Archive for September, 2008

Picking The Right Catfish Rod

Fishing for Catfish can be fun and exciting if you choose the right catfish rod for the fish you are trying to catch. If the rod is extremely stiff and strong you take all the sport out catching all but the biggest catfish. If the rod is extremely flexible a medium sized catfish will tear it up. Catfish are great fighters which make them fun to catch but they can destroy your gear if you don’t choose correctly.

To make I better choice when buying a new rod there are a few things you should know. When choosing a rod there are 3 main factors that will determine how the rod will perform in actual use.
 
Action refers to where or how much of the rod will bend. With equal weight a fast action rod will start to bend more toward the tip where as a slow action rod would tend to bend over the entire length of the shaft. A medium action rod would start to bend in the middle. The action is controlled by the taper of the rod itself. A fast or short taper would make a slower action rod and a slow or long taper would make for a faster action rod.

Power or strength is the amount of force needed to bend the rod. The thickness and type of rod material will determine this. A lot of rod manufactures and anglers get this confused with action. Most rods when marked light-action are referring to power not action. The best way to tell the power of a rod is to check the line weight ratings.

Sensitivity is the ability to transmit vibrations from the line through the rod and to your hand. By taping lightly on the tip with your finger you should easily feel the vibrations holding the handle of a sensitive rod. The thickness and density of the rod material will make a difference. Graphite is more sensitive than fiberglass and boron is denser and more sensitive than graphite. The ferrules also make a difference; metal ferrules are far less sensitive than graphite. A one piece rod of course would be the most sensitive. The rod blank should also continue through the lenght of the grip. Single foot guides add less weight and help retain sensitivity verses a double foot guide which is heavier and must also be wrapped in two locations. Also the rod action plays a major role, fast action rods will be more sensitive than a slow action rod of the same material. Don’t confuse a lighter more flexible rod with being more sensitive.

If you are new to catfishing a good inexpensive rod choice is the Shakespeare Ugly Stick. It is a medium action pole that is a favorite among catfish anglers. While this is a good rod to start with you should get to know what the other rod types are capable of. You will have a lot more fun catching a 5 lb channel catfish on a medium action pole than you will on a heavy action pole. Choosing the right catfish rod will make your fishing much more fun.

Fishing: Northeastern Louisiana report

BLACK BAYOU – Bass are fair on lizards and floating worms fished around brush and grass. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are scattered and slow.

CANEY LAKE – Lots of school bass are being caught in the coves on Pop R’s, Crazy Shads and smoke grubs. A few bigger bass have been caught off the deeper points on 11 inch worms. Crappie are fair to good as they’re suspended around the submerged tops in 15 foot water. Jigs or shiners will work on these fish.

Chinquapins continue to bite cold worms fished on the bottom on the flats in 8-10 foot water.

CHENIERE LAKE – The lake is still high and few people are fishing.

LAKE CLAIBORNE – A good many bream are being caught in fairly shallow water on worms and crickets. Catfishing is fair to good on trotlines baited with live bream or goldfish. Bass fishing is fair with best catches made at night on black spinners or plastic worms fished around the lighted piers or along dark banks.

Crappie fishing is slow to fair on shiners or jigs fished around submerged brush. Stripers are fair trolling bucktails or spoons. A night bass tournament, sponsored by Parden’s Paradise, is being held every Friday night. Call Parden’s Paradise at 927-2264 for details.

LAKE D’ARBONNE – Because of hurricane induced rains and run-off, the lake is having a hard time falling, even with the spillway gates open. A good many bream are being caught off the banks on red wigglers. Catfish continue to bite cold worms fished off the banks. Crappie are scattered and slow. Bass fishing is best fishing points with current on lipless crank baits.

OUACHITA RIVER – The river is high and rising and few people are trying to fish.

LAKE POVERTY POINT – Bass fishing is fair while the crappie are scattered and slow. Catfish are biting cut bait and bream are fair on worms and crickets.

LAKE ST. JOHN – The lake is has been closed due to high water to protect piers and boathouses from boat traffic.

LAKE YUCATAN – The lake is rising and fishing has slowed.

Oklahoma's fishing report

CENTRAL

 Draper: Elevation ½ ft. above normal and clear. Channel catfish good on cut baits and stink bait. White bass good on medium-diving crankbaits, jigs and sassy shad, look for surfacing activity.

Hefner: White bass and walleye good on cut shad.

Overholser: Channel catfish fair on stinkbaits.

Thunderbird: Elevation ½ ft. above normal and clear. Channel catfish good on cut baits. White bass good trolling off humps and points on inline spinners, medium-diving crankbaits and sassy shad. Saugeye good off points at 6 to 10 ft. sassy shad, medium-diving crankbaits and jigs. Bass good on tandem spinnerbaits and plastic worms in coves over weed beds.

NORTHEAST

 Bell Cow: Elevation below normal, water clear. Bass fair on plastics. Catfish fair on doughbaits. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs.

Birch: Elevation above normal, water 76 degrees and clear. Striped bass hybrids good on live shad at 16 to 25 ft. near the dam. Channel and blue catfish excellent on cut shad and stinkbaits. Largemouth bass fair on buzzbaits late in evening. Crappie fair on minnows around structure at 8 to 12 ft.

