Conference wahoo::fishing

    
    They're also called catfish.
    
    Ray

    More specifically referring to the Bullheads.
    
    SN

    I was afraid of that

                        Thanks
                           BUCKETMOUTH

    	If you get them from clean water, they're definetely one of
    the better tasting fresh water fish. Just gut em, skin em, coat
    em with egg and roll in flour, drop in oil and deep fat fry em.
    Whhhhoooooooooooww.
    	Yes, you can even catch them with magic bait :-0
    
    RAYJ

    
    YOU CAN ALSO CATCH THEM jigging and on spinnerbaits.I should know
    i have caught them on both.They put up a good fight if they are
    big and very good eating.
    
    
    
    spinnerbaits                                 creator of "TOBACC"

    Speaking of hornpout...I've got a little pond next to my house that
    was created several years ago when beavers dammed up the stream.
    There's all sorts of fish in there...pickeral, shiners (big uns,
    too!), sunfish and hornpout.  The pout are now at eating size (12-14")
    and real easy to catch.  My question is...what's the BEST way to
    skin these critters?  I've skinned bass and other fish before...are
    pout any different?  Also, what do you do about the barbs in the
    fins?  Just cut them out?
    
    Alas, there's no bass in there although it's an ideal habitat for
    them.  Lots of weeds and brush that was covered over when the area
    flooded over...but, hopefully, I'll take of that situation soon.
     I plan on creating my own little "honeyhole" right next to my house.
    
    -Hj-

    Peel em like a banana...
    
    If hornpout ar like the catfish (channel,blue cats and the like)
    we catch down south: leave the head on. Nail the head to a board,
    (after you gut them) cut a 1/4" in deep arround the girth right
    behind the gill fins (pectorals I think), cut all the fins of, with
    pliers peel the skin back. Fillet like other fish. You may want
    to remove the dark meat as it may have a strong flavor.
    					GOOD LUCK
    						BUCKETMOUTH
    

    RE: .6
    
    	Just a warning... Check the local laws out before you introduce
    	ANy species to the new pond (If that's what your thinking of
    	doing...). It could be (read that as probably is) illegal.
    
    			Robert.

    WHO??? ME??? Do anything illegal???

    Oh by the way. As we speak of cleaning ROUGH FISH, do you know how
    to clean a carp??? Scale em', gut em' lay them on a 2x4 and dry
    them for 3 or 4 days. When they are good and dry, throw the fish
    away and eat the board........................................
    
    				DRY HUMOR???
                                      BUCKETMOUTH

Re: 0.
    
     I have heard that Hornpout and Catfish weren't the same, but from
    what I can see... a 'real' catfish is much larger than a hornpout.
    
     Supposedly its difficult (imposs?) to catch 'CATFISH' around these
    N.E. parts, but hornpout are plentiful. Down South Catfish are
    plentiful... dunno about Hornpout.
    
     I have found the best bait to catch these sapsuckers is CHICKEN
    LIVER.
    
     I have used nightcrawlers (they work) and stinkbait (that works
    too), but watch out when you use CHICKENLIVERS, you'll get one every
    2 minutes or so.... lotsa constant action.
    
               Oh well....
    
                               Perry F.
                              ----------
    
    Still_waiting_for_this_years_lunker_sigh.

    
    	Where would one get ahold of enough chicken livers to go after
    	some pout with? The only thing that I have ever used with success
    	for pout was crawlers. Can you just buy chicken livers in the
    	store? Cost?
    
    	Thanks
    	Gene

    There are many types of CATFISH, from what I can figure 'POUT are
    what we Southerners call "mud cats" or "bullheads". These are the least
    desirable of the catfish. ALTHOUGH word has it, if they are from
    clean water they taste good. If you want a real treat, eat a channel
    cat. They are the next best thing to walleye. They can be caught
    on live minnows (or dead), bot for the real big ones use live blugill
    10 lb+ channels are not un-common. They will also hit slow moving
    lures once in a while.

    	Chicken livers can usually be bought at any supermarket or meat
    store. As I remember, they are about $.59 a lb. or something like
    that. I have never used this for hornpout/catfish but I assume you'd
    have to cook it. Otherwise it would be like trying to put a blood
    clot on your hook. Is it lunch time yet ?
    
    RAYJ
    
    BTW - If you like to eat calves liver, you'll love chicken livers.
    Cook them the same as calves liver (i.e. lots of onions and fried in 
    butter).

    
    
    My god man, haven't you ever been to a meat store?
    
