2009 Catfishing ACTION!

Sept 23rd. I tried to net shad at the ramp no luck. Got our lines in the river at 08:20 no bites so moved up river. Tried at the out flow by Joe’s Shack, got bite and taps, suspect they were Gar.
09:40 set up at Hooters, still no current to help fight the wind. Joe broke the ice at 10:10 with a channel cat of 2 pounds 9 ounces and 19 inches. As usual for Joe it was on a smokey. 10:25 I boated a small channel cat. Mine was only 1 pound 14 ounces, and 18 inches. My fish like the chicken breast for a snack. 11:30 Joe finished off the day with a baby flathead. It swallowed the hook so Joe cut the line and we put it back in the river as quickly as possible. We figured it to be only around a pound and maybe 13 inches. This also hit Joe’s Smokey. 12:20 left the public landing for home. Hopefully we can get some current and the action will get even better. This sure was a more enjoyable trip than my last time on the Ohio.

SAVE GAS!! TIME! MONEY!

I have information about COLLECTING as a HOBBY for FUN & extra bucks at SHOP WITHOUT DROPPING LINKS

Here is another page to look over a link to my 2nd story at that site. HOW DO CATFISH KNOW?
AND A GOOD DAY OF FISHING.

BIG BLUE CATS September 14 update: I went fishing with my brother on his boat. Got our 6 rods in the river west of Cincinnati at 08:15. He baited up the rods with big pieces of thawed skipjack. That worked just fine for me, I caught 3 nice bluecats. The 19 pounder was my best fish of this year. The other 2 blues were 10.5 & 11 pounders. My brother boated a 5 pound flathead, all were caught on the skipjack bait. All the fish were relased to give someone else the thrill of catching them in the future. Called it a day at around 1 p.m.

September 10 update: I had the BEST day of fishing this year! I was able to put 10 fish in the baot. For all the details I had to make up this seperate web page SO LOOK IT OVER. My BEST DAY OF FISHING IN 2009!!

My 15 pound BLUECAT that like red hot smokeys.

September 02 update: Joe & I got our lines in the river just above the Covington Landing at 08:18. No bites in a half hour so headed down river. Anchored boat next to the Water Front at 08:52 had the same results no bites. Took the boat over to the Ohio pier of the bridge Joe did get a bite on Smokey but that was it. We then headed up river to Hooters, our favorite spot.

Put our lines in at Hooters at 10:40; caught a small channel cat at 10:44! It was a baby 14 inches only 8 ounces. He hit the chicken nugget. The Joe caught a small flat head on his smokey. This fish was 13 inches and only 6 ounces. We had taps on the smokey and chicken nugget but they cleaned off the bait. 11:35 I finally hooked one a better size channel cat on the chicken nugget. This one was 20 inches and 2 pounds 10 ounces.

The river is in great shape, clear with a little current, I thought they would hammer the cut bait.I had 1 fresh shad and thawed out shad as cut bait; however never got even a tap on it all morning.

We got back to the ramp at 12:10; another nice day to be out fishing The fish were on the small size but it beats being skunked.

August 31st. Update: Got to the ramp at 08:20; tried to get some shad; not any there this morning. So I had to depend on thawed shad and my back up baits. Had to follow a barge all the way down to the Mill Creek, for my 6 hp. was not going to out race it. Put my lines in the river at 08:40 at the barge tie up below the Mill Creek. 09:00 hooked into a fish a small blue cat, it was 19 inches and only 2 pounds 3 ounces. He hit the thawed shad waited 30 more minutes but no bite. Move down river to the navigation marker, but no bites there either. So I headed back up to my favorite spot at 10:00.
I had my lines in at Hooter by 10:20; now the down river wind was getting stronger. As I was getting some water out of my boat one of my rods almost flew out from a vicious bite. Set the hook and had a nice fish at the other end. The fish required the dip net; for it was a decent Channel cat. This fish checked out as 25 inches and 6pounds & 2 ounces. This fish hit a half of a chicken nugget! 11:00 got a light bite on another piece of chicken nugget, hooked the fish, this was a baby flathead. It was only 13 inches and 6 ounces. 11:30 had a hard reel running bite on the cut shad, but when I got to pick up the rod the fish dropped the bait and never came back to it. 11:45 good bite on the Smokey had the fish for a couple turns of the reel then went limp. Wound it in and the line seemed to be cut some how. I take it the line got cut on a sharp snag that the fish knew about. The wind was getting stronger so decided to head back to the ramp and home. Not a bad day at all decent temperatures and some fish in the boat.

