Catfish on Brownlee

[joesnuffy]

Tried a little catfishing yesterday on Brownlee. After only a few nibbles after a couple hours. Moved 50 yards and then hauled 2 out. both in the 5 - 10 lb range.

Used regular worms on a bait hook. Anybody have any better ways to catch without using super stinky bait?

 

[Fishtopher]

Not sure about the regs there, but I've had good luck using other fish as catfish bait. Thats what they eat when my bait isn't in the water. Catch a few sunfish or something and either use thier innards or a little fillet of its outters.
Another great bait is just the gills of other fish that you have caught. Cutt'em out, stick'em on, maybe a few wraps of magic thread or through an egg loop. Great bait for both Sturgeon and Catfish.

I caught a nice mud cat the other day while Sturgeon fishing using deli squid too.

 

[joesnuffy]

I don't keep any fish so using fish parts is out. Thanks for the info though. Any others out there?

 

[fenderbender]

Brownlee

Brownlee

Hi Joesnuffy, Bringing a group in a couple of weeks to Brownlee. I normally use chicken liver, catfish stink bait, all those great smelly things. I have friends that use inards from fish and they say that works great. I know the catfish really use their smell for feeding. How has the weather there been? Have you done any other fishing there this year? Thanks for any info.
See ya, Fender

 

[joesnuffy]

I've only been down there twice so far this year. the weather has been kind of crazy. Hot and dry, then cold and wet, then back and forth....... you won't know until the day of, then it will change. Bring all sorts of clothes.

I'd prefer no tto use any super stinky bait. I like to read while i'm down there and don't want to get that crap on my books

 

[Hawk]

Bring some lemon Joy to wash yer hands Bro..................:lol::lol::lol:

I've caught lotsa channel cats, etc with pileworms, nitecrawlers, bloodworms, turkey liver (wrapped with thread), cut anchovies...........................................

 

[Drew9870]

Around Brownlee me and my Gramps would use Rebel brand Crawdad Crankbaits, just look for the catfish jumping for baitfish and start casting into them.

I haven't had luck on bait for cats in the Snake, but If you don't believe in using lures for cats, my Gramps would always use a fillet from a bluegill.

 

[fenderbender]

It is funny that you mention catching catfish on lures. Years ago, I use to use a mepps minnow and caught a lot of catfish. I was bass fishing and all of a sudden I started catching catfish on lures. I was very surprised at first and after several, it was a blast. Stopped using lures, but I will try some crawdads at Brownlee in a couple of weeks. I am also looking forward to catching some of the bass and crappie over there. I have been there many times and all we do is catfish, clean, catfish some more, clean......you get the picture. Maybe we will try some variety this trip. Will be a blast. If you have any info. It would be great. I will also share when we return.
Thanks, Bender

 

[Anyfishisfine]

Around Brownlee me and my Gramps would use Rebel brand Crawdad Crankbaits, just look for the catfish jumping for baitfish and start casting into them.

I've seen monster cats taken with spoons in the Midwest. One flathead I saw caught was wearing several spoons in its mouth from previous attempts. They guy gave them to me, and I stuck new hooks on them. I figured if they were good enough for that flathead, they are good enough for me. I still have them in my tackle box.

 

[1bigfish]

I don't keep any fish so using fish parts is out. Thanks for the info though. Any others out there?

If you are fishing out of the Powder River arm of Brownlee then you don't have to keep any fish to use them as bait. Just stop by the cleaning station at Hewitt Park and pick some out of the bucket.

I personally only fish for cats to relax and give my back a break from bass fishing so my set up is designed for fishing the flats in no current. I just use a hook with no weight and leave the bail open. When the line start peeling off the spool the fish is already on. As for bait I catch so many squawfish on the Willy while I am bass fishing that I just take a few hone for catfish bait. I cut them into chunks add 0.5 cups of sugar and 0.5 cups of salt, vacuum seal them, and toss them in the freezer until my next trip to Brownlee.

 

[Billmw]

Catching Cats

Catching Cats

I live in Salem and have been looking for places to catch a few fish that are native to my instincts and experience. It looks like Brownlee is going to be the place to start. I grew up in Oklahoma fishing for Bucketmouths, Smallmouths and cats of several varieties. I saw on the posts that someone asked for baits that don't stink so much. I grew up making my own bait and was taught from the 1st that for channels the stinkier the better. That goes for blues as well. Flatheads like live bait such as perch or shad. Blues will regularly hit cut shad but it works best if you let the cut bait lie in the sun for a little while and let the oils of the fish come to the surface. From what I have heard Brownlee has mostly channel cats. A good bait for these that does not smell you out of the boat will be chicken liver or fresh shrinp. Liver can be hard to keep on a hook. One of the methods that I used back home that works pretty well is to place the liver on the hook and form a piece of gauze over the bait and set a rubberband at the top to secure in place. We used to put a few drops of anise oil in the liver box as channel seem to like the flavor. Make sure that the point of the hook is just barely protruding from the bait. There was an egg farm just across from our pasture where I used to pick up the dead chickens for bait. The best channel cat bait that I have ever used is chicken guts. BAR NONE!!! With shrimp, just worm it on a hook. I like to use circle hooks as they will just about set themselve as the fish moves of to swallow the bait. I hope that this helps.
Bill W.

 

[joesnuffy]

Thanks Bill and welcome to the Best Fishing Forum around.

 

[Lowell Life Fisherman]

try using sucker that you catch out of the river or reservior, my cousin does really good where he catfishes at on chunks of sucker. very oily fish put off a lot of smell