here kitty kitty

well, went out for a first catfish trip.not sure what to expect because it's still a little early.
got 2 Channel cats, one 4 lbs, and this one at 9 lbs.


and my buddy got 3, with this one the biggest at 12 1/2 lbs.




all in all, an awesome start to the open water year.this should keep me busy until the stripers get here.


http://s361.photobucket.com/albums/oo59/PIKENUT/?action=view&current=100_1106.flv

Nice cats already, sweet ! 
 
My buddy targets them @ night time during the summer. They get them up into the mid teens.  

Dude, I have never seen a kid from Nisky with such a wicked beard...  Sweet...  ROCKING!!!
 
What kind of catfish are in the Hudson here in Albany.  Are those Flatheads?
 

as far as i know in the hudson\mohawk we only have channels and white catfish (and bullheads). the white catfish look like a channel but have white chin barbels and don't get as big as the channels. the dark blueish\black color ones are the males. it's kind of confusing because it seems like every one we pull out of the river has a different color to it. if there are other species in the river i haven't heard about or caught them.
those gloves are essential (and cheap), those cats are slimy little bastids'. we've gone through tons of them.

ORIGINAL: Neversink Jimmy

Dude, I have never seen a kid from Nisky with such a wicked beard...  Sweet...  ROCKING!!!

you should have seen my winter beard, i just took a hedge trimmer to it recently. it was getting too zz topish.

Nice cats, salmon fillet for bait I woulda never thought of that...We used to do well on chicken livers..

the spot we fish is pretty quiet, i think that's why i like catfishing so much. after a crappy day at work, just sitting by the river is relaxing, even if i get skunked it is still better than sitting on the couch. and you have a chance at some pretty big fish (and yes they are a tad ugly but i've grown to love them)
as for the salmon filets, that happened by accident. another one of my friends came down with some sort of bait from his freezer (don't remember what) but he grabbed the wrong package and ended up bringing a salmon filet down. so having no bait other than crawlers at that point we tried it. and know it's my favorite bait for cats.

i use what i call "The Lazy Rig"
I attach a snap swivel to the main line, then attach a wire leader to that. then i have a slide sinker with a 2 oz. weight that i put on to the wire leader. then i put on a "Lazer Sharp Striped Bass Snell". those are sold premade in the saltwater section at****s, but i usually buy them at conroy's Bait Shop in watervliet. they come with a 6/0 circle hook.
I used to put the slide sinker on the main line, but after a while it starts to fray the line and i don't want to take the chance of "Jabba the Cat" breaking off. which is why i started using the wire leader.
i also swear by circle hooks for catfishing. 99% of the catfish i've caught with a circle hook have been hooked in the side of the mouth, never had one swallow a hook.
My buddy uses a different rig, but i'm lazy and don't like tying a thosand knots so this is the rig i use. (hence the name)
hope that made sense, put on the bait,cast it out, reel up tight with the drag set pretty tight (as you would have it to fight the fish) then......
wait....... and wait....... and wait.........

i appreciate that backin. I don't claim to be an expert, but I put in between 100-200 hours catfishin last year, so i'm glad to help anybody with what i can but i still have a ton to learn about them.
as for flatheads, I WISH we had some of those up here, they grow to well over 100 pounds.
their range doesn't go past pennsylvania though

went out for 6 hours sunday. got an 8 pounder in the first 10 minutes, a 7 pounder an hour later.
then a cold front came through and it actually snowed for a few minutes. no fish after that.

PIKE  Your pics inspired me... so yesterday I dragged an old trout out of the freezer and headed out to the Hudson. I found a perfectly unoccupied Erie Canal entrance at Waterford, with a nice bench, a hot cup of Joe, and the sun setting behind me.  I chucked some hunks of trout out there and sat, but after about an hour or so I started thinking about Siena game being on and I got itchy so I left.  I wish I had the patience for catfishing but thats usually how it ends up if I'm alone.
What stretch are you guys fishing, youre on shore right?

ORIGINAL: Neversink Jimmy

Barry- just think how hard it is going to be to sit still after April 6th when the Yanks are back on the field, huh?

You're always welcome at my place during the season when the Yanks have night games.  I made it a point to try to listen to each game on the radio as I sat in the boat.  There is something about hearing a game called by announcers that always seems to beat television...  At least with me.

I don't know how people can fish without a radio sometimes...  If I am by myself it is a must...

Otherwise I get all stir crazy and often ended up slugging beers...  More than a few daytrips have ended up being weekend-long outings a result.  Sometimes it is best for me to stick close to home.  Makes the ride home a lot shorter when I can tie up the boat in the front yard...

Anyone wanna' show me how to catch ice-out bluegills this week?

Jeff (Reel Force) would shake his head when I would turn the radio on while ice fishing. My buddy and I always had a radio with us whether ice fishing or on the boat. If your on the south end of Saratoga Lake in the summer a radio is a must to drown out the kid that practices his tuba on the deck.

LMAO  I think those fish were affected by Acid Rain Jimmy.