Catfish management in NC

How would you rate management of catfish in NC

  • Great

    Votes: 1 3.8%

  • Fair

    Votes: 5 19.2%

  • Poor

    Votes: 15 57.7%

  • Unsure

    Votes: 5 19.2%
  • Total voters
    26

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
great stories on big cats. keep them coming.

i have none personally, i do have one truthful friend talk of jigged up bass being pursued by big cats at Kerr. ones big enough to think they could eat a 3lb bass. he has had that happen on multiple occasions.

and then i have a lying friend who tells the truth about once a year who says he has seen them push schools of bass to the surface and feed on them at Buggs.

i would love to confirm both of their stories personally. :)
 
darkthirty

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
We were needing some wild channel cats for a research project. I was having difficulty getting enough so out of desparation, I set some hoop nets in about 20' of water in some structure. When we pulled them, they were full of flatheads anywhere from 5lbs to 40lbs. We tossed them in the floor of the boat while we pulled the nets and by the time we were done, the floor of the boat was covered in crappie and bluegills and small channels. The flatheads swam in the hoops to eat fish in the nets and when we put them in floor of boat, they spit up all the fish they'd ate. . Crappie were all between 8"-12". Those flAtheads had absolutely gorged themselves while in the net.
 

Boojum

Ten Pointer
I have seen some strange things come out of the stomachs of 40-50 lb. flatheads. They will eat fish a lot bigger than you would think, and things that just don't make any sense.
 
catfishrus

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
oldest school said:
great stories on big cats. keep them coming.

i have none personally, i do have one truthful friend talk of jigged up bass being pursued by big cats at Kerr. ones big enough to think they could eat a 3lb bass. he has had that happen on multiple occasions.

and then i have a lying friend who tells the truth about once a year who says he has seen them push schools of bass to the surface and feed on them at Buggs.

i would love to confirm both of their stories personally. :)
Click to expand...

You ever hear about the one when the divers went down to (pick a spot) and seen one big as a volkswagon? We caught him one night. You see dad and I was fishing on the bank one night when a huge cat came up and swallowed dads lantern that was hanging over the water on a tree limb. 30 minutes later dad hooked into the monster and fought him for several hours before landing him. Dad sent me to the truck to get the wheel barrel but before I could get back the huge cat spit up dads lantern...we was so happy to get the lantern back, we turned the cat loose. Still amazes me to this day how that lantern was still burning. Now that's on the up and up as we call it here...we guarantee our story. ;)
 

Boojum

Ten Pointer
catfishrus said:
You ever hear about the one when the divers went down to (pick a spot) and seen one big as a volkswagon? We caught him one night. You see dad and I was fishing on the bank one night when a huge cat came up and swallowed dads lantern that was hanging over the water on a tree limb. 30 minutes later dad hooked into the monster and fought him for several hours before landing him. Dad sent me to the truck to get the wheel barrel but before I could get back the huge cat spit up dads lantern...we was so happy to get the lantern back, we turned the cat loose. Still amazes me to this day how that lantern was still burning. Now that's on the up and up as we call it here...we guarantee our story. ;)
Click to expand...

I'll take 10 lbs. off my catfish if you'll blow that lantern out. :D
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
that diver and dam story is repeated by folks that really should know better. seems that really smart folks that dont fish will buy it.

now on fighting a big one. How long does it take to get a 6o lber in? using tackle made for catching fish that size?

I like your story catfishrus, i may use it during the holidays.

Boojum- tell us about the things they eat that dont make sense. that sounds interesting. Justin is leading this category now with the full grown duck.

I'm thinking fawns or possums should be a possibility. :)
 
catfishrus

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
oldest school said:
that diver and dam story is repeated by folks that really should know better. seems that really smart folks that dont fish will buy it.

now on fighting a big one. How long does it take to get a 6o lber in? using tackle made for catching fish that size?

I like your story catfishrus, i may use it during the holidays.

Boojum- tell us about the things they eat that dont make sense. that sounds interesting. Justin is leading this category now with the full grown duck.

I'm thinking fawns or possums should be a possibility. :)
Click to expand...

