# Catfish are shutdown



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Its that time of year again when the catfish shutdown for the spawn. That's okay I"ll hunt other river monsters. This years catfish shut down targeted specie is going to be giant drums. Fishing the deltas during the right tide can lead to some of the largest fish you have ever seem in these parts.

We caught several drum last night 30-50lbs including this monster that measured 57" long. He bottomed my 50lb scale out so I'm not sure exactly how much it weighed. All I know is these things are super strong, each one ran drag nearly into the backing.

I'm getting back in that line tonight to ride that roller-coaster again. Ill post a picture of an 80 pounder tomorrow.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

DANG!!! Thats a whooper!!!


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Alabama river is still producing a few cats. Come on up here and help me catch em.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

I fished middle river last Friday night. Not even a bite.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

The water is really lower than what i like for that area. Ill be leaving out of Holley Creek tomorrow evening and will probably run north on the Bama. Hopefully get away from some of the other boats. Even if the flats wont bite, should still be able to carch some blues.

Hope I didnt just Jinx myself..


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Cathunter....I think that's a fair size tadpole !!! Now let's see a really big'un.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I haven't got to go all spring. Thought about Yellow River tomorrow night. I thought the bite was on until June.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

billyb said:


> I haven't got to go all spring. Thought about Yellow River tomorrow night. I thought the bite was on until June.


They generally start shutting down around May-June


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## Hired Hand (Nov 25, 2008)

Jim and I put 50 bush hooks out yesterday. Ran them all day. 5 small cats, several gars, 2 bass, and 2 bowfin. we baited heavy just before dark and will clean them up this am. Hopefully we have a couple. Thought we might have a couple of weeks till spawn but it looks like they went and did it already.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

The water warmed up quick this year


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

jlw1972 said:


> The water is really lower than what i like for that area. Ill be leaving out of Holley Creek tomorrow evening and will probably run north on the Bama. Hopefully get away from some of the other boats. Even if the flats wont bite, should still be able to carch some blues.
> 
> Hope I didnt just Jinx myself..


Maybe next weekend.


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

They bit good for me the last 2 days.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

CatCrusher said:


> They bit good for me the last 2 days.



Leave me a couple.


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

Lot of eggs in the ones I'm cleaning but the bite is real good. Spawning hasn't ever affected the bite in my opinion. One of my better times of year.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

CatCrusher said:


> Lot of eggs in the ones I'm cleaning but the bite is real good. Spawning hasn't ever affected the bite in my opinion. One of my better times of year.


Catching any on Rod n Reel? 
My grandfather ran Nets and boxes in Alabama River for over 30 years. He never had problems catching cats while they were spawning. I remember him telling me that the cats would just swim right into those hoop nets, he didn't even need bait. And that during the spawn roaming catfish will follow paths allowing them to be funneled into traps. I’ve seen 300-700lbs of flatheads and blues in just about every net we pulled during the spawning months. All cats would be slap full of eggs, when cleaning them the eggs would be put into 5 gallon buckets for sale for something.

He would tell me stories while cleaning cats for hours of how these cats would become tough to catch and not even worth targeting on set lines and pole fishing methods while under spawn. But swore that's when it was time to really start dropping the nets. 

He’s been retired and so has my great grandfather who also ran nets on all the Alabama River systems. 

Is boxing and hoop netting still a popular commercial industry over there these days?


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

Trotlines and rod and reel. Where did I say anything about a net or box?


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

CatCrusher said:


> Trotlines and rod and reel. Where did I say anything about a net or box?


You didn't. I was just curious if it was still popular over there. I grew up in Stockton and Little River. Those were my stomping grounds. I remember years ago at-least 20 year ago it was a big thing, just about everyone did it to pay bills. 

Just curious if its still big over there after all these years..


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

There's still a few on the tombigbee but not near as many on the Alabama. The lower delta still has its share.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Wow that was exhausting. Researching some numbers I went back through the history of Pensacola Fishing forums archives searching for flathead catfish. The dates I focused on were May 10th through June-10th. This is when I believe the peak of the spawn happens for us in our region.

The results were clear; in all those years I went back only a few flatheads were being reported in that time frame.

Even some of the catfish tournaments showed very poor results. Example: Last year at the Choctawhatchee River round up 70 fishermen competed on what seem to be perfect conditions for catfishing except one, the peak of the spawn. The next day at weigh-in only 10 fish came to the scales.

This year and last year at the Jessup Georgia Flathead tournament May 5th, the results were clear and spoke a loud message. Nearly 200 fishermen competed this year and yet only 9 teams were able to muster a fish for the scale.

Compare the (Spawn) to Pre-Spawn reports in Mid-March through late April and the Post-Spawn of late June-July and you will see a very large painting being formed. 
There is little research done on Flatheads. This is why I log and track everything so I can spot patterns and learn to fish around them or target them. 
Then again I could be over thinking it.

Pre Spawn- March-10th-April -30th

The Spawn Shut Down May 1st- June 15th

Post Spawn June 20th-July 30th


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Getting back on the Drum track here is my buddy Chris with a pair of 80lb drums 60+ inches


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

I didn't catfish over the weekend but someone had filled the river with noodles Friday night and we saw a lot of them bouncing Saturday morning. I have a commercial guy that drops off a couple of fish baskets in my creek during the winter. Says he has about 30 but he brings them in around March and goes to Colorado for the summer. Seen him get 27 out of one one morning


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Still catching drums..


