Catfish on cranks ?

[bilgerat]

Went out today for a few hours. Overcast and breezy, water churned up from rain the night before.

I'm throwing an XCalibur lipless crank and got a 5# bass and within a half an hour I nailed a 4#

I move down a bit and I get nailed again; stopped my bait cold. I'm thinking "can this be happening ?" I get it up and it's a huge catfish Funny thing is, I caught a cat on a Rattletrap at the same lake several years ago and dismissed it as a fluke.

Anyone ever have anything similar happen ?

[K_Mac]

The local hot water lake is loaded with catfish. I think I've caught them on every lure in my bag. I caught a big flat head on a Senko last fall. I saw one in the parking lot that was weighed at 45#. It was caught on a rattle trap being trolled for hybrid stripers.

[fishfordollars]

Catfish love a Chrome/Blue back trap.

[slonezp]

Caught them on traps, houdinishad, and multiple 10lbers on chartruse spinnerbaits.

[JigMe]

Catfish loves my 5" senko and got me all excited few times, because I tho I have hooked a lunker.

[SDoolittle]

I've caught some really nice sized channel cats on crankbaits over the years.

[fishinbud]

Got this cat on a silver/white crank in about 8' of water last weekend. First of the year. 3 lbs. or so I guess...

[newriverfisherman1953]

Yep, I have probably caught over a dozen cats on crank baits over the years.

[Simp]

Caught this guy on a crank with 8lb test and he fought a long timmmeee.

[Fat-G]

I LOVE catching cats on 6# line. Soooooo fun

[Grey Wolf]

I've caught a few on cranks.

[bassman31783]

When my bud & I were at Lake Fork a few weeks ago both he & I caught a catfish within about 5min.  He got his on a chartreuse chatterbait & I got mine on a suspending jerkbait.  Both went right at 12lbs. 

What a mix of emotions when you get it to the boat.  When they first hit your bait you get so excited because your so sure you have a giant bass.  Then while fighting it you realize something doesn't feel quite right.  When you get your first glimps you get a little mad, or if your me you get real mad.  After you unhook it, & send it on it's way, you realize how fun of a fight it really was & all is good.   

[Paul Roberts]

Jerkbait.

Jig, and two others on a crank that day.

Plastic worm.

[bilgerat]

I wonder if they actively pursue the bait or is it a case of bonking them and p*ssing them off ?

[Paul Roberts]

They can be aggressive predators. But, they are omnivorous, have a shorter strike window than bass, and their mouths aren't very large, so they're generally tougher to catch -or less consistently so on artificials

[Red Bear]

i love fishing for cats too, but ive never caught one on artificial

[Beastie Bass]

I've caught several cats on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, even jerkbaits! My biggest was pushing 10! Talk about fun, even if you feel a little let down after realizing you dont have a state record bass! 5 yrs ago my buddy and I were fishing topwater at night and he was using a smithwick devils horse when he caught a 15 lb channel cat! Pulled us around like a trolling motor for about 5 minutes in a 10' jon. Great fun! One for the record books, another buddy landed a 10lb blue cat on a UL with 4lb line and a crappie jig!