# Bulkhead Bite



## Catfish Kyle (Mar 7, 2016)

The shad are there, but the fish are not. One throw of the castnet produced a dozen shad. Caught one 16" blue that was skinny and looked like it had been ran through a meat grinder which was released.:question:


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## DJ77360 (Jun 10, 2012)

My wife threw the cast net from our bulkhead to get bait for me Friday morning. She throws that net much better than me. LOL 
I started fishing and got a bite within 5-10 minutes........it was a 5-6 pound Gasper Goo. 
I think that's what it was. I have been told that a fresh water drum is also called a Gasper Goo.
Either way, it pulled really good and I thought I might have a nice size Blue Cat, but it wasn't to be this time. It started to rain, so that ran us back in the house.
I think the bulkhead bite will start a little early this year though. I plan to try most mornings so I don't miss them.


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## Catfish Kyle (Mar 7, 2016)

:work:If you look on the bulkhead around 6-7 a.m., and see fish, they are there but not always keepers. 16" or bigger for me.


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## bluwave (Sep 10, 2015)

I'm going to tawakoni this weekend and need bait. Where would be the best area to get shad. North or south end of the lake? Would Anywhere along the bulkheads be good?


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Just like the crappie spawn we fishermen try to rush the season. The crappie spawn starts when the blue bonnets bloom which is just now beginning. (too bad the water is too muddy to fish)

The shad start a solid run (spawn) on April 1st get or take 5 days. Earlier if unseasonably warm....later if it stays cooler.
The shad and crappie spawns are triggered by the amount of daylight and water temp. This year it should start in earnest around the 27th to 30th. The discolored water is going to effect the fish bite but those huge schools will be depositing eggs all over every moss covered structure in shallow water.
Why am I so confident? Because I have been watching them since 1969.


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## StillKicking (Jun 29, 2013)

How is the lake looking after all the rain last week? Is there a bunch of floating debris? I was there a couple of weeks ago and the lake was starting to clear up around the 190 bridge.


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## Catfish Kyle (Mar 7, 2016)

Shad are along the bulkheads early morning, and all over the lake if you have a boat and electronics easy to find. I use a deep water taped cast net for the big ones. And yes the lake is muddy again.:headknock


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

A dozen shad in a throw of the cast net doesn't indicate that the shad are on the bulkheads. When they show up to spawn a good throw will net a 5 gallon bucket half full. They are getting a little more abundant than they were but we are still a couple of weeks out I believe unless this next cold snap delays them a little more . I have fished the bulkhead at Kickapoo a lot both morning and night recently and my best night was last Monday before the rains. 3 catfish, 2 gasper gou and 1 white bass which is pretty darn slow. Since the rain it has been slow for me, Kickapoo still has a lot of debris and is muddy as a clay hole at the bridge.


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

I agree , a dozen shad per throw is working for them.
When they roll in during the spawn you can hear them coming down the bank.
It is one of the most awesome sounds there is.A fine mesh dip net is the best way to get them. Our bulk has a little corner makes for easy pickings. 
Venture off the bulk head a little there should be some fish 5-15 ft.off the points.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Let me ask a really silly question, I know little about catfish. IF you have a stretch of bulkhead where shad will get really thick, will there likely be catfish there feeding?


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## Titan2232 (Apr 2, 2014)

Whitebassfisher said:


> Let me ask a really silly question, I know little about catfish. IF you have a stretch of bulkhead where shad will get really thick, will there likely be catfish there feeding?


:headknock


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Whitebassfisher said:


> Let me ask a really silly question, I know little about catfish. IF you have a stretch of bulkhead where shad will get really thick, will there likely be catfish there feeding?





Titan2232 said:


> :headknock


Sorry, but it is an honest question. I don't know the catfish population. I have personally witnessed several times in creeks and the main lake where shad were extremely thick, and no feeding fish. My past experience is that an abundance of shad doesn't guarantee feeding fish.
You can laugh if you want about my lack of knowledge of catfish on the bulkhead.  I just thought that a thread titled bulkhead bite may be the place to ask.


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## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

I think that anyone who has 10000 posts is entitled to ask any question they want and get a knowledgeable answer. I don't have much catfish experience myself or I would give you an answer.


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## Ducktracker (Aug 1, 2011)

Great question, when the shad start showing up usually the catfish will follow but I'm not the expert on this. I fish a bulkhead north of 190 and in the last four years the catfish always showed up. But I'm sure some of the 2coolers will shed some light on this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Tahoe06 (Feb 29, 2016)

We haven't been tearing them up off our bulkhead so far, but I have noticed that the bite has been improving. Managed to pull a couple out last weekend one a little over 20" and the others right around 12". All were really skinny and looked like they had been put through the ringer so we released them all.


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## BigNate523 (May 19, 2010)

Whitebassfisher said:


> Let me ask a really silly question, I know little about catfish. IF you have a stretch of bulkhead where shad will get really thick, will there likely be catfish there feeding?


yes and a lot of other predatory fish i have caught some good catfish and bass flipping bulkheads during the shad run but just like any other fishing you should of been here yesterday lol


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Whitebassfisher, These bulk head fish are just like any other species, there will always be some locations better than others but if you have the shad you have the first thing you need for success. I have found over the years that timing is the key. It can be red hot for an hour or so but the minute the sun pops up you have to back out to stay on them. Shad and fish were a little more plentiful for me last night and the Gasper Gou and Carp population is alive and well.


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