Super User burleytog Posted August 3, 2009 Super User Posted August 3, 2009 After fishing the rodeo Friday night, I unhooked the boat, hooked up the canoe and headed east with some friends to the James River. Caught a few smallmouth to start the day, but the current was a little more than I could handle alone in the canoe, so I retired to a bridge pier to give the cats a chance. In the 27 years I've been fishing, I've never caught a catfish. I've tried a time or two, but for the most part just haven't fished for them. All of that changed after one cast Saturday evening. Threw a live minnow in the river channel and had a bite within two minutes. This was the culprit. Not a bad first... A night of bass fishing, followed by one catfish. I caught a couple of smaller channel cats, then we went out to set the trotlines. Before we even got the line baited, we could feel fish on the other end. We ran the lines twice and had over 70 fish. Ran them again, got a few more, then got some shuteye. Got up Sunday morning, ran the lines one more time in the rain, then rolled everything up. The end result? A big mess of fish. The blue cat was 16 lbs. The freezer is full for another year... Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted August 3, 2009 Super User Posted August 3, 2009 WOW! That's quite a haul. 8-) Quote
Super User J Francho Posted August 3, 2009 Super User Posted August 3, 2009 Dayum! As kids we'd tightline for bullhead at our cottage. Looks like you guys worked, but had fun. Quote
Super User burleytog Posted August 3, 2009 Author Super User Posted August 3, 2009 Looks like you guys worked, but had fun. It was a bit too much like work... Quote
skillet Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 "It was a bit too much like work... " UrleyBay Would almost rather take a whupin' than clean a mess of 'cats like that ... skillet BTW FUN catchin' though Quote
Super User CWB Posted August 3, 2009 Super User Posted August 3, 2009 Looks like some stills from the movie "Deliverance" ;D Who got the honor of cleaning them? Quote
Daniel My Brother Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 Holy carp! That's a ton of cats! Those ol' boys look like they know their way around a fillet knife. Quote
Super User 5bass Posted August 3, 2009 Super User Posted August 3, 2009 Looks like some stills from the movie "Deliverance" ;D No kidding, if only there had been a banjo in one of those pics... Who got the honor of cleaning them? Good question....thats a whole lot of skinnin' goin' on! Quote
Super User burleytog Posted August 3, 2009 Author Super User Posted August 3, 2009 We ran an assembly line. One removing from the stringer, one taking to the table, one cutting the fillets off the fish, two cutting the skin off the fillets and bagging. The last time we went up there, it took us four hours to clean around 80 fish. This time it took us about two hours to clean 120 fish. Skinning cats is for the birds. Quote
endless Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 After fishing the rodeo Friday night, I unhooked the boat, hooked up the canoe and headed east with some friends to the James River. Caught a few smallmouth to start the day, but the current was a little more than I could handle alone in the canoe, so I retired to a bridge pier to give the cats a chance. In the 27 years I've been fishing, I've never caught a catfish. I've tried a time or two, but for the most part just haven't fished for them. All of that changed after one cast Saturday evening. Threw a live minnow in the river channel and had a bite within two minutes. This was the culprit. A night of bass fishing, followed by one catfish. I caught a couple of smaller channel cats, then we went out to set the trotlines. Before we even got the line baited, we could feel fish on the other end. We ran the lines twice and had over 70 fish. Ran them again, got a few more, then got some shuteye. Got up Sunday morning, ran the lines one more time in the rain, then rolled everything up. The end result? A big mess of fish. The freezer is full for another year... yea the james produce some fun for cats. they are some big ones the state record is 102 lb blue cat. i use to put the boat in at deep bottom bridge. i think thats it off 295. my buddy pulled in 2 50 lbers me on the other hand a blue crab. go figure. fresh cut shad is great bait. they roam all over the james. another buddy goes to james just to net his shadfor the potomac catfishing tournaments. i no there's a theory bout the bass decrease in fishing due to the cats in the james. i dont lip the lil guys. just grab between the fins. now the big guys you do grab like you got em. you ever watch the show where the have tournaments where your only catfishing by hand, reachin in the holes feeling for them. IM STICKING TO THE ROD!! i just fillet em and cut the skin off by knife. beats skinning. Quote
Super User burleytog Posted August 3, 2009 Author Super User Posted August 3, 2009 Looks like some stills from the movie "Deliverance" ;D No kidding, if only there had been a banjo in one of those pics... With rain in the forecast, I left my banjo at home. Quote
mrlitetackle Posted August 4, 2009 Posted August 4, 2009 NICE!!!!!! .....i can hear the oil poppin' right now, and its making me hungry! Quote
1inStripes Posted August 4, 2009 Posted August 4, 2009 I havent ran a trot line since just before I got married 5 years ago I guess. I miss it. They can be a lot of work to get bait and such, but I enjoy making a couple of runs in the dark checking them. Quote
skillet Posted August 4, 2009 Posted August 4, 2009 We always skinned them before cutting them up... skillet Quote
Super User SPEEDBEAD. Posted August 6, 2009 Super User Posted August 6, 2009 Nice catch redneck.... Quote
Super User Bassn Blvd Posted August 6, 2009 Super User Posted August 6, 2009 A tree, nail, pliers and knife is all you need for cleaning/skinning. I like the cot you set up under the bridge, I'm just glad you didn't get robbed by the homeless people for it. Quote
Super User CWB Posted August 6, 2009 Super User Posted August 6, 2009 We ran an assembly line. One removing from the stringer, one taking to the table, one cutting the fillets off the fish, two cutting the skin off the fillets and bagging. The last time we went up there, it took us four hours to clean around 80 fish. This time it took us about two hours to clean 120 fish. Skinning cats is for the birds. Let me guess. You supervised the operation with a beer in hand. Quote
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