# catfishing flooded river



## jakec

does the river being up a lot have any effect on the catfishing? i was gonna try again tonight but the river (escambia) is high as hell.


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## skiff89_jr

I went a couple weeks ago during the day when the choctawhatchee was falling from being really high and we got one, but had to leave because of the rain. The water was really muddy and the current was kicking, but it didn't seem to effect the bite.


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## jakec

ok thanks. i think im gonna give it a shot.


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## tips n tails

I think when the river starts coming back down the bite is much better IMO.


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## CatHunter

When the river is really high like this the flatheads, and channel cats will leave the river and move in to the Flooded woods to hunt crawfish. The river will be great looking by this weekend.

Your best bet is on a slow rise or a fast Fall, this weekend will be a fast fall so the bite should be really good.


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## jakec

good cause i went to 4 launches yesterday and couldnt get the boat off the trailer. ill be geared up and ready for the weekend.


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## CatHunter

Bringing back an old thread, I found this article and figured since the rivers are flooded it might be a good read for everybody.

*Catfish Thrive When Big Rivers Flood

"*The year 2011 will go down in history as one of the worst flood years ever along big rivers like the Mississippi, Missouri, Atchafalaya and their tributaries. People have suffered a terrible toll in lost lives and property. Wildlife has suffered, too.
One group of animals has thrived as a result of the high water, however. Catfish evolved to take advantage of floodwaters like those that have inundated hundreds of thousands of square miles this year. The reason, in a word, is “crayfish.*"The rest is in the article linked above.
*
* 
It looks like I even did a trip that following weekend, did anybody elese fish the flood waters of this weekend 9 -2012?

*http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f40/escambia-river-fastwater-flatheads-131301/


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## jakec

good read man. so i guess crawfish would be a good bait for catfish?


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## CatCrusher

jakec said:


> good read man. so i guess crawfish would be a good bait for catfish?


Ditch crawfish are good bait. Don't use the ones you buy to eat they don't work worth a damn.


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## jakec

thanks Steve thats exactly what i was going to do. i have 2 crawfish traps i can set out and try to get some wild ones. ive only tried them once and didnt get any but i think i was trying in the wrong place.


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## CatCrusher

jakec said:


> thanks Steve thats exactly what i was going to do. i have 2 crawfish traps i can set out and try to get some wild ones. ive only tried them once and didnt get any but i think i was trying in the wrong place.


You can build a rake out of wire mesh and just rake the ditches and do pretty good once it warms up some. The little ones that hatch out first make great bream bait.


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## jakec

kinda like a sand flea rake?


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## CatCrusher

jakec said:


> kinda like a sand flea rake?


Exactly like it but make it much bigger. Same exact design though.


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## CatHunter

jakec said:


> thanks Steve thats exactly what i was going to do. i have 2 crayfish traps i can set out and try to get some wild ones. ive only tried them once and didn't get any but i think i was trying in the wrong place.



When you use them its a must to keep them off the bottom, either use a float, three way rig or a peg float slip-lead. You want them to stay right in the strike range of about 5-10 inches off the bottom. 

If not them little buggers will crawl under rocks and submerged timber with your hook, catfish will just swim right past them. 

Live bought store crayfish do work, but first you have to detox them. They have been piled on-top of other crayfish for so long they will get drunk and clumsy from other crayfish urine and ammonia. Just buy a few pounds, put them in a clean water tank for a day or so with food and watch them bounce back to life.


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## skiff89_jr

jakec said:


> kinda like a sand flea rake?


Yeah and you'll want a much longer handle. Most sand flea rakes aren't but about 4ft long.


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## skiff89_jr

Crawfish is a hot bait on the choctawhatchee for blue cats. 9/10 good size blues on my river will come from either mullet or a crawfish.


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## hotshot

im up here in central alabama and i get crawfish in my traps this time of year no matter if its warm or not. I pulled up to traps sunday morning when it was about 28 degrees here and they were both packed. My traps are homeade and small so when i say packed, i had 30 or so in each trap. very few babies. the ditch i put them in has alot of old concrete chunks in it and i think thats why it is such a good spot. I been baiting them with mustard flavor sardines and they cant resist em.


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## skiff89_jr

hotshot said:


> im up here in central alabama and i get crawfish in my traps this time of year no matter if its warm or not. I pulled up to traps sunday morning when it was about 28 degrees here and they were both packed. My traps are homeade and small so when i say packed, i had 30 or so in each trap. very few babies. the ditch i put them in has alot of old concrete chunks in it and i think thats why it is such a good spot. I been baiting them with mustard flavor sardines and they cant resist em.


I've read about anything that I can get my eyes on about crayfish and supposedly they do really good in water areas with rocks and concrete. I've moved my trap around with very little success. I've used dead minnows and bacon. Hopefully my new spot will produce. What kind of design are your traps?


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## CatHunter

skiff89_jr said:


> I've read about anything that I can get my eyes on about crayfish and supposedly they do really good in water areas with rocks and concrete. I've moved my trap around with very little success. I've used dead minnows and bacon. Hopefully my new spot will produce. What kind of design are your traps?


The new academy has some awesome traps.


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## skiff89_jr

CatHunter said:


> The new academy has some awesome traps.


I know. I bought 2 of them Friday :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## CatHunter

skiff89_jr said:


> I know. I bought 2 of them Friday :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


I built a few of my own.:thumbup:


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## skiff89_jr

Dang that thing is huge! You going after crawfish zilla? Lol


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## CatHunter

skiff89_jr said:


> Dang that thing is huge! You going after crawfish zilla? Lol


Crawfish, bullheads and Golden shiners


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## kevin32435

On the Choctawhatchee river it has been my experience that catfishing is best on a slow rise when the river is between 7 and 8' at Caryville I would expect this to be true on the Escambia these two river seem to be similar in size to each other from what I have read about them.


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## Fisher Belac

Has anyone ever tried to use Chicken Liver Sacks in either of these rivers with any luck?


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## firespan1

You are exactly right Kevin, I dont know about Florida, but here in Alabama fish shut down on a fast falling river.They move deeper to compensate and lack of current does not help.


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