August 26th. Update: I was able to get about one dozen Gizzard Shad with my casting net at the public ramp this morning. So I had fresh bait as I got my lines in the river at 08:10 by the Covington Landing area. Today I used 3 poles 2 dead line and one with a bobber. I caught a small 18 inch 2 pound flathead at 08:20. I cast the same bait back out towards the channel as I was measuring out the fish. There was a small current but not wind at all. Then at 08:35 that outside pole went down again. This was a little bigger fish a 5 pound flathead 23 inches. Catching two cats on the same piece of shad is very unusual.
09:15 anchored right next to the Waterfront. Had a decent tap on the shad, but the fish dropped the bait. The 3rd spot was at the Ky. pier of the bridge by the Waterfront no bites at all. I headed up to Hooters for the rest of the trip. I put my lines out at 10:30 with different baits on each pole. The bobber had smokeys, one dead line had chicken nugget, and the outside one was cut bait. 10:38 I boated small channel cat that hit the chicken nugget. This is was just 1 pound an 15 inches. 10:42 had hard hit on the chicken nugget, but missed the fish. I had 2 other good bites on the chicken nugget before I hooked another channel cat. This channel was 21inches and 3 pounds 3 ounces. I did not get a bite on the shad or the smokeys.
Got my boat on the trailer and was ready to head home at 12:15. Just then a cat fisherman was putting his boat in the river; he showed me photos of the 50 pound Flathead he caught the other morning. He caught it down river below the Anderson Ferry section of the river. He caught it on a big live gizzard shad. Just more proof of BIG cats right here close to Cincinnati.

August 18th. UPDATE: Rain clouds were all around us as we put the boat in the river. We got set up just below Joe’s Crab Shack at 08:10 and a heavy drizzle stated at 08:15. We put on our plastic ponchos and sat it out. No bites and the sky cleared off down river so we headed to our favorite spot, had our lines in the water at 08:50. Joe hooked into the 1st fish of the day at 09:00. It was a channel cat 5pounds 23.5 inches long. Then my rod got hit at 09:05, I boated a 4pound channel cat that was 21.5 inches. This fish hit a 4 inch minnow I had as bait. Then the fish shut down for awhile, no bites. 10:25 Joe’s rod had a hard hit, hooked another 4 pound channel cat also 21.5 inches. 11:00 I caught a 3.5 pound channel cat on French fries. It was only 20 inches long.
11:00 Joe’s line got hammered; the fish was a 5 pound 23 inch carp that gave Joe a hard fight. At 11:50 my rod went down and when I pulled back the line just kept going out! I knew I had a nice size fish at the other end. I was in no rush so just waited it out fighting the fish. I get some line then it took some back, in the end I got it into the boat. The fish was the biggest fish of this year, a nice 15 pound bluecat 33inches long. That answered one question for me, now I know red hot smokies will get big fish. I was worn out by that fish so we decided to call it a day, all of Joe’s fish were caught with the smokies and my big fish as well. So I suggest having it as a back up bait whenever you hit the river. We headed home at 12:15 with a good smile of a nice rewarding time on the river.

My 15 pound BLUECAT that like red hot smokeys.August 13 Update: Joe & I got the boat in the river around 08:10. Set up at our favorite spot just above HOOTERS at 08:20. I had one good tap at 08:45 but never came back to the bait. 09:07 dropped our anchor just below Joe’s Crab Shack. 09:12 had a nice fish on, half way to the boat it got off the hook, stripped off the fillet of shad . 09;55 moved over to the Ohio side of the river, just above the Big Mac bridge. The current and drift wood was messing our liners up so pull out of there. Returned to Hooters; had 2 more great bites. The first fish tore open the snap and pull the hook free so it is swimming around with my hook in its mouth. The 2nd bite hit and was able to pull the fillet of shad off my circle hook. Finally at 11:25 hooked into and boat a nice channel cat. The fish weighted 8 pounds and was 25 inches. The Joe caught a 3 pound channel cat on his red hot smokies at 11:35. We decided to call it day and left the ramp for home at around 12:10. The river is still muddy and running hard, one of these days hopefully it will get settled down and clear.

I gave my Catfishing Presentation at the Newport Library that evening. I was pleased to see so many folks came to hear the information about catfishing here on the Ohio River at Cincinnati. I believe we all learned some things that will help get a few more catfish at the other end of our rods in the future.

July 28 Update: Got set up at our first spot at 08:25 down below the Mill Creek. I got 2 taps on old thawed chunks of skipjacks. Moved up river to the Ky. side of I-75 bridge at 09:55. I got small taps on a chicken nugget and the skipjack. 10:00 my fishing partner hooks a small channel cat about a pound on the skipjack. Last stop was at Hooters; I finally caught a fish, a small channel cat 16 inches 1.5 pounds on cut skipjack. Joe hooked in a channel just the same size at 11:35 on a chicken nugget. At 12:05 my rod went down and the line started running hard. I pulled back and knew I had something big at the other end. The fish just took off and finally I got it turned but it stayed down. It took some time for I was not in a rush, just wanted to wear it down to get it to the boat. It was a 13.5 pound carp 29 inches the biggest carp I have ever caught. That fish hammered the french fries that I had on for bait. I baited up the last scraps of French fries and cast it out, and that got hammered. This time a 6 pound 5 ounce carp was boated, that fish was 22 inches long. Both of those carps gave me a real battle, I was worn out. So Joe & I headed back to the ramp we had a nice time on the river today.

