


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## B_Bop77 (Dec 3, 2008)

Were they full of eggs or food? Thought blues spawn this time of year.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

We let all of the big ones go that would make it, and the way I clean one I don't open the stomach or rib cage area. But past experience tells me that catfish spawn all year on Livingston, and have some stage of egg development in some fish at any given time.


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

that is awesome SS!!! I love drifting fishing but the pontoon gets moving to fast with just a little breeze!!Guess I need some big drift socks!!!How did ya rig ?


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## trout01 (Apr 4, 2006)

Great box of fish. You said you were slow drifting but what depth did you have your baits. Were they just up from bottom or staggered. Can't wait for my turn to catch a few like that.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

bbop77 the ones in the cooler are from 16 to 3lbs, they look a cooler full of those big ones I see now. Just got the camera closer, lol.

Been getting a lot of questions about drifting, This is what I told someone;

Karl wrote for some cat fishing drift tips, so I told him this.

*Re: Catfish drifting* 
You got a boat Karl? Well, get some drift socks so that you can control the drift speed and keep it right at .5 mph, one off of the bow, and the stern. That way you drift sideways and can fish the most rods across the boat as you drift. a depth finder will usually tell what your speed is, then fish with cut bait(shad) on a 4/0 khale hook tied to a leader of 30lb monofiliment, tie the 30lb leader to a 3/0 barrel swivel then slide a 2oz egg sinker on your line, tie the end of your line to the other eye of the barrel swivel. This is a kind of Carolina Rig. the boast drifts at .5 and you try to set up the drift so that you cover water that is 35' deep and has changes on the bottom where it goes up and down some.
As you drift your egg sinker will bounce on the bottom, 100' back from the boat. it will go up and down and when a fish hits the rod points to the water and its time to fight it.
The best bite rate we had was when we crossed the river, just as it dropped to 35' and rose back to 35', especially if there was an area that kept that depth for some time as we drifted.
You can change the rate of your drift if you have enough drift socks that are large enough, by letting more line out, to slow, and shorten them, to speed up. The place that you drift should have the water depth that is right but also be free enough from hangups that it can be fished.
I hope that helps you.
SS


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## B_Bop77 (Dec 3, 2008)

Either way they look good and healthy. Good Job. Bet theyre delicious.


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## texasGG (Mar 12, 2007)

A few pictures of our trip.... Loy it was GREAT fishing with you. I hope you had as good a time with us, as we did with you. I'll be back down your way in a week or two and will give you a call when I get there. Now if we can get dbullard and Gator Gar to go with us we will have quite a crew...:cheers: sorry about the BIG pictures...


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

B bop77, I just finished processing the three that I had kept and I have 7 1 gallon zips of pre-mealed and frozen fillets. They were not too fat and looked like good catfish, tomorrow I'll fry me a few for lunch.
Nice pics Gary and I had a great day on the lake with y'all. looking forward to more.
SS


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

I am ready!!!!Those are awesome I know the lake is full of them big ole blues.That is great, Jackie is a good teacher I see!!!quote=texasGG;1908903]A few pictures of our trip.... Loy it was GREAT fishing with you. I hope you had as good a time with us, as we did with you. I'll be back down your way in a week or two and will give you a call when I get there. Now if we can get dbullard and Gator Gar to go with us we will have quite a crew...:cheers: sorry about the BIG pictures...[/quote]


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## texasGG (Mar 12, 2007)

Jackie Kennedy knows more about a Bluecat and how to catch them than anyone I know, he is the definately the Professor. He will take the time to explain the why's and hows , all you have to do is go with him and ask. He IS the BEST bluecat guide in this country as far as I am concerned. He is on Cedar Creek Lake, you guys ought to give him a call and book a trip with him it is well worth the money...


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

dbullard and Gator Gar let us know and we can take my boat as well and have plenty of lines out in different spots. Drift different places and all. The best time of year for this is right now, until Late to middle Feb.
I might have to experiment with homemade drift socks, any tips?


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Great report Loy. That had to be a blast. Hopefully closing on a house up there in the next week or so. Ive got the wind socks for my boat. Time for lake records to be broken LOL. Never say never. Has he ever used Live Goldfish???? My dad and I use to on Lake Houston and we caught some huge Blues on trotline and believe it or not some of the biggest crappie I have ever seen on them.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Any good size baitfish should be good as long as it is big enough and fresh enough. I have caught some real barn door crappie on goldfish baited trotlines a long time ago at SAM Rayburn.Sometimes is good to put several cut up bodies of gizzard shad on one hook. Makes it real juicy.


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## jackieblue (Jun 13, 2006)

In my opinion: 
Fresh caught bait from the body of water you are fishing is important, as is drift speed, but the most important of this or any other fishing is being where the fish are.
Conditions change and move fish, some thing to consider are wind direction, water temp, barometric pressure, moon phase, sunny or cloudy.
This is not rocket science but things I have learned over the past fifty years of fishing. The best teacher is time on the water and not being afraid to try different things. Different rigs, bait, and on the days when nothing works don't worry about it. Every trip is not a banner one nor a record is caught, when we get to goal orientated we lose the true meaning of fishing. Enjoy every outing on the water.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Thanks for weighing here jackieblue, and those are wise words indeed. I told Gary that I don't think I would have ever come up with all of the tricks it takes to fish specifically for these fish. The texasGG crew learned a lot from you and they were gracious enough to pass along some to me and we got to apply it to our "home" lake.
More than anything else we had some fun Monday, Robert and Gary were great company to fish with, and I look forward to fishing with them again.
Jackie, I know it's more a gesture than something that you are likly to do, but any time you would like to come up and fish I would be happy to take you out. 
A catfish pro like you would enjoy one of the best blue catfish lakes that there is.
SS


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## HIJACK (Aug 10, 2005)

That ROCKS!!!!


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