CC Newsletter 1

Kids Korner
So you wanna tournament fish
with your kid? Here's a little realism
on what it entails. I have never
liked music while I am tournament
fishing. Well, I do now! Especially
the top 40. Why? Cause it
keeps my boy happy. Staring off
into space and day dreaming of
the next lego build that is so important,
is WAY more importanter
then watching the rod tip wiggle.
There are never enough
snacks or drinks on the boat. I
like to eat. Especially heavy filled
carbed junk. Give it to me. Yet
when I am on the boat, I seem to
be on an 8 hour diet. Not the kid.
There is no such thing as to many
snacks as by the end of the day,
they are gone. Ever seen a snail
move? Did it excite you? Me neither.
Until I pour salt on a snail,
they were rather boring. So, I
pour some salt on the kid every
now and then to get him to bubble.
Nap, I must nap now. Let um.
I will let him nap anytime with no
argument, because I know if I say
fish on, he already has the net.
Here are a few of the givins. I
have a 12 year old whom does not
complain that he is tired, hungry,
bored, or the likes of. He is content
and eager to win the day(s).
A little give makes it more memorable
for both of us. In our boat
when tournament fishing, there is
no my rod, your rod. There is, a
rod bends, you reel it in. Only one
way to win and that's for everybody
to be involved and have fun.
If this sounds like a complaint,
then you must not know what
memories are made of. Though I
would much rather have him as
focused as I. I would not change
anything about what he does.
From dangling his feet in the water
to slapping sticks. Make it memorable,
have fun, laugh, remember
that they will be living your legacy.
To my boy, Change nothing.
With the Polar Vortex
behind us now, it’s time to jump
back on the ice! What? Ice fishing?
In the cold? if you haven’t
done it yet, I strongly urge you to
give it a try!
Yes, open water catfishing
can be awesome in the winter,
but for those whose rivers and
lakes freeze, we have to learn to
adapt. Instead of traveling south
C a t fi s h C o n f e r e n c e
Seasonal Tactics
every weekend or taking
the winter off (which is just
plain ridiculous) we have
learned over the years how
to catch catfish through the
ice.
Ice Cat’n is really
very basic. Just a few pieces
of equipment, warm gear,
bait and you’re set! Since
rivers tend to fluctuate too
much to have safe ice, many
prefer to go on lakes and
ponds. Before going out,
make sure to do your
homework. Looking for
underwater points or mid
depth flats with deeper water
close by is key. Once
you have picked your destination,
you can begin packing
your gear. Depending
on the size of fish you will
be targeting, you will want
a 6-10” auger. A depth finder
is also a helpful tool to
take along with you. When
deciding on rods, a medium
to medium-heavy rod is
great! We personally use
the Whisker Seeker 38” ice
rod, which is designed for
hard water catfishing. Any
rod you choose can be lined
with 6-20lb line, again depending
on the size of your
fish. From there you need
to decide if you will be jigging
with a spoon tipped
with bait or setting your
rod in an automatic fisherman
or tip-up.
To rig up for the
auto fisherman, you can do
a scaled down version of a
carolina rig, using a 1/0-4/0
hook, a short leader line
with a ¼ ounce bullet sinker.
Top it off with some
bait: frozen shad guts, minnows,
and nightcrawlers
work great. Then drop it
down to the desired depth.
However, always keep in
mind the regulations of the
state you are fishing in and
the winter habits of the fish
you are targeting. While
blue cats are most active in
cooler water they are not
often found where the water
freezes. Channels can
be very active through the
ice, however Flatheads go
dormant and will not be
active. Another thing to be
mindful of is the temperature.
If it is below freezing,
your holes will freeze shut.
But don’t fret, you can easily
avoid this by fishing inside
a heated shelter.
When it comes to
outdoor clothing, always
make sure you are over prepared.
Better safe than sorry
is huge when ice fishing.
No matter the temps, I always
have my floating bibs
on! A tip for the ladies,
when I know it’s going to be
down right cold (single to
negative digits), I will wear
insulated snow pants under
my bibs, along with boot
warmers, hand warmers,
and my insulated boots that
are 2 sizes too big. To help
aid in safety, I wear my
cleats, picks around my
neck, and use a spud bar to
safely check the ice.
I hope everyone
enjoys the rest of their
hardwater season and finds
these tips useful for landing
their next Ice Cat!
Amy Smith