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[Alien Invader]

nobbles wrote:

I must admit im on the fence when it comes to depth. I have caught the majority of my fish in shallower water. But using a fish finder have seen some shapes at the shongweni wall that can only be big fish. I am trying to get permision to use a platform right next to the wall to pitch a tent and spen time with big baits at the bottem where we have picked up the marks on the finder. The fish seem to stick to mid water and im not sure whether they are right on the bottom. But that what makes catfishing fun, there is so much we dont know and it is always fun finding out. Any one had success in deep water?

We have had success at nagel dam by the first wall, havent got an accurate depth but they are biting there and in good numbers yet as with most Natal sites the weight could be better.

I have had some success in Zim deep water on/under cliff ledges etc,,, this is what I have learnt. Always look for the spot were the bulk of the runoff water hits (I assume this would be a storm drain or water outlet from dam wall) Big baits did not work at all??? We ended up using 2 or 3 day dead birds that were pre-hooked and sealed in plastic packets. We started by dunking the dead birds in chicken guts that we kept in a tin,,,no luck! Eventually, when we got tired of puking every time we opened the lid we decided to go natural/as is... Thats when we hit them... NB! we attached a piece of styrofoam to the joining swivel clip using "castration elastic bands" and used the standard surf sliding sinker with a much thinner line to allow sinker to snap off if it snags... We also fed out about 10m of line to allow the bait to float up off the bottom.
What I think was the key here was the "special"elastic bands we used... Please note! No matter how much brandy you drink and how brave you get, Dont try and fit one of these bands, to get them off is another thing altogether. Well, I suppose if you shave those regions you may be safe. Cough cough, I read this in a book somewhere....

 

[Skuimkop]

Alien Invader wrote:

NB! we attached a piece of styrofoam to the joining swivel clip using "castration elastic bands" and used the standard surf sliding sinker with a much thinner line to allow sinker to snap off if it snags... We also fed out about 10m of line to allow the bait to float up off the bottom.
What I think was the key here was the "special"elastic bands we used.

That's what I like about Cat fishing. We know so little of these buggers and therefor we have to come up with new ideas, tricks and methods to out smart them. Well done on thinking on your feet.

 

[Brassie]

Hi Hoe effektief is gevriesde modderbek.  Het een verlede week gevang en net so gevries vir die naweek.  Hoe stel ek die "trace" op en hoe haak ek die aas? as jy dalk kan help asb. Is nog nuut in die Baber hengel ding, maar om die een of ander rede trek die lelike goed my. 

 

[Alien Invader]

Brassie wrote:

Hi Hoe effektief is gevriesde modderbek.  Het een verlede week gevang en net so gevries vir die naweek.  Hoe stel ek die "trace" op en hoe haak ek die aas? as jy dalk kan help asb. Is nog nuut in die Baber hengel ding, maar om die een of ander rede trek die lelike goed my. 

Sorry, my Afrikaans writing/spelling is a bit,,, rusty.

This is my opinion and the way I used to do it way back when I used to target this species in Zim... I'm pretty sure lots of guys will disagree, but it worked for me. I will replace the word wire with cable tie, not sure if we had cable ties back then,,,, hmmm.
Depending on the size of bait and if you are casting your bait in or rowing it in as many now do. Make a short sliding sinker trace (small barrel sinker) Attached to heavy line(Dakron) have a decent size hook on the end with a sliding free decent sized hook on the line. Cut the gill plates off the fish and take a screw driver and insert it into the fish's backside and "jiggle" it around, you want to tear things up inside the fish. Insert the terminal end hook very shallow and out again above the head/gill plate of the fish, hook must be very proud!Secure this hook by threading a cable tie through the fish's gill plates and over the hook shank, pull tight with zip lock end preferable inside the fish, take the second free sliding hook and do the same at the end of the tail, use a cable tie again to secure hook to fish. Finally, take the screw driver again and jab a 3 or 4 holes in the belly of the fish, not to much as you dont want all the small ones knocking this around to much... Ready to cast! I have always been of the opinion that a Catfish will swallow/take a dead bait head first if given the opportunity, well, it always worked for me anyway...NB! defrost the fish first and dont be afraid of using stupid big hooks or very large baits, a barbel will make a plan, just give him time to swollow and let him hit atleast 3rd gear before you strike.