Carl Blackwell: Elevation normal, water 80 degrees. Striped bass hybrids fair on live shad and trolling crankbaits. Catfish fair on cut baits and punchbaits.

Chandler: Elevation below normal, water clear. Bass fair on plastics. Catfish slow. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs.

Hulah: Elevation 5 ft. above normal and murky. Crappie slow on minnows and jigs near submerged structure at 10 to 14 ft. Channel catfish good on cut shad. Blue, flathead and channel catfish fair below the dam on live or fresh cut shad.

Kaw: Elevation 23 ft. above normal. Channel and blue catfish good on worms and cut shad in the upper portion of the river from Trader’s Bend north. Striped bass and striped bass hybrids good on live shad below the dam during generation.

Oologah: Elevation 3½ ft. above normal and rising, water 80 degrees and muddy. Blue catfish good on juglines and trotlines with shad on the north end of the lake. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 10 to 15 ft. around brush piles. Blue and channel catfish fair on shad below the dam. White bass and crappie fair on jigs below the dam.

Skiatook: Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water upper 70 degrees and clear. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 12 to 15 ft. around stumps in the back of coves and creek channels. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastics over brush piles. Striped bass hybrids fair drifting live shad over open water.

Spavinaw: Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 75 degrees and dingy. Crappie fair on jigs and minnows around the dam. Largemouth fair on crankbaits.

Webbers Falls: Elevation 2 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits in creek channels and riprap. Catfish good on cut baits and stinkbaits on bottom. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs under bridges and around brush structure.

NORTHWEST

 Canton: Elevation 1 ft. above normal. White bass and striped bass hybrids good trolling crankbaits and drifting shad and slabs. Walleye fair trolling crankbaits. Channel catfish good on shad.

Fort Supply: Elevation normal, water clear. Channel catfish fair on stinkbait all over lake. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Harper County.

SOUTHEAST

 Arbuckle: Elevation 2 ft. below normal, water 81 degrees and murky. Crappie good around brush piles and docks. White bass fair chasing shad in the dam area in evenings. Bass fair using topwater lures, Carolina-rigged lizards and dropshot over moss beds. Channel catfish slowing.

Blue River: Elevation normal, water 70 degrees and clear. Smallmouth bass fair on soft plastics and shallow running crankbaits. Spotted bass good on inline spinnerbaits and soft plastics. Channel catfish fair on worms, minnows and stinkbaits. Flathead catfish slow on live sunfish.

Eufaula: Water rising due to rains. Largemouth bass good on Texas and Carolina-rigged soft plastics in black at the upper end of creeks along the influx of new water. Catfish fair on juglines and trotlines with cut baits. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs along hooks over standing timber.

Hugo: Elevation 1½ ft. above normal and rising, water 83 degrees and muddy. Largemouth bass good in brush with rising water. Catfish slow on lake and good below the dam. Crappie fair to good on minnows in brush piles.

Konawa: Elevation ½ ft. above normal, water 70 degrees and clear. Largemouth bass good on plastic worms at 3 to 8 ft. in weed beds and cattails.

Murray: Elevation normal, water clear. All fishing is starting to pick up due to cooler temperatures. Largemouth and smallmouth bass being caught. White bass fair trolling crankbaits early and late when schooling topwater. Channel catfish fair on chicken liver, stinkbaits and worms. Crappie slow on minnows and jigs at 15 ft. around brush piles. Walleye slow.

Pine Creek: Elevation above normal, water murky. Bass good in the mornings on topwater baits. Anglers arriving early can find largemouth bass schooling for some good fishing. Crappie fair on blue and black jigs fished at 8 to 12 ft. Catfish good on bait shrimp at 10 to 15 ft. off the bank.

Texoma: Elevation normal, water 82 degrees and clear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fair to good around the riprap at Burns Run. Striped and white bass fair to good on live bait from Platter Flats south. Channel and blue catfish fair to good on live bait and cut baits from the railroad bridge south. Crappie fair to good on minnows north of the Hwy. 70 bridge. Sunfish good on worms around fishing docks.

Wister: Elevation 11 ft. above normal and murky. Largemouth bass good on topwater lures early and late. Crappie good on small spinners and jigs. Channel catfish good on earth worms, cut shad and liver with jugs.

SOUTHWEST

Altus-Lugert: Elevation 17 ft. below normal and rising. Fishing poor to fair. River is running high, bringing in a lot of mud and debris.

Ellsworth: Elevation below normal and murky. Catfish good around Goose Island. Crappie fair at Fisherman’s Cove. All fishing slow.

Foss: Elevation ¼ ft. above normal, water temp in the low 80 degrees and clear. Lake level ¼ foot above normal and gates closed. Walleye slow. Striped bass hybrid slow. Sand Bass fair. Catfish slow.

Lawtonka: Elevation below normal and clear. White bass fair to good at the pipeline on minnows.

Waurika: Elevation normal, water 76 degrees and murky. Catfish good on punchbaits.