Flint River 2-15-03

Post by **CSMarine** » February 18th, 2003, 11:56 am

Left Sportsman's Club dock at daylight. Fished backwater for Striped Bass, mostly using Rattle Traps. Caught two nice Stripes in 3lb range, caught a few Hybrids and White Bass. The water was high and muddy, with a fast current. Tried the Flatheads with no luck. Hard to catch Bream for bait for the flatheads. I used a combination bream and Fishbites. This will be a killer combination I believe a little latter in the spring for Flatheads. There were plenty of topwater movement Sat. morning, but were slow still to bite.

Post by **Cranfield** » February 18th, 2003, 4:01 pm

Sounds like an enjoyable trip.

Flathead is a type of catfish, if I remember rightly.
Are they good eating, or a good sporting fish ?
It seems on most fishing reports, catfish get a bad press.
Its nice to hear of someone actually targeting them.

Post by **CSMarine** » February 18th, 2003, 4:41 pm

Yes sir, anytime I'm on the water it's a nice day. I do hate to muddy this site up talking about the humble ole catfish, but you'd have to reel in one of these 25-30 pounders in to really appreciate it as a sport fish. They are outstanding table fare. The Flathead or Appaloosa(spelling?) is the only catfish I care to eat. You may fish all day for one or two bites, but they are usually 15lb plus when they bite. We hunt for them in deep holes with the fish finder, when we find fish, we anchor over them, and drop a hand size bream on top of them with a 2oz river weight. Then set back and wait, and sometimes wait, and wait, and wait. It's not for everyone, but I especially like fishing this way alone. Don't have another site to post a picture from, or I'd show you a 28lb I recently caught. It took 45 minutes to land him on a spinning rod and 15lb test line.

Post by **tin can** » February 19th, 2003, 8:15 am

CS, I occasionally hook a cat while bass fishing. They are indeed a very good sport fish, and some of the best table fare, also.

Cran, for years the ol' catfish got a bad wrap. There is now a professional catfish trail. Doesn't get as much press as the BASS boys, but Penn is their primary sponsor. Maybe Old Dog eill take you up the Apalach and fish for them in June.

CS, set yourself up with a web site at http://www.fishingworks.com, and show us some of your pictures.

Post by **CSMarine** » February 19th, 2003, 9:02 am

Thanks TC, I did set up a web page this morning at fishing works. Now all I have to do is figure out how to post pictures there, and then transfer them to this site. (not that good with a computer yet) I'll have to get my daughter to walk me through it tonight.

TC you talked about catching Apps while Bass fishing. I fished a Bass Tourney a few years ago, I was at the ramp waiting for my partner to get the truck. I decided to cast a couple more times with a redbug zoom. I hooked a 15lb cat right in front of the boat ramp. I caused the weigh-in to stop, and everyone came down to the water to watch me land this monster Bass. It was funny to see the worried look on everyone's face til I pulled that ole ugly Flathead out of the water. Thanks again TC.

Post by **Cranfield** » February 19th, 2003, 3:29 pm

Thanks for that info.
I will fish for anything, that will "pull my string".
Most of my fishing here, is the waiting game, very similar to how you describe it.

I have caught reasonable sized sailcats and enjoyed the scrap.
They are the lucky ones, they get released.

Post by **CSMarine** » February 19th, 2003, 3:42 pm

If the sailcat you speak of is the same as we have here in saltwater, they are not bad eating. We call them Sailtop Cats. I don't keep them myself, but I've had guest in my boat who landed large fish and insisted on keeping them. I've eaten them, but there is too many other good eating fish in the Gulf to settle for Sailtops. It's a great dissapointment for me the minute I realize I have a 5lb cat hooked instead of a trout or red. However, I'm so out of fish right now, I think I'd settle for a sailtop, a mudfish, a gar, or most anything as long as I don't have to swallow my pride and visit the fish market.

Post by **Sea Fox** » February 19th, 2003, 8:46 pm

I have seen times when sailcats were the catch of the day. And they do eat good if you can get past the slime. I fillet them out then promptly wash the meat.

Post by **CSMarine** » February 19th, 2003, 9:16 pm

Your right about the slime. after about two of them, you might as well cut your line 2 foot up, and start over. The slime coats the line, the swivel, weight, and you.
But all that slime comes off with the skin and a vigorous wash at the cleaning station. If your not afraid of getting laughed off the dock by folks like TC.

Post by **tin can** » February 20th, 2003, 6:54 am

TC doesn't laugh. There are a lot of good fish out there that have gotten a bad table fare wrap. I know too many old fishermen that have taught me "If ya ain't tried it, don't knock it".

Post by **CSMarine** » February 20th, 2003, 9:04 am

I'll second that TC.
As I mentioned back in an earlier post, I've eat all kinds of fish and some bait. Nothing gets waisted at my house with a wife, two sister-in-laws and a mother-in-law from the Phillipines living within hollering distance. We eat fish almost every day. They wear me out trying to keep them stocked in fish. Nobody at my house gets upset when I sneak off during the week to the Gulf.
Shoot, they'll even give me gas money sometimes if I act like I don't want to go. Ain't it a great life!

Post by **Cranfield** » February 20th, 2003, 1:08 pm

We don,t have catfish naturally over here.
Some lakes have imported Wells Catfish, from Europe.

The sailcats I have caught, came from Apalach Bay and off St George Isl.
To me, a fish is a fish, the big ones, or nice eaters, are a bonus.

I can imagine, that if you are short of live bait and sail cats keep stealing it, that would be irritating.
But, they certainly do give a good scrap.

Post by **CSMarine** » February 20th, 2003, 2:20 pm

Crane, yes irritating when live bait is in shortage, and also when you have a boat load of newbees that are afraid to touch them. It's rough when you have two or three of them standing in line waiting for you to remove their catfish. Leaves little fishing time. But it helps my feelings when I hear them newbees hollering ever time they hang one. Can't call my three grandkids newbees, they've been going to the Gulf too long. I really enjoy watching them catch a big ole sailtop (in Texas, they call the same fish "Gafftop".) I believe the FL record is about 8lb or so. Texas about 13lb. I do think I may have landed a record or two in both states over the years I've caught some big ones. Just never thought about any sort of record for them.

Post by **Sir reel** » February 20th, 2003, 3:01 pm

At the risk of missing something obvious

I need to ask for some clarification about catfish and saltwater. Having grown up in the mid west, I am very familar with freshwater catfish, trot lines, hand fish'n, what makes good stink bait, etc. I've caught and eaten yellow cats (bullhead), channel cats, blue cats, flatheads, and spoonbill. However, isn't it correct that Sailcats/Gaft tops and saltwater cats are two different species? I've caught both but never eaten either. (I know they hurt just as bad if not worse than the freshwater varity if you get stuck by one of them!

) I've been told that one of the species is dangerous to eat. Based on what's been posted here... that must be the salt water cat. Can someone help with which is which and if the concern over eating one of them is valid? Thanks.

Post by **CSMarine** » February 20th, 2003, 3:37 pm

Yes sir you are correct. The salt water Catfish in Florida are the Hardhead/Sea Catfish, and the Sail Cat/Gafftop. The hardhead is not fit to eat. My graddaddy always told me they had too high a content of Iodine and would make you sick. He always claimed the yellow meat you see close to the backbone was contamination. Don't know how true any of that was. We just didn't eat Hardheads no matter how desperate you got for fish.