 

[Skuimkop]

Brassie wrote:

Hi Hoe effektief is gevriesde modderbek.  Het een verlede week gevang en net so gevries vir die naweek.  Hoe stel ek die "trace" op en hoe haak ek die aas? as jy dalk kan help asb. Is nog nuut in die Baber hengel ding, maar om die een of ander rede trek die lelike goed my. 

Bly 'n baie effektiewe bait veral in die Vaal alhoewel vars baits maar altyd beter is.

Ek gaan vir jou 'n WORD dokument probeer hier laai waar ek vir jou mooi demonstreer hoe om 'n muddy te rig.

Tip: In die vervolg probeer jou vis/ viskop onderste vries sodat al die bloed na die kop vloei en daar dan gevries word. Dit word beter daar opgeneem en word stadiger vrygestel as wat dit in die res van die lyf gevries word sal doen.

 

[Waarheidserum]

Hete manne!!! Ek is maar nuut hier maar lank terug aangesluit. Weereens baie interresante feite (dankie Skuim) oor die tekkie bekke. Baie kere spuit jy 'n geur oor jou plastiese wurm vir bass. Het iemand dit al probeer met 'n loodkop of kunsaas vir baber (roepstok)siende dat hulle sulke fantastiese reuk opsporingstelsels het?

 

[Waarheidserum]

steelpulse007 wrote:

I honestly have not used live fish on a hook yet, but this is gonna be one hellova fishing season, I can almost taste it already, so Cheeta, Im gonna try it out.

Yeah Skuim I was surprised that the pickup came on the snails worked better than for the platties, on more than once occasion, I even broke one off & 30 minutes later, another pickup on snails! So Im not leaving home without them .....I had a few left in a container that I forgot about for a few weeks, the funk coming from that container was foul, but winter swept over so quickly that I never got to try 'em, but Im sure that if I hook smelly snails....they're gonna produce...

Has anybody caught sizers in the Wilge river in Frankfort? I'm gonna target that side as soon as the weather picks up, I have a good feeling about it.

My best bait is crab at Frankfort that I halved in two, break of shell and legs etc. and hook leg pipes (with white crab meat exposed) through hook shank (and twist to break individual pipes from body). I fish deep pockets within heavy current towards top weir but with two "heavy" weights on weight line sliding with swivel on main line to prevent current rolling your bait along. The weights are on a 6 pound line so that it can break when groot tekkie take the bait.

 

[Skuimkop]

Waarheidserum wrote:

My best bait is crab at Frankfort that I halved in two, break of shell and legs etc. and hook leg pipes (with white crab meat exposed) through hook shank (and twist to break individual pipes from body). I fish deep pockets within heavy current towards top weir but with two "heavy" weights on weight line sliding with swivel on main line to prevent current rolling your bait along. The weights are on a 6 pound line so that it can break when groot tekkie take the bait.

Amper soos hieronder gedemonstreer word Waarheidserum?

 

[Skuimkop]

Vervolg:

 

[AYOBA!]

nice!

 

[Waarheidserum]

Dankie vir daai mooi uiteensetting Skuimkop. As jy kyk na pic # 9 dan sal jy sien die pote wat afgebreek is maak sulke "pypies". Ek vat dan 'n "long shank" hoek en druk hom deur die pypie en "twist". Daai beentjie skeur dan los en dan ryg ek die volgende pypie en twist ens. Op die ou einde sit jy met 'n paar pypies op jou hoek (die hoeveelheid hang af van hoe groot die krap was en die grootte van jou hoek) met die lekkerste wit krap vleis aan die buitekant. Die lekkerte van hierdie metode is dat dit vinnig is en daai krap kom glad nie af van die hoek nie. Dis maar hoe ek doen en wat resultate kry vir my met krap.

 

[Grunty]

Aaah that capsule/blood/enos is a fantastic idea - I've used expired codliver capsules (rubbery outside) pierced on to the hook point, not sure if you can still get them.

 

[dk angler]

Wow wbat an awsome post i feel like i know the cat fish now and stand a better chance. Of catching them now

 

[dk angler]

Wow i realy liked that info