Catfish

[Deaf Fisherman]

Wondering where can I get something that bigger than 2 pounds catfish in around Rochester? I know genesse river has big ones in there but I just never got one out of couple outings for them.

I used chicken liver w/ salmon eggs wrap, nightclawers, shiners, and cut half of sunfish for baits. Couldn't get any catfish over 2 pounds.

Can you tell me what I do wrong?

[JR]

Lot's of Blue cats in the genny but they will not hit till after dark and will shut right off as the sun starts to rise, My personal best is 39 in one night most of them were around 8 - 12 Lbs and the only thing i could get them to hit was stink bait

Hope this helps you

[BSmaster]

In the fall, we get them on skein. We try to keep the skein from getting warm, but on a really nice day that can be challenging. My feeling is that the skein starts to get smelly and the cats start getting teased by it.

[Sk8man]

I used to fish for big cats when I was younger and caught some beauties on corn meal balls inn the Clyde River/Barge Canal. Basically, you cook up corn meal with a little water added (best done in pressure cooker) until it is 'sticky" and make a big ball and then make smaller ones from it about the diameter of a quarter. You keep the balls in a baggy and can store them in the fridge. When you put them on the hook (at room temp) you form them on the hook so that the point of the hook is barely submerged so they can't feel it (until you yank them :>). We fished them almost exclusively at night (lanterns) as they are primarily (like bullheads) NOCTURNAL BOTTOM FEEDERS. You can set up the hooks either as in still fishing for trout (slip sinker but single hook) or with the hook (s) tied to the main line from a 2 or 3 inch loop so that the cornmeal "dangles " about 8 or 10 inches up from the sinker. The biggest I ever caught was a blue cat that was 9 inches between the eyes but we didn't have a scale at the time...stink bait also works pretty good as does pieces of shrimp allowed to "spoil" until they smell awful (wear rubber gloves) :>) Good luck.

[Sk8man]

Big "balls" of red (manure) worms on a hook laying on bottom will also work real well.

[ifishy]

there are no blue catfish in the genny they do not live in NY there are channel cats and some big ones there are also stinging catfish which only get to a couple pounds. cut bait and commercial catfish bait work very well for them deep holes catch fish as well as log jams if you can find them. if your shore bound just keep trying the farthur upstream the better in the spring and summer if your getting some small ones that means your in a decent area try some shiners cut in half you will get fewer small fish but will get some brutes. nite is best but if your in the right spot you can get them during the day.

[john1947]

I hear henderson harber has alotof nice cats ,late spring or early summer are the most productive,perch was awesome this year

[JR]

Yes there are Blue cats in the Genny and they have been doing very good over the years I have been fishing for them the past 20 years

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Type_of_fish_ ... esee_river

[jimski2]

Our best bait for catfish in Lake Erie was shrimp, the stinkier, the better. We fished at night with Coleman Lanterns and if the waters were dirty, that was good.

I just returned last week from FL and the Saint John's River where we rented a houseboat. A lot of small cats, 3#ers were caught on live minnows. Good fighters. For big cats try the Santee Cooper lakes in SC, I have seen 60#ers caught there regularly.

I visited a friend from Dunnville Ontario years ago who ran trap nets in the Grand River there. He caught dozens of large 20 to 30# cats every night soon after the ice went off Lake Erie. As far as types of cats like channel or blues go, they all seem to have been different species.

[JR]

I like to eat Catfish and Walleye but not out of the Genny cause they taste just like Kodak smells and you will Burp it for a couple days but they are still fun to catch and release and offer some great fishing

[Skinnyskins]

What do you consider a "big cat"? I take at least a dozen trips to Ohio a year to catfish. Your not gonna find any real sizable cat's in NY. If u wanna catch the channel cat's for eaters then you can find them here but as far as your big hog cat's you really need to get outa NY. I highly highly doubt there getting any Blues out the Genny what I'm guessing they are is big Channels as I see people get them confused alot especially when they get some size to em. I fish for catfish like most these guys do the Steelhead and Salmon and I'm telling you most thoes stink baits your listing is gonna get you the smaller fish. Most states that are gonna have the bigger catfish have totally different laws then NY does as far as your bait regs. Your top bait for catfish is always going to be Shad hands down you will get 10x more fish. NY will not allow you to use shad. The big stinky dead bait is not always true when it comes to catfish. A flathead cat will take a live fish over a dead stink bait 70% of the time and a blue cat is the total opposite preferring the dead baits. Look into laws before you use any of the baits I'm gonna list because most are definitely illegal to use here but you can use legal in other states. Top baits 1.) Shad (live or fresh cut so still bleeding) 2.) Bass yup 10-12 inch bass are outstanding if your in a state that legally lets you use em 3.) Bluegills and Crappie (there tons of different types of blue gills the ones you want they call "war mouths". 4.)Leaches big 1's you want these to add to your dead baits. When your live bait dies cut off its head first thread a leach on then the head the leach will add a slight movement to your bleading fish head and you will def. get more fish this way. 5.) Bullhead catfish smaller ones. Bullhead compete with the catfish in the wild and catfish will take em out if given a chance. I can go on and on and on just pm if you want info I won't steer u wrong...If your gonna get into cat fishing invest and learn how to throw a cast net it will be the best investment you ever make.

[pokepole39]

TAKE A BURLAP BAG NOT PLASTIC FILL IT PARTWAY FULL OF CATFOOD AND DOG FOOD WEIGH IT VERY GOOD AND SINK IT TWO DAYS BEFORE YOU WISH TO FISH IF YOU WISH YOU CAN TEATHER IT TO A TREE ON SHORE ....ANY BAIT WILL WORK AFTER THEY ARE IN THE AREA ...BIG GOBS OF WORMS HAVE ALWAYS WORKED THE BEST BAIT EVER... BOBS PUNCH CHEESE BAIT FILL A BOAT WITH IT BUT DONT KNOW IF YOU CAN GET IT ANYMORE STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN BUT CATCH FISH LIKE NOTHING WE HAVE EVER SEEN

[LongLine]

I've been told there are some really big cats in the Genny, especially right at the turn by the zoo. Not sure what he used for bait. I didn't believe him till he showed me some proof with his underwater camera:

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Tom B.

(LongLine)