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Thread: Woo Hoo!!! First catfish of the year...can’t wait!

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Woo Hoo!!! First catfish of the year...can’t wait!

    ... to pan fry it up!!! The ice went out a few weeks ago. I’ve been casted out poles and leaving them on bottom all day on and off ever since the ice left. Never had one bite or even one worm or waxy stripped off till yesterday. I found a couple worms crawling around in the driveway yesterday afternoon and put both on my hook. At around 7pm I figured it was time to wind up for the night. The line was in a different direction so I knew I had some action. My line was snagged on some brush when I tried to crank up. I kept pulling and winding, figuring I’d eventually get the snag pulled out of the water. After about 20 seconds the line came loose from the snag and I could feel a good sized fish swimming,yanking, and my drag started to rip! After a good couple of minutes it finally came to the surface. I figured this early in the year I probably had a Drum, Northern pike, or carp on. Nope, a decent sized channel cat! I have never caught a cat this early in the year. It had a belly full of shad. They must have been eaten alive because the fillets smelled nice and fresh. I’ll have to see if I can catch a few more today. I ll grab some minnows to try this time around. Cant wait to pan fry this one up! It was big enough that it has a little yellowing on the top of the back...I’ll have to trim it off before frying it up.

    Last edited by Tripplebeards; 03-28-2021 at 10:03 AM. Reason: Spelling...as usual

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    Awesome story. Good eating.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Do you have anywhere to net some live shad or do the bait shops there sell frozen shad? Around here the blues and channels gorge on winter killed shad. Fresh shad is absolutely the best bait year round for blues here in MO.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I netted a few a couple of shad a weeks ago. They eagles cleared them all out by now.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Catfish here ain't fit to eat if they've been eating shad!

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Normally they are not here either but the shad in its belly must have been alive when the cat ate them. They were still firm and fresh. Most catfish fillets this time of year smell like rotting sewer smelling shad. I got lucky!

  7. #7
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    Give me a flathead catfish over the channel cat any day! Way better taste! I will eat a channel cat but it has to be from clean water... flatheads are live forage eaters mostly so you don't get the off flavors from whatever channel cats are digging out of the mud...

  8. #8
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    What were the water temps? A 4 degree F rise can really get channel cats moving.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I didn't check the water temp but I can tell you it has to be in the low 40's at best. The ice just went out about 3 weeks ago. Ice out was extremely early this year. At least a good month or more ahead of normal. They normally start rocking around here after the crappiest breed and move out. Which is not for a good few weeks to a month.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    The largemouth are hitting at my place. Almost warm enough for some top water action.

    Now if the crappie and morels will just pop at the same time that will be some good eats.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Man it was good!!!

    I fried some up in shore lunch and some in sone Keto bread I dried up into crumbs...for me. Trying to cut out the carbs. Here was a piece dipped in egg and rolled in Keto bread crumbs ...


  12. #12
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    Oh My trip!!!! way to go!!! i miss fresh fish... but what the heck is Keto??? sounds anti-american!
    Any technology not understood, can seem like Magic!!!

    I will love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Zero carbohydrates.

  14. #14
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    A neighbor gave us some crappie filets the other day for letting him look for morels on our place, I may cook those up this evening.

    I really need to do more fishing this year. Used to do it a lot, somehow never seem to anymore.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    A little frying magic and an iron skillet with oil and we got us a party!

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Markopolo View Post
    Oh My trip!!!! way to go!!! i miss fresh fish... but what the heck is Keto??? sounds anti-american!
    You live on an Island and don't have a place to catch fish???
    There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to enslave men by force, socialism—by vote. It is merely the difference between murder and suicide. Ayn Rand

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    I know what I'm making for dinner tonight.

  18. #18
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    For a friend on Keto I use a simple salt, pepper, dusting of flour so a very tiny amount of carbs. Adds a little crisp to the outside but is a very thin "breading". Lets the fish flavor shine through too.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I finally picked up some walleye minnows and tossed a few out. Fingers crossed.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master slim1836's Avatar
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    I see you got the good dinnerware out for that meal.

    Slim
    JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS JOINT.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check