Reply by: fishin rookie      Posted: 7/14/2010 6:44:40 AM     Points: 19    

Great catches bro!

Im still tryin to catch my 1st Cat. I had 1 a couple days ago an my line broke lol.

I fished lon hagler but not for cats, good chance at me catchin 1 there?

 Reply by: Branch Doctor      Posted: 7/14/2010 7:10:52 AM     Points: 161    

Catching big kitty's is a hoot!!! Well done hommie.

 Reply by: FnF      Posted: 7/14/2010 9:11:47 AM     Points: 343    

I do all right but I envy those of you who catch multiple good cats in a night. I seem to get em one per trip. Nice fish.

 Reply by: Robby      Posted: 7/14/2010 9:14:24 AM     Points: 106    

Good catches bro.

 Reply by: Capt Rob      Posted: 7/14/2010 12:01:57 PM     Points: 23    

Big bass !!! Great job !!!

 Reply by: Bigbass      Posted: 7/14/2010 1:59:46 PM     Points: 349    

thanks you guys this night was a lil different than normal I normally fish for cats with an open bail. but the cats werent running. they would pop the line 2 or 3 times then id pick my pole up and close the bail and wait for the strike and hook em. it was kind of weird, i only had one runner all night.

 Reply by: fishongrly      Posted: 7/14/2010 9:29:51 PM     Points: 8    

IF MORE PEOPLE WOULD PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE ESPECIALLY THE BIGGER ONES THE CATFISHIN WOULD BE A LOT BETTER.THAN IT IS. . IF YOU WANT TO KEEP A FISH KEEP A TROUT THEY ARE A DIME A DOZEN.. HOW MANY PLACES ARE STOCKED WITH CATFISH. REGULARLY , NOT VERY MANY. I SAY TAKE A PIC THROW EM BACK . I'LL PROBABLY GET A LOT OF COMMENTS ON THIS ONE OH WELL WON'T BE THE FIRST TIME

 Reply by: Nevrskunkt      Posted: 7/14/2010 10:04:30 PM     Points: 394    

Nice catch Bigbass ....oh boy here it comes lol

 Reply by: mountainmanp      Posted: 7/14/2010 10:05:52 PM     Points: 632    

WOOOOOOOOOOO.....fish fry!

 Reply by: fishin rookie      Posted: 7/14/2010 10:56:34 PM     Points: 19    

@ fishongrly- I agree with you. Sometimes Im fishin for cats and I feel like they are all gone and people took them all home, lol. I really wanna catch my first cat, i lost 1 at windsor. But i do know what you mean, some people like to eat them though, so I dont really argue it. Myself , there goin back for someone else to get a chance at maybe catchin there first specie of fish.

I need desperate advice on how to catch a cat.

 Reply by: Bigbass      Posted: 7/15/2010 1:51:11 AM     Points: 349    

@ fishongrly I completely agree with you as well the only reason i kept these ones is because they swallowed the hook and were bleeding pretty bad when i cought them and the hooks that i use arent nessicairaly or how ever you spell it lol cheap there about 1.00 a piece. but when I catch a bass, crappie, bluegill or any other type of fish I normally will relese them unless I plan to eat them soon or I have a fish fry coming up... but yes, I strongly agree with you. luckily for these guys they got fryd up tonight along with some hush puppies at my mothers fish fry and boy were they delicious lol...

BUT YOU HAVE TO THINK OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY CATCH AND KEEP EVERYTHING THAT THEY CATCH LIKE 8" BASS OR 10" WALLEYE" OR EVEN 10" CATS SO I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU DONT JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS ON SOMEONE CATCHING FISH AND TAKING THEM HOME. AND YOU HAVE TO REALISE 5-15 LB CATFISH ARE PERFECT EATING.

I DONT KNOW WHERE YOU'VE BEEN FISHING BUT I NEVER HAVE PROBLEMS CATCHING GOOD SIZED CATS AT HAGLER. I CATCH THEM ALL OF THE TIME. AND I REALLY DONT POST THEM VERY OFTEN BUT WHEN I DO IM PROUD OF WHAT I CATCH AND I STAND BY IT WHEN I KEEP IT!!!!

 Reply by: Bigbass      Posted: 7/15/2010 2:04:07 AM     Points: 349    

fishin rookie if you want to catch your first cat and arent really worried about the size to much for your first one go to big thompson ponds and go to the back lake keep walking straight until you see a bench and throw out a night crawler on a trout rig with 2 #6 snelled hooks and you will catch the heck out of them. for hag find points and cast a chunk of cut bait (frozen sucker) out on top of the point with a 3/0 circle hook no sinker and fish with your bail open when your line starts running let it run for about 20 seconds and set the hook and your good to go. BEWARE of the craw dads they love that cut bait.

