# TopCat or Cheater



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

Anyone use either of these to catfish with? I am not sure if they are legal in Florida. The regulations states that you can use a gamefish as bait when fishing with a pole and line. It doesn't clarfy if you have to be present and fishing with the pole from the bank or from your boat. These look like a pole and line that attaches to a tree.

http://www.topcatfishingtackle.com/index.php


----------



## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

billyb said:


> Anyone use either of these to catfish with? I am not sure if they are legal in Florida. The regulations states that you can use a gamefish as bait when fishing with a pole and line. It doesn't clarfy if you have to be present and fishing with the pole from the bank or from your boat. These look like a pole and line that attaches to a tree.
> 
> http://www.topcatfishingtackle.com/index.php


I believe Cathunter may have 1 or 2 of these...


----------



## nojerseydevil (Jan 23, 2009)

Ingenious.


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Yep Steve Green is one of my good buddies. He sent me a dozen or so of those things to try out. I put live bullheads on them. Its been forever since I used them, they have been collecting dust. I used them before for scouting new areas, they are so much more faster and efficient than a string hanging from a tree.

Iv used them id say at-least a dozen times and each time there was a fish over 30 lbs on at-least one of the top cats.

The last few times that I used them we took the hooks off the top cats and put outrigger clips on them. We then connect our rods to the out rigger and fish from the bank. 

It turns in to some high tech fishing methods real fast but the results are top notch.. If you see one attached to a tree you will know its mine. Mine are labeled with my address and phone number for legality purposes.


----------



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I e-mailed Steve Green and he mentioned you CatHunter. He said that he thought you used the uprigger clip. Are there legal to use with a bream? They look like a pole and line to me? They are on sale right now. Do you want to sell yours?


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

billyb said:


> I e-mailed Steve Green and he mentioned you CatHunter. He said that he thought you used the uprigger clip. Are there legal to use with a bream? They look like a pole and line to me? They are on sale right now. Do you want to sell yours?


They are called out rigger clips, he calls them up rigger clips I think. I prefer them over just setting and leaving it all alone out there to be stolen. And yes its legal to use bluegills on them since they are attached to your rod and reel. The top cat merely acts as a outrigger for your bait to be positioned on the surface of the water. 

No I do not want to sell mine. I'm planning on taking the nephews camping here soon. I want to set a few out for them to mess with.


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Now that you got me thinking about it I need to blow the dust off of them.


----------



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I know it is legal to use a bream when attaching the clip to your rod and reel, but is it legal if you set them out alone like Steve does in the videos?


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

In Florida it is not. Use bullheads


----------



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I think I will order the Cheater. It looks like you need a straight tree for a TopCat to work.


----------



## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

I don't see it. An overhanging limb and a line, weight and hook cost about a buck. What's the advantage?


----------



## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

hjorgan said:


> I don't see it. An overhanging limb and a line, weight and hook cost about a buck. What's the advantage?



I have to agree although I see why he needs them since all he has to tie to is tree trunks. As for hooking to rod and reel Wouldn't a cork work just as good or actually way better? It's possible (probable?) that i don't understand how it works


----------



## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

It would help by keeping your bait ,right where you want it stay. With just a cork your bream or sucker can swim all around and get into the cover and get hung up.


----------



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

It's the splash. That's all I'll say..


----------



## yukondog (Feb 12, 2013)

catch many gars or gators on them?


----------



## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

I don't see any trees in the middle of the rivers where I fish. And I fish alot of them. Maybe.in some backwater it might work. If you make something look neat enough somebody will buy it, just not me.


----------



## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

CatHunter said:


> It's the splash. That's all I'll say..



So it's a secret then?


----------

