Cats Part 3

[fshmanmb]

Thanks to a small break in the weather, had a chance to get out with my brother and dad for a few hours Fri night/Sat morning. Ended up being a decent outing. Not great, but good. Maybe I should re-phrase that.......GREAT for my brother & dad. My brother had never caught a Cat, let alone a MA. Not only did he catch his 1st Cat, he also got his 1st MA Cat.....a REAL FAT 35". My dad, who had only ever caught a couple Cats before, ended up with 2 MA Cats: 34" & 34 1/4" and a bonus 25" MA Drum. 1st MA of Drum for him too.
Night started off like it was going to be just wild with 4 smaller Cats between 26" & 32" in the first 3/4 hour. Only a couple more smaller Cats in the next 1 1/2 hours though, but at 6:30 it was like the bigger ones turned on a switch with 3 MA in only 13 minutes!!!!!!!!!! A few more smaller ones after that & the MA Drum, then the downpour came & we were soaked in seconds;literally.
Ended the outing with 12 Cats(3 MA) & the one MA Drum. Dad ended up leading the way with 7 Cats & the Drum. More Cats in one night night than he's ever caught in total. Guess it paid off giving him my 'honey hole',LOL. Oh yeah, my rod/reel too.
No MA Cats for me, didn't really spend much time fishing & didn't care if I did. Ended up being a great night/morning fishing with family.
All in all, a pretty good week considering the time we put in......14 MA in a relatively short period of time. Here's hoping it continues......knock on wood.

[maw31]

those are monsters. great job.

[Hammer Time]

Your still fishin Animals!!  Nice   

[T-Rfishing]

Nice! those cats are pigs! Nice Drum to. Was this on the red ?? what Bait or Lure were you using ?

[fshmanmb]

Thanks Guys.
Again, yes it was on the Red. I Make my own Cat Rigs w/Circle Hooks. Fresh cut Goldeye seems to be the ticket right now but they are starting to catch a few with Large Shrimp but that only started in the last few days when the water went up quickly & flow is real fast.

[T-Rfishing]

Thanks Guys.
Again, yes it was on the Red. I Make my own Cat Rigs w/Circle Hooks. Fresh cut Goldeye seems to be the ticket right now but they are starting to catch a few with Large Shrimp but that only started in the last few days when the water went up quickly & flow is real fast.

    No Problem , Is your Cat Rigs made with a 3 way Swivel? and yes i have been hearing Suckers and Goldeye are the best at the moment .

[T-Rfishing]

I also hear Lockport is good right off the wall on the side "cats on the red" is on.

[fshmanmb]

    No Problem , Is your Cat Rigs made with a 3 way Swivel? and yes i have been hearing Suckers and Goldeye are the best at the moment .

I make my Cat rigs both ways: a swivel on the end if using a No Roll sinker; I find this setup works better in a boat.
The ones for a 3 way swivel I put a 150lb Coastlock snap on. Makes quick rigging & you just have to use lighter line on your drop line to your weight that way the drop line will break if you get a bad snag......15 seconds to put another weight on & back in business. This way you almost never lose your rig and/or 3 way swivel, just a cheap weight. This setup works excellent both from shore & in a boat.

[T-Rfishing]

Yes , About Last Week I bought a couple Cat rigs. just to see how they are made then i will start making my own

[RobHawley]

I make my own cat rigs as well...cheaper than buying the store bought jobs, and usually better quality as well.  I use 40lb test spider wire or monfilament for my main line.  There are pros and cons to both.  Spiderwire or any other braided line gives you exceptional "feel" of what's going on beneath the water, but I find that a tiny fray in the line will soon mean your line parts when you get a strike or a snag.  Mono works very well since it's much more forgiving when fishing in rocky areas.  The mono won't fray nearly as easily as braided line does, but mono doesn't give you immediate feel for strikes.  I find that it's more necessary to set the hook with mono since it stretches so much.  However, whatever you prefer...each will work well, just be aware of the differences in feeling the strike. I use 1/0 barrel swivels, 3 oz no-spin lead sinkers, a small plastic bead, 6/0 circle hooks, and 50lb test mono as a leader.  I usually make up my rigs ahead of time so I don't have to stop the action to rig my line.  Take a 6/0 circle hook and bend down the barb with a pair of pliers.  Then, using the 50lb test mono snell the hook. (You can find some good vids online explaining how to snell a hook).  I tie a barrel swivel onto the other end of the leader and then put it in a small plastic baggy.  Once on the water, I rig up.  Take your main line and first slide on a 3oz no spin lead sinker (looks kind of like a triangle with a hole thru the center of it).  After the sinker, put a small plasic bead on your line (this will help stop the sinker from damaging your knot).  Tie your main line onto the opposite end of the barrel swivel and you're good to go.  Lengths of the leader vary, but I generally go with about 18" to the hook.  Spear your favourite bait, let fly the cast and wait for the action to begin.  Hope this helps with those looking for a good quality, easy to make "home-made" cattin' rig.