 Reply by: Catfish goon      Posted: 7/15/2010 6:05:45 AM     Points: 3242    

the difference between catfish and say something like a lake trout is that there's tons upon tons of catfish in the bigger lakes like loveland and it does not take them long to get big at all. catfish in the 6 to 10 pound size range are awesome eating and have nice fillets.

instead of complaining about catch and release of catfish, go learn how to catch them and educate yourself about fish, places on the front range get stocked with lots and lots of catfish. a pond will change face at night and you'd be suprised at what you will catch there if you fish after dark.

fishin' rookie, look for places like inlets and areas with crawdads, and focus on there with cutbait and shrimp you can buy at the store.

 Reply by: Gunni Mac Daddy      Posted: 7/15/2010 9:45:12 AM     Points: 79    

@ Bigbass - Great catch, and I agree that lon has enough cats that sized that its not a big deal. Talk about good eatin too!
@Fishin Rookie - if you try lon hagler a bait that works very well for me is medium shiners on bottom, you can buy them just down the road at jax

 Reply by: Bigbass      Posted: 7/15/2010 10:19:51 AM     Points: 349    

thanks guys
@ fishongrly
plus it is a hell of a lot easier to clean 2 good sized catfish than it is to clean 10 small cats

 Reply by: Full House      Posted: 7/15/2010 12:45:18 PM     Points: 171    

NICE JOB!!! What time of night did you get them. Did you get them way up northwest by the trees or near the dam?

Cuttbait?

 Reply by: Robby      Posted: 7/15/2010 12:50:51 PM     Points: 106    

Of course there aren't a ton of big cats around, because this is COLORADO. I say if the man caught it, he should eat it (within reason of course).

I am from the south, and down there catfish are everywhere. Trout are nowhere to be found, except where stocked. The argument could go both ways.

Just my $.02

 Reply by: Full House      Posted: 7/15/2010 12:56:11 PM     Points: 171    

@Fishongrly
Don't be fishangry! You obviously have trouble grasping the sport of fishing or you just don't agree with the regs.

Their are thousands of catfish and yes they reproduce rapidly as well as grow rapidly. Before spouting fish guts out of your mouth next time maybe research the species of fish that you want to discuss and EDUCATE yourself. Then post a comment.

You seem like you mean well but are just a little overly opinionated.

Do you eat burgers or steaks? I do and love them! Think of that poor cow getting clubbed over the head, yes that poor mother cow was a parent! Do you eat elk or deer? I do not hunt yet but I've eaten them. Think of that big bull elk, how many years has he lived? How beautiful is that big elk that you just shot?

Got made animals for us to eat.

If fishing upsets you so much then maybe you should take up crochet or bowling.

 Reply by: Sterling      Posted: 7/15/2010 1:33:49 PM     Points: 11    

I love this! The only reason I release big cats is because I want someone else to catch em'. Its a blast. But a 5-10lb cat is great eating. If I gut hooked a big one I would definitely take it home and fillet or steak it. If I caught a 20+ pounder by the lip and took it home, I have the right to do that. Bigbass, im jealous. I bet those were tasty. Well done!

 Reply by: Moderator      Posted: 7/15/2010 1:42:09 PM

Please avoid using handles in references.

Please avoid using ALL CAPS, yelling is never nice.

Please stay calm and collected on all responses and if you wish to discuss a topic (as in C&R) please start your own thread.

 Reply by: Bigbass      Posted: 7/15/2010 2:12:50 PM     Points: 349    

sorry about the caps guys.... i was being lazy and accidentally hit it and i figured it would work both ways lol. so if i offended anyone i appologise


BigBass

 Reply by: fishin rookie      Posted: 7/15/2010 3:25:56 PM     Points: 19    

@ bigbass- hey thanks for the advice i really appreciate it.

 Reply by: fishongrly      Posted: 7/16/2010 10:15:17 AM     Points: 8    

Bigbass I wasn't trrying to slam you or anything. I/m glad to hear you do practice catch and release. For Colorado the cat fishin is ok. I grew up in Kansas were it's nothing for my dad I and I to catch 30 -40 nice cats in one night.Here in Colorado my best in one night is 10 kitties If more people would practice catch and release the cat fishin would get better. I posted many pics of my kitties last year on Coloradofisherman.com. I don/t have any problem catchin kitties but it could be better

 Reply by: fishongrly      Posted: 7/16/2010 10:47:30 AM     Points: 8    

ya i apolgise about the caps to I guess it would be concidered yelling on here i didn't intend it to be that way It's mutch easier to see with out my glasses LOL I don/t know why I brought up C/R I knew it would get all kinds of comments.. my biggest problem I enjoy catching them lots more than eating them. I was catfishin when most of you were a twinkle in your daddys eye and I used to be one of those guys that kept pretty much everything maybe I'm trying to hard to make up for it .and all the ones who still do My apology to everyone but enough of this subject. By the way nice fish Bigbass good job I must say .

