Salt water catfish: Hello, I'm Ricardo from Los Fresnos, Tx., that's down her by South Padre Island. My dilemma is I'm only catching catfish down here. It seems they follow me around...

lucicarmona

Hello,
I'm Ricardo from Los Fresnos, Tx., that's down her by South Padre Island. My dilemma is I'm only catching catfish down here. It seems they follow me around everywhere. If I go to the Arroyo Colorado, it's catfish. If I go to the bay, it's catfish. I use paddle tail lures, live shrimp, cut mullet, frozen shrimp and it seems anywhere I cast I get nothing but catfish.

What am I doing wrong?

RC from SPI

BadFisherman Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

lucicarmona wrote:

Hello,
I'm Ricardo from Los Fresnos, Tx., that's down her by South Padre Island. My dilemma is I'm only catching catfish down here. It seems they follow me around everywhere. If I go to the Arroyo Colorado, it's catfish. If I go to the bay, it's catfish. I use paddle tail lures, live shrimp, cut mullet, frozen shrimp and it seems anywhere I cast I get nothing but catfish.

What am I doing wrong?

RC from SPI

Rid yourself of all catnip.

troyfrd1 Loc: Hampstead,NC

At lease you are catching fish surely it will change

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

lucicarmona wrote:

Hello,
I'm Ricardo from Los Fresnos, Tx., that's down her by South Padre Island. My dilemma is I'm only catching catfish down here. It seems they follow me around everywhere. If I go to the Arroyo Colorado, it's catfish. If I go to the bay, it's catfish. I use paddle tail lures, live shrimp, cut mullet, frozen shrimp and it seems anywhere I cast I get nothing but catfish.

What am I doing wrong?

RC from SPI

They are definitely a problem, not many people kill them, maybe they should? If they do throw them on the bank, the birds won't eat them. The birds will look at them and walk away. Maybe take them home and plant them in the garden. That would hard for me to do though, my garden is 1600 miles away. Anyone got any ideas

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

Maybe research y experiment / the different recipes.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Ricardo: Partner, sounds like you are fishing from the bank. Along the Arroyo or even LaGuna Madre you are more likely to encouner catfish. Now that summer is here, you might try wade fishing with either a gold spoon or small jig and shirmp tail in the bay on the island side, or even at the end of Padre Island in the Brownsville Ship channel. A long time ago, I could always catch enough speckled trout there. If you aren't used to wading, be sure to scoot your feet along to avoid stepping on a sting ray. Post some pictures when you score.

i have also been successful near Galveston with a Heddon spook which is a top water lure, I don't think color matters much if the fish are there, but probably go with mullet, or pearl colors. Just Sayin...RJS

Just1Fish Loc: Woodstock, GA

Don't let that barn get you. Are they hitting deep?

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Ricardo: I don't know about birds, but if you throw the hard head catfish up on the bank, the coyotes love them. I have seen young, teenage coyotes so skinny they'd eat anything just to keep life and limb together.

But keep trying, you will find the right combination eventually. Just Sayin....RJS

Salty Dog Loc: Punta Gorda, Florida

Robert J Samples wrote:

Ricardo: I don't know about birds, but if you throw the hard head catfish up on the bank, the coyotes love them. I have seen young, teenage coyotes so skinny they'd eat anything just to keep life and limb together.

But keep trying, you will find the right combination eventually. Just Sayin....RJS

I've seen Great Blue Herons eat them also. After they spend about 30 minutes repeatedly stabbing them, they take them down whole, head first.
Never tried them, but I'm told Gaff Tails are good eating.
Cheers🐟

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

SaltyDog: Yep, gaff Tops are good. We usually would only keep one if it was big enough to filet and have anything of a reasonable size. Just Sayin...RJS

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

Salty Dog wrote:

I've seen Great Blue Herons eat them also. After they spend about 30 minutes repeatedly stabbing them, they take them down whole, head first.
Never tried them, but I'm told Gaff Tails are good eating.
Cheers🐟

I have heard that you can eat a gaff tail but I have never tried them. You should not feed a sheepshead carcass to a pelican either. I have seen dead pelicans around fish cleaning stations with puncture wounds in their gullet from sheepshead.

Salty Dog Loc: Punta Gorda, Florida

👍
Cheers🐟

Huntm22 Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven

Pelicans mean a lot fewer fish to catch -soooo bring on the sheepshead. Just my opinion.

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

Pelicans are extremely "ballsy" & not too bright, either. I've hadda untangle more than enough of those gluttonous critters, from NUMEROUS nets of different design/ purposes, to make a man wonder if they're retarded.

Mudfish2335 Loc: Charleston

The salt water catfish are they not good to eat. Never caught any i fish fresh water