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Ice out cat's 2008 (Chronicles)

Blaster

PMA Member
Friday was the first time out this year for ice out cats. Not much open water, but you only need a puddle! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
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One of the hogs i let go.

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Re: Ice out cat's 2008

Thats awesome Derek,

Cut bait?
Guts?

what bait??
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

Great stringer there! Looks yummy. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

Healthy lookin fish ya got there!! Time for cold water cats here too. They hammer shad guts like its candy. We fish shallow water flats. 2-6 feet deep.

That picture has me ready to go! That big one is probably 11-12 pounds isnt it? Good channel!!!
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Aim-n-High</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Healthy lookin fish ya got there!! Time for cold water cats here too. They hammer shad guts like its candy. We fish shallow water flats. 2-6 feet deep.

That picture has me ready to go! That big one is probably 11-12 pounds isnt it? Good channel!!! </div></div>

The big one was 30in and yes i thought he would go 12-15lb. He was a fat one!
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

Where'd you get the bait? Winter kill floating around or did you freeze some from last year?

I figure I can find a few cat places near me, just need the bait. Maybe a couple dozen minners or worms.
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

We caught some ice fishing and i froze it. If you can find Frozen shad, that works great. Or buy a couple of dozen large minnows and put about 3 minnows per hook. That works good too.
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

Around here there is hot water outlets from different factories that discharge into the river. The one in Fort Madison is only 1-2 foot of water. The gizzard shad get up in there to keep warm certain times of the year. I check it every other day until i see tails sticking out of the water. Then i know they are there. Walk out in hip waders with a dip net and catch shad until im tired of them. Then the hard part is gutting all of them. Takes half a day with 4 people but its well worth it. Shad guts go for 5 dollars a half pint around here. 1500 pounds of gizzard shad make a 5 gallon bucket of shad guts. People buy 5 gallon buckets for 300-400 dollars. Good money but alot of work.
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

I know shad guts work great, but i think the whole shad it's self work about the same without the mess. We tried this once and really couln't tell witch one they liked better. The trick to using whole shad is to cut there head off and the tail off and hook though the back.
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

I'll give you a dollar if you bring a dead shad to Nebraska and eat it Blaster.

I've NEVER found a fish more repulsive than gizzard shad... except a dead gizzard shad. You can't sand blast the smell off of your hands.
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: muddy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'll give you a dollar if you bring a dead shad to Nebraska and eat it Blaster.

I've NEVER found a fish more repulsive than gizzard shad... except a dead gizzard shad. You can't sand blast the smell off of your hands. </div></div>

That's why you have rubber gloves! 1 dollar, Hmmmmm. I would have to be pretty hard up, plus my wife would never believe i was turkey hunting if i came back with my breth smelling like fish! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Blaster</div><div class="ubbcode-body">plus my wife would never believe i was turkey hunting if i came back with my breth smelling like fish! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif </div></div>
Yea, your not in high school any more. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/whistle.gif /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JETHRO</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Blaster</div><div class="ubbcode-body">plus my wife would never believe i was turkey hunting if i came back with my breth smelling like fish! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif </div></div>
Yea, your not in high school any more. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/whistle.gif /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif </div></div>

Good Point!!! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

We where rubber gloves when we clean the shad. But when were fishing we use our hands. The best way ive found to get the smell off my hands is reach my hand down in some shallow water and skim off the top layer of mud. Rub it on my hands. It takes the smell away.
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gundog870</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what would be a good spot to try. I mean like an inlet, or what? </div></div>

Yes. Right now inlets to lakes and ponds have water flowing. This will warm the water and melt the ice. It will also bring in the cats! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif When all the ice is out you want to fish wind blown points. North shorelines are the best. I have caught some of my best cats in a strong south wind fishing north shoreline points. This blows all the dead winter kill to the shores and the cat are on a feeding frenzy! Also this time of year mid day fishing is the best. When the sun is the warmest.
 
Re: Ice out cat's 2008

So what about on the Mississippi? Need to find a shoreline mud flat or any shoreline that the wind is blowing to? How about the mouth of a creek emptying into the river?
Maggs
 
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