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Post by crock337 on Aug 20, 2012 11:07:27 GMT -5
Friday night did not feel like taking one of the boats out so I went to a local ramp to sit and relax and wet a line in the river. Caught a 5/6 pound channel that fought like a 10 pound bass. So much fun, he made 3 runs back out trying to get him to the bank. This is what keeps me coming back.
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Post by Swampy on Aug 21, 2012 15:04:06 GMT -5
Congrats on the hook up. Yeah those channels will let you think you got them and then turn and break out into a full speed run in a split second. I like the way they nail a bait hard and run with it then the fight is on. Channels are my #1 targeted fish and have been for over 40 years. What waters do you fish also what type of set up and baits are you using for your channels?
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Post by crock337 on Sept 14, 2012 14:53:07 GMT -5
I fish the lower st. johns area. As far as bait, chicken liver is my #1 choice followed by live shiners or small bream/ bluegill. Set up depends on depth and current. occasionally I will suspend baits under a float but mostly on the bottom. That night the current was fairly strong so I added a egg sinker above the leader with a circle hook.
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Post by Swampy on Sept 15, 2012 17:56:58 GMT -5
That's about the some type of set up I use. I run about an 18" leader,no roll sinker and 4/0 circle hook for channel cats most times. Baits are bluegills,wild shiners for the larger channel cats if I'm going after eater sized C.C. I will use red worms and chicken livers and down size my hook to 1/0 - 2/0 circle hook. I fish Orange lake,Rodman,Santa Fa river and a few smaller creeks.
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Post by crock337 on Sept 16, 2012 8:16:43 GMT -5
I've always wanted to go up and fish rodman. heard there is some big cats up there. I stopped by it once on the way back from visiting family in ga. It was nearly 20 yrs. ago but i remember being at a dam flowing into a river.
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Post by Swampy on Sept 16, 2012 16:00:34 GMT -5
Yes there is some nice cats in rodman I've pulled many out in the 10-12# range and a few in the 20's largest so far was right at 23#. However rodman is somewhat tricky to fish the pool is a flooded forest with lots of standing dead timber. Below the spillway along the dam wall is loaded with snags of rocks and old fishing line and hard to fish but worth it if you hook up with one of the big boys. The pool is a great place to fish in a smaller boat but you have to watch it and go slow because of underwater timber. Rodman pool is one of the best bass lakes in the world it's loaded with large trophy bass and they will kill topwater plugs. If you ever make it to rodman and want to fish the pool in a boat you have to put in at kenwood ramp there is no ramp to the pool at the dam kenwood is a few miles away from the dam. I keep some of the smaller cats to eat but release any over 10#.
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Post by crock337 on Sept 17, 2012 8:49:31 GMT -5
Sounds a little like the stick marsh. I dont think it has near the timber that rodman has but still can be a little tough to navigate if you don't know where you are going. I like to eat the smaller ones also. The only catfish I,ve seen that is good to eat as a large fish is the apaloosa cats like we used to catch on lake blackshear in Ga.
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Post by Swampy on Sept 21, 2012 21:03:14 GMT -5
Never fished the stick marsh before but I think one of our members may have he lives down that way. I've never fished for flatheads before but hear their good eating. There are flatheads in the upper St John near Jacksonville and in the panhandle area.
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