I used ABU7000s and Shakespeare tiger rods with 30 lb test...it doesn't take over 5-10 minutes to put a 60 in the boat unless you fishing some serious current. Main thing to me in the winter time if I'm fishing deep is don't bring one up too fast..otherwise you get into the burping of catfish or they can die. With that said...I hooked one at Badin one night..positive it was a flathead...I honestly fought that fish for over 20 minutes and couldn't get it off the bottom without thumbing the spool....I was worried it was going to get in my anchor rope and pushed the issue too much...that fish broke 30 lb test. That one stands out the best in my mind for power. I hooked one in good current at Tillery one morning...I thought it was going to spool my 7000 but I finally turned it to only loose it at the boat...hook pulled out. There was a 72 lber caught in the same area the following week..same fish?..I don't know.

Other than one that eat the lantern...those are my two best ones I lost. I have landed several 60s though. BTW....I'm just a catfisherman that spent a lot of time trying at one time. Never was good at it but I was lucky at times.
 
Last edited:

Boojum

Ten Pointer
oldest school said:
Boojum- tell us about the things they eat that dont make sense. that sounds interesting. Justin is leading this category now with the full grown duck.

I'm thinking fawns or possums should be a possibility. :)
Click to expand...

No fawns or possums- talking about stuff like plastic bottles, snuff can lids, action figures, sticks, rocks, and such in flatheads' stomachs. The strangest out-of-place critter I've found in a catfish so far was an enormous centipede. I have caught channel cats more than once that were stuffed full of Muscadine grapes. I wouldn't have thought about them eating grapes until seeing that one a couple of times.
 
Last edited:

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Boojum said:
No fawns or possums- talking about stuff like plastic bottles, snuff can lids, action figures, sticks, rocks, and such in flatheads' stomachs. The strangest out-of-place critter I've found in a catfish so far was an enormous centipede. I have caught channel cats more than once that were stuffed full of Muscadine grapes. I wouldn't have thought about them eating grapes until seeing that one a couple of times.
Click to expand...

Gotcha, thanks for the feedback.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
catfishrus said:
I used ABU7000s and Shakespeare tiger rods with 30 lb test...it doesn't take over 5-10 minutes to put a 60 in the boat unless you fishing some serious current. Main thing to me in the winter time if I'm fishing deep is don't bring one up too fast..otherwise you get into the burping of catfish or they can die. With that said...I hooked one at Badin one night..positive it was a flathead...I honestly fought that fish for over 20 minutes and couldn't get it off the bottom without thumbing the spool....I was worried it was going to get in my anchor rope and pushed the issue too much...that fish broke 30 lb test. That one stands out the best in my mind for power. I hooked one in good current at Tillery one morning...I thought it was going to spool my 7000 but I finally turned it to only loose it at the boat...hook pulled out. There was a 72 lber caught in the same area the following week..same fish?..I don't know.

Other than one that eat the lantern...those are my two best ones I lost. I have landed several 60s though. BTW....I'm just a catfisherman that spent a lot of time trying at one time. Never was good at it but I was lucky at times.
Click to expand...

i asked because you hear of some long battles. and i never thought of the current obviously being a big factor.

thanks for the facts.
 
nccatfisher

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Boojum said:
No fawns or possums- talking about stuff like plastic bottles, snuff can lids, action figures, sticks, rocks, and such in flatheads' stomachs. The strangest out-of-place critter I've found in a catfish so far was an enormous centipede. I have caught channel cats more than once that were stuffed full of Muscadine grapes. I wouldn't have thought about them eating grapes until seeing that one a couple of times.
Click to expand...
I have caught blues that would rattle when they flopped they were so full of mussles.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
How long would it take for a blue to reach 60lbs in one of our good fisheries?

how about a flathead the same weight?
 
nccatfisher

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
oldest school said:
How long would it take for a blue to reach 60lbs in one of our good fisheries?

how about a flathead the same weight?
Click to expand...
That is a question that biologists and fisheries managers will not get pinned down on. But it is something that is pretty easy to guess at as far as a rough estimate, a darn long time! In catfish ponds where they are feeding them all they can eat so they can harvest them as quick as they can they do good to get them to put on 3-4 pounds a year. At that rate you can do the math on how long it would take to produce a 60# fish out where they are having to compete for food and travel all over the place for it instead of lay under a feeder full of high protein pellets.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
nccatfisher said:
That is a question that biologists and fisheries managers will not get pinned down on. But it is something that is pretty easy to guess at as far as a rough estimate, a darn long time! In catfish ponds where they are feeding them all they can eat so they can harvest them as quick as they can they do good to get them to put on 3-4 pounds a year. At that rate you can do the math on how long it would take to produce a 60# fish out where they are having to compete for food and travel all over the place for it instead of lay under a feeder full of high protein pellets.
Click to expand...

never had a clue they would be that old. another reason i wouldnt kill a big one on purpose, native or not. thanks for the info.
 
catfishrus

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
oldest school said:
How long would it take for a blue to reach 60lbs in one of our good fisheries?

how about a flathead the same weight?
Click to expand...

