Catfish problem

[popper]

I fly fish. Friday I got a 16" cat with a 5 wt and 11# leader. then I hooked another and couldn't get it off the bottom. Do those things have an anchor? I walked around the 1 acre pond thinking I could get it to move. Gave it slack and it would move after 5 min. Pull on it and it stuck on the bottom. 20 min later I broke off. Man made pond with no stumps and I can't imagine a 20# fish in it Any suggestions other that 50# braid and a baitcast rig? They just play dead weight or dig into the bottom? Pond is in front of city hall so no boats or wading. Really slows down the fishing, this is the second time it has happened.

[gkainz]

Maybe a turtle and not a cat? :dunno:

[Bullshop]

Sounds like a large snapper to me too.

[oneokie]

+1 on the turtle.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Could have gotten tangled up on something...

I say go for the 50# test...

[km101]

As suggested, it may have been a turtle, but catfish, especially in small ponds with muddy bottoms, will bury in the mud to try to escape predators/threats. And they will also lay beside a rock to log to avoid being pulled up. So it could have been a catfish.

A "crawdad colored" hand grenade works when all else fails! :) Just kiddin" Mr Gamewarden Sir!

[Boondocker]

Sounds like you hook to a snapper or well dug in cat. Yup you can try heavy line and a bait caster, cats or snappers eat fine also.

[375RUGER]

You'd be suprised at how big a cat can get in a little pound.

[popper]

Guess it's get the big tackle & bacon or just break off and keep going. I guess the big ones can dig in good, don't really fish for them, they get in the way. Not a turtle for sure, none at this pond, I've caught them before at another pond. I'm just curious as to how big. I don't eat fish, except tuna salad the misses serves, something to do with school lunch on Fri - Salmon patties are terrible. Caught and released a big duck once. Went for my fly when it hit the water. I beached it, grabbed it by the neck and clipped the line. Off it went.

[waksupi]

My younger brother caught a 40# cat in one of our farm ponds. We had no idea there was anything that size in there.

[oneokie]

Alligator snapping turtles can weigh several hundred pounds.

[44man]

Turtle for sure. They just don't move.

[frkelly74]

You'll have to go in after him.

[KCSO]

A regular snapper will run up to 50 pounds in a farm pond, the biggest we ever got was 55 pounds. But don't discount a big catfish either over 20 poounds wouldn't be unusual for a farm pond in our area.

[GT27]

I sho loves me some catfish!

[popper]

If I get a chance, I'll dust off the bait caster and use some old chicken on a BIG treble hook tomorrow morning. I'm just curious as to how big - it is a cat, don't want to spend a lot of time pulling out 2-3# though. Got to load up and go shoot this morning.

[montana_charlie]

Can a turtle stay underwater for "20 minutes" without breathing?

CM

[gkainz]

Can a turtle stay underwater for "20 minutes" without breathing?

CM

google and Wiki say "Yes"
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_can_a_snapping_turtle_stay_under_water

[WILCO]

Can a turtle stay underwater for "20 minutes" without breathing?

CM

My ex-mother inlaw did.............

[starmac]

I don't know how long an old loggerhead can stay under water, but judging by the number I have caught on trotlines and even in nets that were alive, I'm thinking 20 minutes is no problem.

[popper]

No, it's a really big cat. Changed to 8 wt & 20# with #2 worm hook, used chicken sausage. Got 4, 7, >12, ~ 25" long (two kinds here, flathead and one with a smaller mouth and spots on the body). Thought I was going to get rope burn before I got it on the drag. None had my fly in it. I'm figuring the one that broke of was >> 15#, the big one today still tried to bottom and get away - that other one just swam 20' and bottomed. Yes turtles can stay down for a long time, but none on this pond - they sun on the bank when they are around a pond. Anyway, curiosity solved. And I really stink from that chicken.

[bearcove]

Ah! the smell of warm chicken liver on a sunny day....

[fryboy]

spots on the body are usually a channel cat , flat heads are often mottled when young but not spots
you think chicken liver stinks ..try some shad sides ... that umm odor last for days and seems to shrug off soap and disinfectant like a good raincoat does water :P
i have a fishing bud .... ( no tall tales ) who has/had a special knot , claimed he learned it using ye olde style of hooks ( you know - the kind without eyes ) we were sitting in a boat of the edge of a couple of deep holes with big catfish poles , perch on one and a mess of sod worms on the other , he hooked something big on his perch baited pole ( and the one with the special knot ) after about 8 minutes of back and forth the line went slack ... he thought he broke his line or hook ( 50# line ) i reckoned it mite of straightened the hook ( had that happen before ) when he finally got the line reeled in there was this lil curly q where his special knot had come untied , no idea how big of fish it was but we've pulled 45 pounders out of those holes before and this one bent his surf rod , it was quite a fight for about 8 minutes , fond memories for sure amigos !

[popper]

Fryboy - have him try the Davy Wooten knot, with an extra twist - if you tie it right, spit on it and close it down right - it doesn't give. Kind of like a nail knot. If you don't close it right, you get the 'q'. Works for me from 2#(#7) to 20# SW mono.