Arthur Cats

I live near lake Arthur. Probably the best place is south of the 528 bridge.Just float around in there and you will pickup cats.

I've taken 3 channels over #20 in the last 2 years from Arth

Big Tuna
dpms, Never really target them but catch plenty.I trolled around a sunken island across from the sailboat bay. I'd run Hot an Tots and catch them. They where big 6-14 lbs. Late June to around the first week on July they spawn on that clay bank of the island. I caught many of huge males with a million baby's in their mouth. I caught them by the dam fishing with big creek chubs at night. Ever time I'd fish for eyes I'd get 6 cats to 1 eye.I caught plenty I've fishing on tip ups or jigging. There pretty much everywhere.

Big Tuna
dpms, Never really target them but catch plenty.I trolled around a sunken island across from the sailboat bay. I'd run Hot an Tots and catch them. They where big 6-14 lbs. Late June to around the first week on July they spawn on that clay bank of the island. I caught many of huge males with a million baby's in their mouth. I caught them by the dam fishing with big creek chubs at night. Ever time I'd fish for eyes I'd get 6 cats to 1 eye.I caught plenty I've fishing on tip ups or jigging. There pretty much everywhere.

X2!!! I've caught 4 channels over #20 in the last 3 years from arthur. All in the vicinity of the dam.All on cut or live gills. All between 8:30 and 11:00 pm. Good luck!!!!

Gills

 
- I plan to fish daytime. Any particular areas I should begin at that I can anchor up for cats?
 
If you can plan to hit the evening hours, I think your odds will go up a bit.  I've done great after cold fronts push in, and completely turns off every other fish in the lake.  
 
- Any suggestions for preferred bait? 
 
Cut or live bait as noted.  Shrimp works too.  Also noted, target walleye and you will get a bunch...
 
- Would like to keep some for dinner? I assume cats from Arthur are pretty good table fare? 
 
Arthur is clean, fish from there can be consumed without too much fear.  Not sure if I would eat fish every day from anywhere.  I've eaten a few cats from Arthur and were great.  Like any cats, you need to get that "silver skin" / red meat out of the fillets, or it tastes gamey/muddy.  According to a few, they taste better out of cold water than summer time.  I can't confirm this, as most I have caught & consumed came during spring/fall, and not cold or hot water.  If worried, then you can soak your fillets in water in your fridge, and keep changing the water for 24 hours.  Whether this does much, but I have done before and fillets came out great.  Bleeding after catching then icing immediately should help in making the best table fare.
 
I think others have noted, they seem to be in just about every spot around.  I've got them crappie fishing in brush, underwater structure for walleye, feeding shelves for wipers and weed lines for perch.  The only times that I don't catch them, is when I am specifically out to catch them...  So, I'd plan to "target" something else, and trick them!

Kind of shocked nobody said alewives.  The best catfish bait by a large stretch are alewives.  They will swim up and fight you for your cast net to get them.  They'll jump in the boat and root through your cooler.  Sure, any cut bait will work.  But the lake is literally boiling with the perfect bait, and you should be using it when you can.  
 
List of things I've personally caught cats on at Arthur: fatheads, shiners, crawlers, shrimp, live bluegills, cut bluegill, cut perch, cut crappy, creek chubs, ALWIVES.  So yeah, they aren't picky.  

Caught cats up there over 20# darned near 20 years or better ago, lots over 20#. Average is 10-12 if you fish for them, catch them while trying for others is 8# or less. Can be had all over lake, all sizes, becomes a nousense sometimes when going for others. One person gave you good advise, figure it out and follow....... Not spot burning either guys,,,,,, LOL....
 
Smitty

Launched from McDaniels last night to try to catch some cats before surgery puts me out of commission the rest of the summer. Caught one 8# channel on gill and a slightly smaller one on liver. Caught a couple small stripers on worms. Would have been a perfect night if it weren't for some asshat going around with a spotlight, deliberately shining it on every vessel he passed. Still amazes me the amount of disrespect boaters show one another.

PaYakr
Launched from McDaniels last night to try to catch some cats before surgery puts me out of commission the rest of the summer. Caught one 8# channel on gill and a slightly smaller one on liver. Caught a couple small stripers on worms. Would have been a perfect night if it weren't for some asshat going around with a spotlight, deliberately shining it on every vessel he passed. Still amazes me the amount of disrespect boaters show one another.

Was it the local WCO doing night patrol?

psu_fish
Was it the local WCO doing night patrol?

Honestly never considered that and it would explain the obnoxious behavior with the spotlight. Do they do that often? Never seen daytime patrols where I typically fish, let alone night time. Only my 3rd time at Arthur and first time at night.

I would like to think the PBFC would have identified themselves.

Use of such lights are not legal unless the vessel is at anchor or within 100 ft of shore or boat launch for the purpose of docking.

This is the law as it was explained to me as a very nice officer from Ohio handed me my warning.😕

You could be correct with checking registration.

Hope you hear back from the park office, will be interesting to hear.

Take care and tight lines.

Does PBFC still practice "law enforcement"? Do the biologist actually go out on patrol? (For bad guys?)

Last two times I was checked was by two very nice people at the Jamestown boat launch. Not looking for violations mind you, they was just searching for weed.

Wait! What...., no not that weed, the other weed ya silly's.

Anyways I got a free bobber each time and I still have em. Yep, a free bobber just because, I'm a nice guy.

No Zelie, you can not have one.

That's why I still have them...... and you still ain't gettin one!

That's what you get for out fishing me..... so there!

Or a bigger brighter spotlight.

But than again, with my luck, it would be the fish police this time.😆

Twenty years ago or so, we would venture to Arthur to fish the April Fools KBBC bass tournament. Many of us didn't have a restricted horsepower boat, so we brought our regular bass boats and just fished with the electric motor (never expected to do well, but you got points toward the Classic for just showing up, so we did just in case we needed them). We would get stopped 3-5 times per day and get everything checked each time. Of course, the same guy would remind us, each time, that is was a restricted horsepower lake and we couldn't use the big motor.

The checks got annoying to the point that we would all wear sweatpants and display out fishing license on the bow of the drawstring. When we were asked to see our license (who has a full blown bass tournament rigged boat with all the gear and tries to skip out on buying a license), we would dutifully grab a handful of **** and tell them "If you want to see it, here it is."

For some reason, they stopped asking.