Home Forums Fishing Freshwater Winter time blues

The catfish'n has been real good lately. This 14 pound blue was my biggest catch yesterday. They are all nice and fat this time of year and hungry for cut gizzard shad. I hope we get some more nice weather between now and New Years so I can make a few more freezer runs.

Thats a nice one. Interesting set-up you have there; a slip bobber, down to a slip sinker?

I rig a 6/0 circle hook, a cigar float pegged about 6 inches above the hook to keep the bait off the bottom, a barrel swivel about 12-18 inches above the float on 50 lb mono leader. The slip sinker is a 2 ounce no-roll. My main line is 25 lb. Suffix.

I change the no-roll sinker to a home-made non-snag weight for drifting.

A cigar float, gotcha.

This is the rig as sold locally. It's good for bank fishing or when anchored up. The no-roll sinker helps to keep the line tight. I make up my own rigs with slight modifications for drifting.

Very close to the same, but added attraction. Spin and flash.

Which reels you like for this?

I use Abu Garcia 5000, 5500, & 6500. The old "made in Sweden" reels. Some like the larger reels with the bait clickers but I haven't found the need for the clicker or that much line capacity. For catfish I like a 7 foot medium heavy rod. The Shakespeare Ugly Cat rods work well for the price range but I have a new Pro-Angler that I like better. For night time bank fishing I use those chemical light sticks the teenagers call "rave bracelets" taped to the rod tip. Those are cheaper and easier to see than the little ones sold in the fishing tackle dept. and they last all night.

I use a 6500 I've had for years. Those are good reels but the many years of use has taken toll on mine. I will go through it this year though. My 550 is now at the bottom of Smith Mountain Lake. Seems my cotton gloves are too slick.

I also like the Penn SS spinning reels & their 320 level wind.

Since I'm also looking for a rod, is the Pro-Angler a Shakespeare rod? I can't seem to find it on their sight.

Here is the link. http://www.proanglertackle.com/CatfishRod.htm

Designed by a local cat fishing guide. I have the 7 1/2 foot cork handle. I haven't been able to find the Shakespeare ugly cat rods lately but don't care now since the Pro-Angler is a better rod for the same price range.

I just keep my old Garcia reels cleaned and repaired as needed. The oldest one I have spent a few days on the bottom of a lake before I was able to snag it and drag it out.

I have about a dozen of them and use them for everything from crappie up to big Blue cats. Some I bought new, others I got used, a few have been re-built. The newer reels without "made in Sweden" do not impress me at all. I'm still finding the good ones at garage sales and flea markets.

I love the swedish garcias. The line guide pawl is the only thing thats ever given me trouble on those reels.

(for level wind)

easy fix though, these are my fav fishing reels for pike, sturgeon, walleye... pert near everything lol.

In 40 years, I've had to repair only one. A new pawl was an easy fix. I do break them down and clean them when needed.

Beautiful Blue - I think the are the most eye appealing of all the freshwater.