At least I know my bait clicker works...

bought a couple round baitcasters with clickers so I can toss bream and maybe get a couple big cats. first actual hookups and my line line gave up on me and i lost the hook! i am still disgusted by this but i'm still trying. but the last four or five times now something is grabbing my bait and running with it. i will let it go for a while hoping that i will have a hook on them when I reel in. don't know if i'm rushing it or if i'm doing something else wrong. i was using 5/0 team catfish circle hooks but i recently went up to 8/0 starting today after seeing a lady catch a smaller cat than what i'm hoping for on a much larger hook than what i was using. same thing.... ZzzzzZZZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZZZzzz and then nothing when i go to reel it in.

i'm new to this and have only been going after larger catfish with bream for about a month and a half now. lost two hooks in fish I should've had. knots or line or something which i'm working on. one was mono 17# snapped when a big one turn on me or ran under something and the other the hook just was no longer on some 30# braid i was using. fish had scissors or a carpet knife or something i guess. but the majority of the time something runs with my bait and when i got to reel it in theres just no hookup.

could this be gar? i did hook a nice 3.5'-4' gar fishing this same way but he fought out my hook. he also didn't run with my bait as far as I can tell but that was before the baitclicker. but hey, i'll even take a gar if that what this is pulling my line. need to hook it though. mostly just want to hook a nice sized fish on my line.

i'm stumped but i want to hook whatever it is running with my bait. any advice is appreciated..

maybe they think it's take out and are headed home to sit down and eat?

Gar will do that running on you. Is your bait beat up?

yes, maybe 2-3 out 5 times the bait did get look chewed on. on the last throw today my bait had the belly bit open it i never noticed a bite. thinking on it some more maybe i should snell the hook and and leave enough line to put a nice sharp treble hook on the body of the bait? or maybe just go with a treble hook in the first place?

If a big fish runs with it the stops, just let it sit. Lots of times they will try to kill it then turn it around to swallow head first. Tie your hook on with a improved clinch knot, leave 6 in tag then tie your stinger on and hook towards thhe tail. That belly eaten out sounds like a turtle to me.

that's what i'll do. thanks!

thought i was going to sleep late but it's bugging me.

I agree with Cray about the turtle.

tried again and got the zzzzZZZZzzzzZZZZ but still no hook up. i think you guys are right since they are pretty much just knawing on my bait. they aren't taking it very far i keep thinking a good size fish would make more of a run. so i'm inclined to think i must be fishing for turtles. and that makes that one for sure hook a lttlw worse because the way that line moved it could've only been a good size fish to move line that fast.

may try again at another spot later in the week but last thing i want to deal with is some ole stuborn slinky neck turtle with a hook in it's mouth.


thanks for the advice!

I would do away with the circle hooks, or make sure you aren't setting the hook with them. Make sure plenty of hook is exposed through the bait. I doubt a turtle would be breaking your line either. Not sure where you are located but flatheads are hard to hook and like others say they kinda chew on the bait before they decide to swallow it.

i just turn my drag and start reeling in. i start reeling in slow until i think i feel something there but when i start to try to get it feel like it just ket loose.

i was using circle hooks so i wouldn't gut hook a big one since i'm letting it take the bait. if anybody can recommend a better hook or a better rig i will certainly look into it .

First of all, when using circle hooks, do not use the clicker. You want the catfish hook himself, therefore the line must not pull off the reel, the hook does not have a chance to do it's job as it is designed to do. That is to hook the fish in the mouth, not the gut. You are fishing like needed for a J hook not a circle hook. Also, the circle hook, you let them load the rod, do 2-3 turns on your reel in the holder and then p/u the rod and enjoy. With the J hook you have to set the hook and that is why you let them swallow it and jerk. Go the catfish1.com, lot's of info on catfishing. What river are you fishing?

ive just been trying to kill some time since the crappie haven't been biting. i figured i would spend a little time and money to get some decent catfish rigs worked up. bought a few baitcaster with clickers and have been trying to figure out how to get bigger catfish on the hook. i don't have a boat so i'm fishing off banks and piers around the ross barrett reservoir and along the pearl river. i don't know why but it always takes me a couple months to catch the fish i'm goig after :).

