Catfish in the River "Regen" - Germany

[milchner]

[color=#0066cc]Ryan[/color] wrote:

I am off to The Orange river so I hope to post some pics of some monsters on my return - so hold thumbs for me.......

 

I hold my both thumbs for you. Do you think it´s a good excuse when I don´t want to work ?

 

[kitefisher]

Uwe,

We are approaching summer in South-Africa and there was still one or two "cold" fronts that hit us in the last 2-3 weeks.Day-temperatures on average would be in the mid 20 degrees depending on area,but where I fished on Saturday the water temperature was between 15 and 16.5 degrees which is still very cold .

We went out with 3 boats(6 people altogether) and despite the temp we got a good couple of  barbel (catfish) between us,most on bait (chicken-liver) and a couple on lure,although there is a lack of agressiveness on their part to take lures,maybe because of watertemperature still a bit low.

As the water warms up in summer to about 19 -21 degrees they tend to take artlure more readily.I am generalising a bit ,but that is what happens in my area, You may well have another month or so to catch them if watertemps play a role.

Cheers

Allan

 

[Trophy]

Ryan...good luck, hope you get the big one! Remeber it's called 'fishing' and not 'catching'. The Orange River is my Fav freshwater spot in RSA!

Attached a photo of European Barbel, I confused many an Englishman with tales of 20Kg Barbel in South Africa!!!

 

[Ryan]

Yep I have caught a couple of them barbels too using Quiver tips - that is a pretty decent sized "Barbel" Trophy

Allan - funny how our water temp in pretoria and surrounds is always 2-3 deg warmer than yours in the "Platteland"

Thanks UWE
HOpe to bring back a nice report

 

[milchner]

[color=#006600]Trophy[/color] wrote:

Attached a photo of European Barbel, I confused many an Englishman with tales of 20Kg Barbel in South Africa!!!

Yes, it´s possible that there could be some confusion. But I learned what a "barbel" means in south africa. ::slo

 

[Trophy]

Ryan, you are going to make me scan in some photos of some 'Trophy' sized Roach and Chubb!!

All this talking about the old days of freshwater is getting gogga going! I will have to dust off the old preditor rods and cast a line soon!

 

[kitefisher]

Ryan ,I think it is the difference in our minimum temps during winter that plays the big role ,as summer progresses we catch up and even overtake again,as our max temps here in the North-Western part of the Free-State hit the high 30's again (outside temps) not water temps,.
I have had swimming pool temps of very high 20's in Dec and January.

 

[Ryan]

KF - yeah I agree with you buddy.

I do believe your catfish are bigger - cooler night temps result in slower metabolism.

Hence I would theorise that the ORange river "CAts" are where the biggest cats in SA are to be found due to the cooler night Temps. I also think these huge tem variences between day and night result in more insect activity which in turn supplies food for baitfish etc etc etc.

ANyways seems our Barbel Section is "Steaming" now so to speak........

Thanks to all for making it so interesting

"Don't belittle our Barbel - it is one of the if not the best sport freshwater species we have In SA".......... 

 

[Trophy]

SH!T RYAN.....what time do get up to go onto Sealine!

 

[Ryan]

Uhm I start work at around 06h20