    :')
    
    

    	I meant to say butchers but just couldn't think of it. I would
    have said meat market but that might have him running out to the Boston
    combat zone :-)
    
    RAYJ

    	Well, here comes another stupid question from someone who doesn't
    know more than how to spell catfish.  What should I look for in
    terms of bottom topography, structure, water depth, etc. when fishing
    for Channel Cats?  Like I've stated before, this is my first year
    of fishing for warm water fish, and I almost know how to spell most
    of the names, so any info is useful.  Also, what time of the day
    or nigt is best???

Re: 12, .14
    
     Chicken Livers can be bought at any of the normal grocery stores,
    I usually pay about $.49 for a bowl of 'em.
    
     Nope, you don't cook 'em, they are left "as is", yup, sorta slimey
    etc... but the Catfish, hornpout love it!
    
     Basically ya grab a glob of it, and place it on a decent size hook
    (steel shank preferred), and you cast, if there are hornpout nearby...
    you'll have enough action, its great.
    
     If you cook 'em, I don't think they would work (or at least not
    as good as raw.
    
     We used to use this method in Georgia, worked like a charm down
    there, and works like a charm up here.
    
     Cheap bait, just takes a little getting used to, but once you have
    the nack of getting it on your hook, watch out!
    
     You don't need any type of sinkers/weights, the chicken livers
    will allow you to cast like a sum-gun.
    
                Try it, you'll like it.
    
                                     Perry F.
                                    ---------- 

    
    
    Somethin else ya'll might want to try.  
    
    1- Find a hole where you think those catfish might be.  A hole
       at the entrance to a cove that looks like it may get some food traffic.
    
    2- Get three pounds of assorted grain.  Smaller grains are preferred.
    
    3- Put the grain into a bucket cover with water (some people use
       beer) and put in the sun for three or four days.
                                                                   
    4- Attach one rope to the handle of the bucket and another rope
       to the bottom.
    
    5- Take that fermenting "stuff" to the hole and very carefully lower
       the bucket with the rope handle. Then grab onto the rope attached
       to the bottom of the bucket and empty the bucket into a pile.                       
       (keep both ropes in your hand.)
    
    6- Come back the next night and you will find that those critters
       have come from all over the place. 
      
    7- Catch em with whatever you want.  Livers, Let that bowl of livers
       stay in the sun for a day also. Worms ect.  The stinkier the
       better.
    
    
    
    Treble hooks seem to work the best.
              
    One of the favorite ways to catch these fellers in quanity is to
    JUG FISH.  Get a bunch of clorox bottles or plastis milk bottles
    and ty your line to them with the bait sittin on the bottom. go
    drink beer and pull in the catfish the next morning.
    
    They do make a good meal.  If you have any doubts, try the CATFISH
    SHACK in BIlOXI, MISSIPPI.  
    
    GW
    
      

    RE: .19
    I have done the same with CAT_FOOD. Use liver or fish flavor. Put
    holes in the can, set it out for an hour or so. Then fish.

                                   BUCKETMOUTH

    Don chere in de Bayou contry we use blud bait fo de catfis. You
    kin get it at de bait stans. Dem catfis jes luv it.
    
    On de trot lines an yoyos we somtime use de Ibory Soap. Das rite,
    we cut it op into littl pices an put it on de hooks. You shud run
    dem trot lines ebery hour, tho, not wait ontil mornin or de garfis
    eat all de ketch, huh??
    
    Dem catfis eats mos anyting, jes remember, de best eatin is dem
    channel catfis an neber eat dem mud cats, OK??
    
    Coonass(in de piroque)
    

    
    	I used to used something called a 'powerline' for pout. It's
    just a block of wood with you line wound around it. On the end of
    the line (in front of the hook) you get a long section of rubber
    band (about 20' unstretched) and tie it on. On the other end of
    the rubber band you tie a good sized rock. It has to be large enough
    to hold when you want it to (i.e. pulling line in) but small enough
    to pull back out when you're done fishing.
    
    	Now all you do is throw the rock into the water where you know
    the pout are, pull the line back in and bait your hook. Then just
    let go and the hook goes back to the same place every time. Since
    horn pout school there will always be another fish waiting for you.
    The can of cat-food trick will help ensure that there will be plenty
    of them there. 
    
    Pete

    What's the smallest size hornpout that's worth eat'n???  I've been
    hitting this (sorry guys) "trout" stream nearby, for an hour or
    so on occasion, and I've been pick'n up `pout about six inches long.
    (as a matter of fact I just got back from there)

    How big do they have to be before their worth skin'n?  These little
    suckers seem seem much to small...  
    