 Reply by: Pine      Posted: 7/16/2010 11:31:46 AM     Points: 72    

Congrats, really nice catfish!
Nothing wrong with keeping some cats to eat as they can be fine table fare. I would say this to everyone, it doesn't take alot of effort to find out the stocking rates of individual species for any body of water. An internet search will usually dig it up or you can simply call DOW and talk to the area biologist. He would probably email you a list going back as many years as you want of what has been stocked in the lake in question. That way you can make an even more educated descision on what you should keep or release. Some places receive alot of fingerling catfish around here suprisingly enough.......if I had to guess I would say the Hag prolly gets around 20,000 channel cat fingerlings a year. Granted only a fraction of them make it to catchable size. You can also ask questions regarding average growth rates, etc. Channel catfish in colorado can live 30 years or more they(biologists) believe where as in the south they grow much faster but live up to half as long. I encourage everyone to become a little more educated about the fish they pursue on their favorite waters. That way when you do choose to take some for dinner you will enjoy it even more having made the descision with confidence that you aren't depleting the resource. Crispy catfish and hush puppies...........add in some 'slaw and sweet tea and you got one heckuva dinner!!! Congrats again on a great night!!!

 Reply by: rdailey      Posted: 7/16/2010 12:24:21 PM     Points: 434    

Get them good for nothing crappie eating slime bags out of that lake! :>)

That is totally a catch and release joke and not in caps....... Cool, nice fish. Might head out tomorrow looking for crappie but 100 degrees. Don't know. Stays this hot night fishing for cats may make me a convert to the cause.

 Reply by: Bigbass      Posted: 7/17/2010 5:22:48 PM     Points: 349    

yeah yeah yeah what rdailey said=P lol

 Reply by: catfish killa      Posted: 7/17/2010 9:42:48 PM     Points: 69    

cool. man.. i just caught my first cat today!!! 7 lbs 23 inchs i was stoked when i was bringing it in..... nice,, i been trying to find places to fish for cats here in colorado, im from iowa so they are everywhere there....

 Reply by: aerofanbig      Posted: 7/17/2010 10:08:53 PM     Points: 1102    

there is NO problem keeping some cats, no matter the size. They are not walleye, they are not large mouth bass, they are not lake trout. They grow fast, spawn in LARGE numbers, and on top of that yes, they are actually stocked like crazy all over the front range. and being that the vast majority of fishermen do NOT target cats, and in many lakes they cannot be targeted at the best times, they are going to get big, and get big fast. taking out some bigger class ones.....just means more food for the next class size to keep getting bigger. facts, NOT opinion there. Think about it, the last 2 record channel cats, plus another caught by the guy last year who broke it, were over 30lbs. In a lake that is barely 20 years old, and I doubt they stocked it the day it was full. So in less then 2 decades several fish, and likely a lot more in there, have gone from 2" fingerlings to 30+lbs. Do they grow as fast as stocker bows at Antero? No, but they still grow a lot faster then the majority of game fish, and unlike every other game fish besides cut throats its actually native so those growth rates are even more amazing.

remember everyone, read the rules to the right..no personal attacks and be courteous. and as its been said thousands of times, literally, keep your catch & release/harvest opinions TO YOURSELF.

@koke - its actually not as long as most people assume for elk to grow to very large size, they're not incredibly long lived animals, in the wild I would guess 7-12 years would be a fairly long life for them. heck by 1-3 years old bulls are probably pushing 400lbs and putting on 3-5 points per side around 3-4 years old.

 Reply by: catfish killa      Posted: 7/17/2010 10:15:04 PM     Points: 69    

quick question?... ive been told throw back cats over 10 lbs they say the meat is no good?

 Reply by: aerofanbig      Posted: 7/17/2010 10:20:05 PM     Points: 1102    

"all" trophy fish apparently taste bad lol I got a chance not too long ago to have walleye from a 30"+ fish (friend from midwest) and ya know what? tasted just like the 18 and 20 inch fish I caught myself. its not going to taste bad by any means, it may not be prime but its not going to make you gag. going back to the elk ref from koke and myself there, people shoot and eat large old bulls during the rut all the time, the absolute worst elk meat possible....but people still love it.

