Channel Cats

[ryank]

Yesterday WfoCharlie, Ed, and I went out looking for springers and struck out so we hit up some warm water fishing on the way home. It wasn't very hot but still a good time we ended up with three bites total 2 stuck including a nice channel cat. I had such a good time I took my girlfriend Natalia today so we could hang out in the sun. We weren't sure what to expect since I've never had a bite bottom fishing the way we were doing it, I just jammed a stick into the ground and set the rods on to them as a make shift rod holder. After a few minutes Natalia said "I think I'm getting a bite" As I looked over the rod doubled over and almost pulled it over the rod holder! She jumped up and set the hook and after a minute or two we landed this beast! We planned on releasing all the fish but this one swallowed the hook and was bleeding heavily from the gills so we whacked it and took it home to fry up! I've never filleted one so that should be interesting. We caught a few good size carp and 2 more channel cats that we let go, it was a good time for sure and a nice change of pace from year round salmon and steelhead fishing.

[Twise95]

Right on, Ryan! WOW that's a nice channel cat. I haven't caught one that big in quite a while. Thanks for the picture and the story!

[spactrukn]

Pretty sure I know where you were fishing..... Told you there was some big cats in there. They are good eats Ryan. You might want to nail the head to a board and skin that thing holding on to the skin with a pair of pliers before you start cutting flesh off of it. They also are good on the grill as well.

[ryank]

You might want to nail the head to a board and skin that thing holding on to the skin with a pair of pliers before you start cutting flesh off of it.

I'll try that next time, getting the skin off was a little bit of a struggle after I filleted it!

[Osmosis]

That rocks Ryan!! Flashback to my childhood right there

[Spade]

Ryan at this point you must be very very careful, not only are you plunking, you're doing it with warm water. You could decide that hiking miles upon miles for one bite just isn't worth the effort.

[nontypical]

Niiiiiiiiiiice! WhereABOUTS is that? I've been wanting to go catfishing for a long time. Haven't been since I was a kid. I ask people all the time, and don't really get any good lakes mentioned near the Sandy/Portland area.

Just looks like fun in the sun! And I make a mean fish taco....

[Ed Fast]

Ken,

It's not where you think, but it's close!!

Nontyp,

I think we should all go for a SSSF warmwater carp and catfish palooza! It's a fun and beautiful place with NO other people.

we were pleasantly surprised.

Ed

p.s. the cat I ate the other night was awesome!

[spactrukn]

I'm down for the catapalooza!

[nontypical]

Ed, I am so down for that! That would be so much fun. What rod would I use for catfish?? I seriously haven't fished for catfish since I was a kid. I think the last bullheads I caught were in the Sacramento Delta on a houseboat trip with my family. Sooo fun.

Catfish, sun, fishing buddies, BBQ, fish tacos...... mmm!