As promised, here's that shot of me with a flathead catfish I pulled from my father-in-law Chick Whelchel's dock on Lake Blackshear in South Georgia during our recent family vacation.
As flatheads go, this was a little guy -- 9 pounds. But that's perfect eating size, and it's hard to beat deep-fried flathead catfish nuggets.
I can't claim that catching this thing was any major fishing feat. Quite the opposite, actually.
Here's the technique. Each evening I try to catch a small bluegill for bait. That's usually pretty easy but this trip it wasn't. Nearly every bluegill I caught was hand-sized. That's great if you're going to eat them (which we did) but I prefer 3- to 4-inch sunfish for flathead bait. I had one of those prime baits only one night. Something ate it but didn't get hooked. This guy hit a pretty good bluegill.
The catfish rig is an older surf rod with no reel. I ran 130-pound cord (which is designed for trotlines, actually) through the guides and tied it off on the handle. I left about 8 feet hanging out of the end of the rod, to which I tied a heavy ball bearing swivel, then a 3-foot leader of the same 130-pound cord. The hook is a Gamakatsu Octopus Circle, size 9/0.
I hook the sunfish behind the dorsal fin, toss it out, put the rod in a holder that keeps the rod tip about 4 feet off the water, then tie it to the dock. Most nights I'd hang out and fish worms on a couple other rods for channel cats for an hour or two, but I never did any good. As much as I'd like to pull all-nighters and fish a bunch of rod-and-reel rigs, that's not really possible with all the stuff we have going on during the day (when I'd be catching up on sleep). So I'd check the big rod first thing in the morning.
Chick's dock is pretty good for catfish because the channel sweeps in nearby and the catfish come out of the deep water after dark to prowl the shallows. I'm pretty sure I could really crush them if I bothered setting up more than one rod. With one bait in the water, it's a little tougher. Although something got my bluegill three of the four nights, this was the only fish I got. (I did get a 4-pound channel cat one night on a cane pole baited with nightcrawlers.)
Again, it's hardly fishing, but it's still fun. It's great walking down to the dock with my cup of coffee and seeing that rod bent over. You don't know if you've got a 4-pound or a 40-pounder.
Comments
[July 8, 2007 5:16 PM]
Julie JamesonMark, LOVE the picture! Mama said that you and the fish look alike! We printed this off to send to Aunt Mary Jeff and Aunt Beverly who don't have computers.
Hello to all girls! Julie
[July 10, 2007 9:02 AM]
Mark TaylorThanks, Julie. I guess I'd rather resemble a big ol' "appaloosa" catfish than a carp. I'm glad you all can have a few laughs at my expense.
mt
[July 12, 2007 9:07 AM]
FreddyThat's a great picture!
Uncanny resemblance! ;o)