swimbaits

[Jeff Christian]

Lately I've been doing alot of swimbait fishing and for some reason .. I've hooked into alot of catfish and bowfin... I wanted to know does this happen often or is it the funky weather.

[OldTimer]

Hi Jeff,

I take it that you mean Channel Cats, and not bullheads.

Both Channel Cats and Bowfins are spring spawners and their numbers do increase in bays along shorelines, or at river mouths.

Perhaps this, the fast-forward compressed spring, and your lure selection/presentation matching local forage has increased your success lately.

I'll guess that your bottom bumping the bait.............?

Regards,

OldTimer

[Jeff Christian]

(04-23-2012 02:03 PM)OldTimer Wrote:  Hi Jeff,

I take it that you mean Channel Cats, and not bullheads.

Both Channel Cats and Bowfins are spring spawners and their numbers do increase in bays along shorelines, or at river mouths.

Perhaps this, the fast-forward compressed spring, and your lure selection/presentation matching local forage has increased your success lately.

I'll guess that your bottom bumping the bait.............?

Regards,

OldTimer

Ya right off the bottom but channel cats and bullheads .. some not even the size of the bait

[OldTimer]

Interesting... bullheads are not usually so aggressive.

Lake Ontario? Does your swimbait resemble a gobey in colour?

[Jeff Christian]

(04-23-2012 03:58 PM)OldTimer Wrote:  Interesting... bullheads are not usually so aggressive.

Lake Ontario? Does your swimbait resemble a gobey in colour?

Not really ..its more to minnow with red tail. Its 1.6 ounces fished off bottom and there just seems to be a frenzy when its in the water.

[T Dot]

ive caught a few cats using swimbaits. last one i caught was about 7-8lbs

[Giuga10]

Interesting... I've never caught a Cat of any sort on a moving lure/bait.... surprising to hear a bullhead attacking anything moving.

Giuga10

[MuskieBait]

What I find interesting is bowfin hitting a swimbait in April. Most of the bowfin I see in April are hunkered down on the bottom not very willing to bite at all. I have fished whole live nightcrawlers and moved the bait in front of their faces and they just sit there and stare at it, or they get spooked and bugger off. The odd times I'll have a bowfin show interest in the nightcrawler and take the worm.

I've tried to fish lures for bowfin before and early spring usually is a fail for me with lures. Summer (after June) is usually much better with lures when fish are much more active.

I would love to hear more about how you work these lures on bottom to get them to hit.

On the other hand, bullheads can be aggressive during spawning time. They will chase and remove intruders into their nests. Although...April is still very early for spawning bullhead in most years.

I do realize that 2012 was exceptionally warm in late March and early April...but then got back to a cool spring by mid-April to May/June.