 Reply by: catfish killa      Posted: 7/17/2010 10:22:13 PM     Points: 69    

cool. thanks....

 Reply by: Bigbass      Posted: 7/18/2010 1:15:55 PM     Points: 349    

I bet that walleye was good eating!

 Reply by: catfish killa      Posted: 7/18/2010 2:35:55 PM     Points: 69    

Oh yeah I ment to ask. Were u fishing from shore or boat?

 Reply by: Bigbass      Posted: 7/18/2010 3:10:19 PM     Points: 349    

i was fishing from shore on the south side

 Reply by: Full House      Posted: 7/19/2010 12:29:11 AM     Points: 171    

Aero.... Thanks for the info about elk, good to know. I'm happy to meet another person that is educated about the growth rate of catfish and isn't afraid of keeping a few fish for food consumption.

My wife and I are getting ready to go hunting for elk, first time this year, do you have any referrals as to a good elk hunting guided outfit to go with?

It sound like you have proficient knowledge of elk hunting.

Let me know.

Thanks!

 Reply by: Blackay      Posted: 7/19/2010 12:42:56 AM     Points: 119    

Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Reply by: droptine      Posted: 7/19/2010 2:08:34 AM     Points: 16    

Koke Head..Hey man if your planning on heading out elk hunting this year and looking for an outfit to take you and your wife, you should be planning now as a number of these outfits are already booked for the year, with bow season just over a month away it will be here quick..so hopefully you can pack your freezer with more than fish this fall..keep an eye on craigslist for last minute deals that might be available..

Droptine

 Reply by: Full House      Posted: 7/19/2010 6:06:26 PM     Points: 171    

Thanks droptime! Planning right now!

 Reply by: dooman04      Posted: 8/22/2010 9:03:18 AM     Points: 27    

what are you guys using to catch the catys?
i have gone there all the time and my dad has cought a little cat fish but no big cat fish.

 Reply by: finsnfeathers      Posted: 8/22/2010 11:56:55 AM     Points: 223    

Catfish is the only freshwater fish I really like to eat. If I catch a legal limit of any size cat, I'm keepin them sorry.

 Reply by: Bigbass      Posted: 8/25/2010 12:08:23 PM     Points: 349    

Im Using Cut Bait (frosen sucker) Dipped into my secret ingrediant. but frozen sucker alone works too it just takes a little bit longer. when you fish for them try to fish with your bail open. let them run for about 15 seconds with a 4/0 circle hook with the bait hooked into the stomach to hold the guts in. when they run dont let them run to long you dont want them to gain to much momentum or they will snap your line. oh and there is no need to use sinkers the bait is heavy enough. cut your bait in 2"x4" incriments

 Reply by: Wapati      Posted: 8/25/2010 1:40:38 PM     Points: 57    

bigbass, shoot me an email sometime, i'd like to chat with you about you hag experiences, i havn't seen you at loveland for some time now and we were just talking about you again last night, keep in touch...
shussey@kroll.com

 Reply by: tonyw123      Posted: 8/25/2010 5:31:22 PM     Points: 14    

big bass where did you fish? Last saturday, I was there from 11pm till 6 am and caught nothing...just one bite.. no cat fish at all.. I fish at the south east near the dam. any help I would appreciate.

 Reply by: dooman04      Posted: 8/29/2010 10:13:14 AM     Points: 27    

thank you i will remember that.

 Reply by: dooman04      Posted: 8/29/2010 10:17:48 AM     Points: 27    

i went there last night at about 7:30 cought a little perch at about sundown. later in the night we got loads of bites. but nothing to show for it. we left about 9:30 empty handed.

 Reply by: slowboat      Posted: 9/2/2010 7:37:16 AM     Points: 20    

Hav'nt hit it this year, want to go Saturday for some fishing and mama wants to sun . How is the water level about now and the boat ramp condition for a 21 ft pontoon.
Any report would be appreciated .

 Reply by: Wapati      Posted: 9/2/2010 9:46:14 AM     Points: 57    

was just out there on 9/1, lake is extremely low but the boat ramps are still in the water and you should be able to launch any boat still with no problem,

 Reply by: slowboat      Posted: 9/3/2010 4:46:48 PM     Points: 20    

thanks Wapita.
Just want to enjoy a day on the water, a few fish would be nice also

 Reply by: fshndc      Posted: 9/6/2010 4:51:00 PM     Points: 41    

I posted this once before but if your out on lon hagler and you see fish hitting the surface try a bobber with worm 6-12in down. I caught a bunch of cats mid day doing that once. Oh yea and they did taste great!