# [40.5'' 31 lb. Channel Cat on Vortex Shad]



## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

Caught close to 50 channel cats this summer on Matrix & Vortex Shad. Purple Haze was the go-to. Paired w/ 1/8 oz. Golden Eye Jigheads & bounced slowly over rockpiles in the Yahara River in Madison, WI, the cats couldn't resist. Here's my new personal record, which I caught just over a month ago. Had an insane battle with her. She nearly broke me off a half a dozen times, so I was absolutely ecstatic when Nathan scooped her up in the net. After a photoshoot that consisted of about 50 photos, she was safely released to spawn next year & burn up someone else's drag washers. I'll post a bunch of photos of the many 20+ pounders we also managed to land this summer soon. 

Tight lines everyone.


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## gastonfish (Mar 24, 2012)

WOW! That is a beast. Very impressive catch


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

I just can't figure out why you are sporting that ear to ear grin. That really is an impressive fish. The pics say it all! tight lines to you.


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## Geezer (Mar 30, 2014)

Now that's a "RIVER MONSTER"


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## LIM-IT-OUT (Aug 26, 2014)

Elephants eat peanuts !!!! Great photos bro glad to see thafish reports again!


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## Trble Make-rr (Sep 30, 2007)

Question.......I don't eat catfish. Would this big guy be worth cooking? Thanx.


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## simpleman (Oct 20, 2007)

Trble Make-rr said:


> Question.......I don't eat catfish. Would this big guy be worth cooking? Thanx.


I would guess it would depend on the water quality it came out of. If you enjoy catching them that size better to let them swim away to make baby's..imo


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Man Sawyer.....you just wanna drum up the matrix haters huh!!! hahaha AWESOME catch brother!!! I'd be happy w/ one half that size!!!!


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Impressive catch, especially on artificial's..


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## fla_scout (Sep 28, 2007)

Great catch and pictures. Wondered why I haven't seen a post in a while. Internet slow up there?


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## Lloyd88 (Jan 10, 2014)

Dang that's cool


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Damn nice channel cat..


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

CatHunter said:


> Damn nice channel cat..


Now THERE'S the comment I was waiting for.  I now feel accomplished. I appreciate it man!


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

Jason said:


> Man Sawyer.....you just wanna drum up the matrix haters huh!!! hahaha AWESOME catch brother!!! I'd be happy w/ one half that size!!!!


You know it brother!  & thanks man! Maybe next summer you can make a trip up to Wisconsin so I can put ya on some huge cats on the fly rod!


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

By the way great photos as well. My buddy Darren lives up that away and is a Channel catfish guide. He catches some monsters on the red river, here is his latest report


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

CatHunter said:


> By the way great photos as well. My buddy Darren lives up that away and is a Channel catfish guide. He catches some monsters on the red river, here is his latest report


Thanks man! I take pride in getting the best photos I can. Being able to look back on great fishing photos is priceless. 

& that's awesome, I'd love to get on some blues or flatheads one day. I wish I would have taken a trip to the Wisconsin River this summer for flatties, they catch some monsters there.


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

Trble Make-rr said:


> Question.......I don't eat catfish. Would this big guy be worth cooking? Thanx.


Channel catfish are excellent to eat, but I release pretty much all of them over 10 pounds. I like to eat the smaller ones & let the bigger ones go so that they can spawn again next year.


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## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

Damn fine fish but it's got some seriously ugly lips! Great pics man!


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## orbiting headquarters (Oct 30, 2013)

nice going.
I've been beating the sound here in navarre for 2 days with matrix shad and nothing to show for it but a pair of sore arms. There is a joke in there somewhere.


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

orbiting headquarters said:


> nice going.
> I've been beating the sound here in navarre for 2 days with matrix shad and nothing to show for it but a pair of sore arms. There is a joke in there somewhere.


If ya need a fishing lesson all you gotta do is ask nicely John.


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## orbiting headquarters (Oct 30, 2013)

ThaFish said:


> If ya need a fishing lesson all you gotta do is ask nicely John.


Might need it, I'm on day 3. And still a big zero.
Hope you are having fun back home. We'll hold it down here for you.


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

orbiting headquarters said:


> Might need it, I'm on day 3. And still a big zero.
> Hope you are having fun back home. We'll hold it down here for you.


Oh I'm having plenty of fun, don't you worry about that!  Fortunately there's no requirement for me to post reports for the few bad trips I've had since I returned...


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## mitchamafied (Jun 16, 2014)

CatHunter said:


> By the way great photos as well. My buddy Darren lives up that away and is a Channel catfish guide. He catches some monsters on the red river, here is his latest report


I've been in Minnesota for about 5 months fishing the Red about every other weekend. The channel cat fishery is insane.
/hijack


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