July 17th. I got my 10 year old grandson out on the river for a couple hours of catfishing. The wind was blowing right up the river rocking the boat a good deal. It made watching the rods for a bite very difficult. At the 2nd spot we fished I was winding in the line when I noticed a slight tug at the other end. I gave the rod to my grandson to reel in whatever was at the other end. He did a fine job and it was a small flathead of 11 inches. That was his 1st fish out of the river so he was excited. We then headed down river bucking the whitecaps to the Mill Creek area. Fished that for around 30 minutes, then with wind getting stronger decided to head back to the ramp and call it a day. He was vacationing with us from California so not many times we can get fishing on the river together. This time we were not skunked.

July 7th. Update got our lines in the river at 09:15. Ohio was down and clearing up very well and some current. Only got one good bite on thawed out skipjack. I did get a light tap on old thawed shad. That was it for 2 hours and 45 minutes of this trip. Just not much sense staying out any longer since the fish flat out were not biting. So my wife & I were skunked on this trip.

July 1st. Update: Got the boat in the river at 08:05 and set up at the first spot at 08:25. It was a very slow day for me & my fishing pal. We tried 6 different spots in 4.5 hours. Only 4 bites counting the one fish caught! The channel cat was 2.5 pounds and 17 inches long. It was caught with red hot smokies again. I had my 2 bites on stripes of raw steak. Skipjack was on my other rod but never got a nick. At least we did not get rained on. The river is finally getting a green color instead of brown.

Here are photos of the action from last Summer. Hopefully will have more such shots and videos this season.

6-25-09 Update: My wife and I went fishing this morning. Put the boat in the water about 08:30 and lines in the water at 08:45. I hooked a small channel cat at 09:00, it went only 1 pound 11 ounces. Length was 17.5 inches that fish really hit the old shad hard. At 0920 got a hit that ran the clicker but it never came back.
10:00 tried to head for another spot but the motor just did not want to start. Finally about 30 tries it did fire up, headed up river to below the out let by Joe’s Crab Shack. Had our lines in the river around 10:12, had a hard tap on the shad at 10:15, it cleaned of the bait since it was so soft. I had another tap on the shad at 10:25.
11:00 set up on the Ohio side by the overlook above the Big Mac Bridge. 11:05 fish tapped the shad and knocked it off again. 11:30 we gave it up for the heat was really too much for us. We left the ramp for home at 11:45. At least we were not skunked and did have some bites. Shad was the only thing they were hitting, had some cut skipjacks bait also. River was trying to clear up, but still on the muddy side.

6-11-09 Update The early morning thunder storm delayed heading out to the river. Had to bail out the rain water and then pack some things into the boat. We finally got to the ramp around 09:10. We got our lines in the water about 09:25, the current was very strong. At 09:35 my rod got hammered, hooked the fish. The fish turned out to be a small channel cat of only 2 pounds and 17 inches. That fish hit a piece of cut mooneye bait. Then around 09:55 my wife hooked into another fish. It was her biggest catfish so far, a 1.5 pound channel cat. She was using small chunks of “Slim Jim” on a med size treble hook. We stayed there for about 45 longer before moving on to our next spot. Just got rod set up when a shower came through it was just enough to pull anchor to get out of the rain.
Tried at next spot for about 40 minutes, got no bites at all. I decided to head back to our first spot. My wife got another decent bite around 12:25 on the “Slim Jim”, that was the last bite of the day. Not much action 4 rods, 4 hours on the water, and only 3 bites. We did try all kinds of baits, cut mooneye, “red hot smokies”, raw season steak, and chicken nuggets, the fish just were not biting. We were not skunked anyway, so hopefully whenever the river get gets down and settled might get better action.

5-27-09 UPDATE My fishing pal & I had our best catfishing trip together. We boat 7 catfish and one that got hung up on a sang and 1 that broke the line at the boat.2 that day a g finally got my boat. We took some photos thena ll were returned to the river to give someone else the thrill of catching them in the future. For all the details go to Hart Pounding Action

Be sure to support you local bait shops during these rought times as best you can. Once those folks close down there will NOT be anyone to provide that service to us.