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Man you better leave them things alone. The catfish gods are gonna punish you for putting those ugly-ass fish in your boat.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

jlw1972 said:


> Man you better leave them things alone. The catfish gods are gonna punish you for putting those ugly-ass fish in your boat.


They are ugly but damn do they fight hard and get big. Besides there is really nothing else that interest me, game warden said I cant mess with sturgeon, redfish and red snapper are boring and over rated, catfish are spawning, bass are gay, bluegills are bait, sharks stink, whats ah brother to do without my cats:001_huh:


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## gastonfish (Mar 24, 2012)

Definitely are shut down. Fished till daylight Saturday night and caught only one. 3 other bites all night. Same holes produced just 2 weeks ago .Not even a channel cat or blue. Perfect moon also so I have to agree there spawning.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

gastonfish said:


> Definitely are shut down. Fished till daylight Saturday night and caught only one. 3 other bites all night. Same holes produced just 2 weeks ago .Not even a channel cat or blue. Perfect moon also so I have to agree there spawning.


Without a doubt. I spoke to a friend who runs the crap out of bush hooks. He said he set lines from Hwy 4 to damn near Mystic Springs Friday and Saturday night and said if not for a few channel cats it would have been a complete bust.


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

The bite may be slow in places, but I've fished below claiborne and just below Montgomery this past week and have done real good.


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## born2fizh (Feb 6, 2008)

I have noticed that anytime cathunter says something catcrusher says the opposite...

...


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

CatCrusher said:


> The bite may be slow in places, but I've fished below claiborne and just below Montgomery this past week and have done real good.


Think I'm gonna fish north of Dixie landing this weekend. Got 4 day's off and don't care if they bite or not. I'm Fishing!


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

I'll be in that stretch be looking for me.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

10-4. I'll give you a call when it gets closer.


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

10 4


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

jlw1972 said:


> Think I'm gonna fish north of Dixie landing this weekend. Got 4 day's off and don't care if they bite or not. I'm Fishing!


How did the catfishing go?


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

CatHunter said:


> How did the catfishing go?


Well, My four day's turned into three because I had a job I had to finish and couldn't take off Friday. We fished day time yesterday bout 10 miles north from Holley Creek area. Fishing small shad we could have filled up the boat with small eater fish (blues), but nothing with any size. 

Didn't have any brim to fish tonight and the way the wind is blowing here right now, I'm glad I didn't. I'd be sitting in the boat pissed off right now if I would have went.

Maybe next weekend.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

There are tons of eater blues up around Dixie Landing


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## MULLET HUNTER (Oct 3, 2007)

I reckon they only shut down for 10 days this year... This one came off escambia yesterday morning...


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

That's a good un. Congratulations.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Did you weight it?


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

brother caught an ice chest full of 12-15 inch fish last night. mainly blues and channels.


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

They bit good for everybody up above Dixie this weekend. I fished near the old concrete plant and wore them out during the day.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

MULLETHUNTER did you catch him on a bush hook or rod/reel?

CatCrusher did you run lines during the day? I have set bush hooks all of my life, but only at night.


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

billyb said:


> MULLETHUNTER did you catch him on a bush hook or rod/reel?
> 
> CatCrusher did you run lines during the day? I have set bush hooks all of my life, but only at night.


I run lines during the day and let them soak at night. On the big rivers it's more about the river falling and moving water than anything else. I actually fished with catalpa worms and shad this weekend for some smaller stuff. By the way you should be ashamed of yourself for running bush hooks. Lol


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I bush hook so I am raping the river and I snatch mullet and have caught all of them too. There won't be nothing left unless I quit and stay home.


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

billyb said:


> I bush hook so I am raping the river and I snatch mullet and have caught all of them too. There won't be nothing left unless I quit and stay home.


You should take up commercial fishing, it's better on the environment.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I bet somebody on this forum is going to be upset with MULLETHUNTER for keeping that nice flathead. He has probably caught the same fish several times and released it.


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## MULLET HUNTER (Oct 3, 2007)

I did not catch that fish but it came from a bush hook. Below 4


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I have never caught a flathead that big. I am happy if I get a mess for me and my parents.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

That’s a good fish, saw him on Facebook. The spawn should be tapering off with flatheads coming off nests. Each day the flatheading will be getting better until late June and early July. By then the spawn should be over and flatheads will be post spawn ready for war. Last year we landed 1000 lbs. of flatheads on rod n reel in 3 trips fishing only until midnight each night during July.

Here’s a clip of some post spawn flatheads from early July. All these fish came in 3 hours the first two holes that we fished. We released them all then did it again and again that night. We left them biting at midnight fresh out of bait. By the way my wife caught all these flatheads by herself. I did nothing but take the boat to them. I tested her skills and she handled them flatheads like a boss, from baiting the hooks to casting the rods. I even made her net her own fish. You also must release your own.

That can’t be done right now... But a few fish are always possible.


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