Look at santee....stocked in 1963 and was producing new world records in the 80s around a 100 lbs. NCWRC gill netted a 65 lb blue out of Badin that was aged at 16 years old. They use the ear bone(forget the real name for it) to age them but you must kill the fish to age it. To my understanding the bone has growth rings in it like a tree.

Most research I have read suggest it takes about 10 years for a blue to reach 20 lbs but once it reaches 20 lbs the growth is much quicker. To my understanding this is from the fish feeding on much larger bait fish. A blue is usually around 7-8 years old before it even spawns. This is why you can slaughter some good eating size blues when the spawn is in process.

Most research today is fairly fresh research. There is some good information from the James river on studies of blues.
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
catfishrus said:
I used ABU7000s and Shakespeare tiger rods with 30 lb test...it doesn't take over 5-10 minutes to put a 60 in the boat unless you fishing some serious current. Main thing to me in the winter time if I'm fishing deep is don't bring one up too fast..otherwise you get into the burping of catfish or they can die. With that said...I hooked one at Badin one night..positive it was a flathead...I honestly fought that fish for over 20 minutes and couldn't get it off the bottom without thumbing the spool....I was worried it was going to get in my anchor rope and pushed the issue too much...that fish broke 30 lb test. That one stands out the best in my mind for power. I hooked one in good current at Tillery one morning...I thought it was going to spool my 7000 but I finally turned it to only loose it at the boat...hook pulled out. There was a 72 lber caught in the same area the following week..same fish?..I don't know.

Other than one that eat the lantern...those are my two best ones I lost. I have landed several 60s though. BTW....I'm just a catfisherman that spent a lot of time trying at one time. Never was good at it but I was lucky at times.
Click to expand...

^^^this^^^

I hear people saying i caught this 40lber the other night and it took 30 minutes to get in. What?? what in the world are they fishing with ?? crappie poles??? I use 30 lb line on some of my reels and 40 lb on a couple and they come in quicker than you can fry and egg...
 
FishHunt

FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
More than a few years ago while fishing with Joe Drose at Santee on the lower lake (Near where "Two Tree Island" was) we scooped up a dead flathead in the 35-40lb range with a blue stuck in it's mouth that weighed around the 20lb mark. I have an old 35mm picture of it somewhere around here. oldest school, I know I had that picture at your dad's shop one Monday night for the regular services held back then!

<>< Fish
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
FishHunt said:
More than a few years ago while fishing with Joe Drose at Santee on the lower lake (Near where "Two Tree Island" was) we scooped up a dead flathead in the 35-40lb range with a blue stuck in it's mouth that weighed around the 20lb mark. I have an old 35mm picture of it somewhere around here. oldest school, I know I had that picture at your dad's shop one Monday night for the regular services held back then!

<>< Fish
Click to expand...

i remember hearing about that now that you have prompted my memory.
 
catfishrus

catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
I have to wonder about these fish trying to eat other fish. Catfish will fight for spawning grounds. I'm not sure about the blue verses flathead thing but they do spawn pretty close to the same time. I have witnessed it several times at santee where catfish was fighting over spawning grounds. I have pictures of two fighting from down there somewhere...both fish was in mid 20s just floating along on top holding on to each others head. I don't know if they really trying to eat each other or if its mother natures way of handling the fish just like two buck deer locked up and dieing from it. To those who don't realize these cats will fight...it would appear one is trying to eat the other.
 
bshobbs

bshobbs

Old Mossy Horns
Seen big flatheads chasing hickory shad up in the shallows on the Neuse River in Kinston. One man took a hickory, threw it back on a heavy rod and as soon as it hit the water, the fight started. He pulled in about 30 pound flat head.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top