5-22-09 UPDATE On May 22nd. I finally got my boat in the river at 08:00 this morning. Headed to my first spot got my lines in the river at 0810, boated the first cat of the season at 08:20! The channel cat was 6.5 pounds and 24 inches long. The fish really hit the old stinking shad hard, gave me a good fight. Stayed for about another 40 minutes without any further bites. I then headed to the 2nd. spot, fished there for 30 minutes, No bites so headed down river. The Mill Creek was the next stop, tried there for about 40 minutes, same story no bites. Went back up river to my my first spot. Had a number of bites there and missed hooking another fish. It was just getting too hot for me, so headed back to the ramp. Left for home at 12:40 at least I was not skunked. Did have a problem my fish finder so had to just fish spots I had caught fish in the past. Hope to get this problem cleared up by next week when I intend to get out in my boat again.

5-10-09 UPDATE On May 4th. I gave a presentation on Catfishing on the Ohio River at Cincinnati to my church's mens group. That is the first time I have ever given a public talk in my life. I was nervous before the meeting but it turned out just fine. I am working on giving a similar presentation this August if all works out right. Looks like it will around the 20th. of May before the River could get down to the 28ft. level. The I can launch my boat from the Public landing.

SAVE GAS!! TIME! MONEY!

I have information about COLLECTING as a HOBBY for FUN & extra bucks at SHOP WITHOUT DROPPING LINKS

Here is another page to look over a link to my 2nd story at that site. HOW DO CATFISH KNOW?
AND A GOOD DAY OF FISHING.

4-25-09 UPDATE: I met my brother yesterday morning for my first fishing of the year. We had plenty of fresh shad for bait. The current was very strong so we cut up the shad into filets. We got our lines in the water at 08:00 and my brother boated a fish at08:05, we thought this was going to a great day. The fish was a small flathead, around 2 pounds. No more bites there so we moved to a couple other spots. We ran into the same story no bites, now the wind started blowing up river. We were going down river right in the white caps, no fun getting bounced around. Keeping the boat straight really was a challenge with such strong changing winds and white caps. We did get some bites but they were only a hard tap at best. My brother did hook into and boat a channel cat at 11:40. This one also was on the small size, only 2 pounds. I finally hooked into a fish about 13:30, had it for a couple of cranks then it got me hung up on a snag. The last fish of the day was the biggest. My brother got the 5 pound into the boat around 14:10. We both were beat by the boat being pound and tossed around all day by the wind and white caps. Got off the water and headed home. It was a warm & sunny day and I finally got to wet a line.

04-21-09 UPDATE I have just made up a new page about the first SouthWest Ohio Catfish Club tournament of 2009, Saturday, April 4th. The catfish tournament held on the Ohio river at Cincinnati. WINNER OF BIGGEST FISH
Also have a update page on cheap power to a PORTABLE FISH FINDER. update for fish finder power source

CHECK OUT MY PAST CATFISHING SEASONS

A summary of my 2007 season. It also has the detail updates for this past Fall. Here is the page My 2007 season summary

SUMMARY OF MY 2006 CATFISHING SEASON

All the details of my trips of 2006 are on this page. MY 2006 CATFISHING SEASON

February 28, 2005 For all the details check out FIRST CATFISH OF 2005

High points of my 2004 season.

• Details of my experiences at the USCATS Detroit tournament. MY MISADVENTURES AT THE CATFISH TOURNAMENT!!
• My first time out with my boatin 2004Catfishing out of my boat.
• Updates of other fishing trips. UPDATE FOR JUNE 13 check out page 2 for JUNE 26 check out page 3 of 2004 CATFISHING SEASON
• Here is a summary of how I did this catfishing saeson. Review of my 2004 CATFISHING LOG BOOK

I have a page of all the HOT CATFISHING SPOTS WHERE I have CAUGHT CATFISH out of my BOAT around Downtown Cincinnati over past years. Just send me an e-mail requesting the information. I will send the information back to you via an e-mail attachement!

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For all the different baits I have USED for CATFISHING check out. CATFISH BAIT

For proof of BIG catfish can be caught around the Downtown Cincinnati area check out these two pages. Bill's Huge Channel Cat

Josh's Big BLUE CAT

Here is the biggest catfish of 2007 I caught Nov 10 th.2007 right above the HOOTERS in Newport Ky. across from Cincinnati!

For tips I have USED to save money on fishing tackle check out.Home Made Bobber For CATFISHING

Here is my way for hooking up a cheap power set for your portable fishfinder. CHEAP POWER FOR FISHFINDER

CANADIAN Catfishing
If you want to catch HUGE channel cats in the 20 to 25 lb range go to Canada. The Red River at Lockport, Manitoba is the place to go!
Catfishing Trip Of A Life Time or Lockport Catfishing Experience

Another Red River Monster Channel Cat from LOCKPORT MANITOBA!

FREE! river stage information for ALL the rivers in the U.S. RIVER STAGE FOR Ohio River at Cincinnati!

UPDATED 10-28-09

Before you pack up your Catfishing gear; don't forget to BOOKMARK My page now, THANKS.

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