i will proabably get a couple heavier rods but i'm guessing i can handle a 20# without too many worries. i know they are in the areas i'm fishing and i've had something taking my bait several times. i figure my figure my rig is close so i'll try the j hooks next. I was hopingthe circle hooks would be best for bigger fish but maybe i don't have the patience for them yet.

thanks for the help... i've read some stuff on catfish1 but just haven't joined yet.

lazi, you are dealing with gar and turtles! This is the problem with summertime catfishing. stay presistant and you will find the cats. The 5/0 TC circle is an outstanding hook and plenty big enough for the job! It is the only hook i use. I have tried the 8/0, but it is so big and heavy wire. As chuckauten said, let the fish load the reel. Mono line works great b/c of all the stretch it has. Braided has its draw backs. it does not have any stretch, so when a big fish makes a run, drag is too heavy, they will pull the hook out. The 30lbs braid diameter is to small. It slips through the gap of the hook eye and shaft. It will do this to you ALOT too. I have went to 80lbs TC braid, barrel swivel, then 3' 50lbs TC mono leader. Tie leader onto barrel swivel, hook tied with loop or blood knot in middle, and finally 3oz no roll weight at end of leader. now i come back and add a 3" split peg float just below the swivel on the leader. you will never see it, but it will hold your bait 18" suspended off the bottom. my drag is conciderably lighter than when fishing with mono. It is not that the fish will break it, but no stretch. I fish standing timber and laydown structure almost exclusivly. This is why i run the braid is for the abbrasion resistance. Yet the 50lbs leader CAN be broken. The 80lbs braid also has a large enough diameter, it does not back lash, or if it does, you can get it out. Fish do not have to search for bait and sent travels much farther! make sure to to hook bluegill just deep enough to hold him on good, but leave plenty of hook exposed. also, always check the point to make sure there is not a scale pierced on it after pushing it through the bluegill.

all these fish are caught on 5/0 TC circles.

Nice. What lake did your catch those blues? King Kat is talking about having some tournaments in the MO, IA, etc. Looks like yours were caught spring, summer, fall.

I fish Oolagaha lake in NE OK. We catch all our big fish Jan and Feb. then the numbers start in April and may. I don't fish for them too much in the summer,as i am chasing the crappie b/c they seem to be more predictable in 100 degree heat. starting again in November the numbers will start again.

thanks for all of the advice. i'm planning to use all of this information but I put the big cats on hold for a little bit. i'm setting up two similar rigs to use and i think i'm going to get some rods and upgrade my line before I try again. i sort of blew my fishing fund money this month. i did see some 65# line on the sale rack but since you guys are saying 80# i'm going to wait until I can get some good 80# line. even though 80# makes me neverous since i got hung up with the 30# and it really didn't to want to break. i'm just going to have to keep a metal rod or some pvc pipe handy to wrap the line around for breaking the heavy line. i was recommended "p-line" so i will probably get enough to fill up my two reels with some similar weight mono under it. 80# line will probably have me dragging tree stumps up with my car unless there is a secret to breaking it. i also need to get a couple of those fish grabbers. i had a much smaller cat put a serious chomp down on my hand and that freaked me out to the point I'm not sticking my hand in any more catfish's mouths lol. the rods i'm looking at are some of the heavier eagle claw brand rods. i'm not looking to spend a ton of money on rods and i like the yellow rods for thistle of fishing. i've had a couple guys tell me where some of bigger catfish can be found so i went and checked them out. with the ugeade and the info I got here i'm thinking it's just a matter of time.

The yellow eagle claw 8' rod is my rod of choice. Dont get me wrong, there are much better rods out there. As many people that i take fishing and they like to walk on them, it makes it cheaper on me to replace them . They are a great rod for the money. I use 15-20lbs base on my real, and just enough to cover the spool one time. Use the 50lbs mono for a leader 3' at the end of the 80lbs main line. this will let you break it when hung up. it breaks easier than you think because there is no stretch. the TC line seems to want to float more than p-line. This is an advantage when fishing standing timber, as it does not sink and get hung up on the way back in. either line is great.

Damn Ledge, you and I need to hook up for a little winter time blues on Oologah and some crappie on Kaw. Kaw has some great catfishing also.