It rained frequently yesterday. Sometimes it rained hard, sometimes just a drizzle. I had caught 2 smallish channel catfish yesterday during my lunch hour, along with a crappie and green sunfish.
The rain and inflow must have really turned the catfish on. I fished a different pond last night, fishing for crappies and bluegills. I also caught a hybrid sunfish and largemouth bass. Big fish of the evening was another Channel Catfish. This one measured 28.5" long, estimated weight of 11.2 pounds.
I’m careful not to get my thumb clamped in between those strong jaws (done that many times!)…but the skin on my thumb is now absolutely SHREDDED from his tooth pads!
When I lifted him out of the water, I used 2 hands, and grabbed him by his pectoral fins.
Nice fish. I really enjoy catching catfish on a fly rod. A buddy and I got out yesterday for about 5 hrs. I caught 7 but nowhere the size of yours . The bigger ones averages 4 to 5 lbs and 3 where some of the smallest i have ever caught. Certainly not fast fishing but it was better than I have been doing in some of the park ponds.
I certainly did THINK of you, John! And so I asked him to smile for the picture!
I hope I didn’t catch you with a full stomach?
All fish are beautiful…(is a lamprey a fish? I might have to amend that statement if they are…ha!)
sweet channel cat! tell us more about what you were fishing. under an indicator it looks like? what fly? what rod? i am guessing a tfo? jealous. steady rains here in k.c. have hampered my fishing, but we sorely need the moisture, so i am not complaining. hope to get out next week when it warms up again. they are calling for snow showers this morning :(.
I was using a 1/80th oz Springbrook Wunderkind microjig, gold & grizzly color, @ 2’ below the indicator. It is a TFO BVK 9’ 6wt, Lamson Konic reel, Airflo 40+ line, 0x tapered leader, 13 lb mono tippet. It’s overkill for panfish, but I got this rig for a few specific reasons/situations (grass carp, common carp, catfish, white bass, long distance casts into the wind for trout) and I have been fishing it lately to get the feel for the Airflo line. I REALLY like this whole setup…it casts extremely well.
And so I asked him to smile for the picture!