    Speak'n of "suckers"...  Boy, during the tourny on the Merrimack last
    Saturday I pulled up the ugliest sucker I've ever seen, thought it
    was a hawg smallmouth at first, ~4lbs -- then I saw that ugly puss... 
                                

    	I have learned a lot reading this file.  I thank all for their
    advice.  For someone who can't even spell the name CAftihs, I have
    gotten many good ideas.  The cat food and piles of ??? on the bottom
    are known as chumming here in Colo. and will get you a $500.00 fine
    if you get caught doing it.  
    	Now, for another stupid question from a beginner.  If I see
    almost a steady stream of bubbles rising to the top in an area,
    does that usually mean that a Catfish is working the bottom in that
    area?  Especially if there are 2 or 3 groups of bubbles close together?
    Some of the Channel Cats here get to be fair sized and I would like
    to get my 10 year old son into a large one.

    Re: .23

      I think you hit the nail right on the head when you asked about
      how big before they are worth skinning?   Skinning/cleaning 'pout
      can be a chore or can be easy depending on one's technique and how
      often they get a chance to practice it.  I never look forward to
      preparing 50 or more 'pout but I have, and some of them after cleaning
      are only inches long in meat.  When it gets to eating them, it all
      seems worthwhile!  They're right on top for me for good-eating.
      I think the smaller ones are even more tastier than the larger ones.
      This may have to do with the smaller fish cooking more consistently
      and evenly than the larger ones perhaps.  If I were interested in
      just a few for a meal than I'd keep the larger ones to clean.  If
      I'm going to really catch some 'pout when the action is hot and heavy,
      then I'd keep anything over maybe 6 or 7 inches.  Cleaning 30 or 50
      or more isn't going to matter anymore.  A sharp, stout, short,
      pointed knife and a pair of pliers is the way I go.

Re: .24

      I can't offer anything about channel cats as I haven't fished for
      them, but your comments about the bubbles sound reasonable to me.
      I have noticed a very similar occurrence in some bass ponds that I
      fish which also have hornpout in them.  However, the bubbles were
      the result of some very large snapping turtles (over a foot and a
      half) moving around the bottom and through plants stirring everthing
      up.  The bubbles would slowly move along and then this monstrous head
      would appear on the surface.   I've always wondered if this is something
      turtle hunters were aware of or used when looking for large snappers.

      Steve_who's_planning_on_a_'pout_fry_this_summmer

    RE:.24
    
    BUBELZ you say? May be many things (even fish). Do you have turtles
    in them waters? Some vegitation produces alot of oxygen, the leaves
    collect dem bubelz under dem. Even tiny bait fish may be disturbing
    the plant thus releasing dem bubelz. BUT!!! as I am a BASSER, I
    have one Hard and Fast rule." Cast at any movement in the water".
    Active lakes (dry in the summer/full in the winter) have alot of
    air pockets under them, thus dem bubelz. 
    
    About Chumming. Some states will let you chum for rough fish. Check
    and see. I have fished in Colo Wyo and Mont. The laws are tough,
    as they should be. 
    
    P.S. why arnt you fishin for dem trouts? Dems is nice out data way.
    
    
    				EX-WESTERNER
    
    					BUCKETMOUTH
    
    
    
    
    h
    

    RE: Cleaning Catfish
    
    Over the years, I have become a fan of filleting fish -- and even
    gone to the extent of using an electric carving knife!
    
    I recently tried filleting catfish with the electric carving knife,
    and was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked.
    
    The procedure is to lay the fish on its side, make a vertical cut
    just behind the gills down to the backbone, turn the knife on its
    side and then cut down along the backbone towards the tail.  Just
    before the tail, flip the meat over and cut the meat from the skin.
    
    Voila -- a piece of almost boneless meat.  I usually cut the rib
    cage out, leaving a completely boneless piece.  The entire procedure
    takes only a few seconds.
    
    If you wear a glove on your left hand (assuming knife in right),
    you can simply grab and hold the catfish with no concern.
    
    I went through the skinning gutting process for many years, but
    now prefer the filleting method -- especially if you have a large
    number of fish!

    	Just finished watching fishing hole and there was an explanation
    of the different types of catfish. There were 3 types explained
    as follows:
    
    	Channel cat - Blueish/gray color and grows to 15 - 30 (?) lbs. and
    		      has a *forked tail*. Found in streams/rivers.
    
    	Flathead    - Yellowish/brown color and grows to 45 lbs. and
    		      has a *straight tail* and a fairly flat (tapered)
    		      head. Found in large rivers.
    
    	Bullhead    - Alias hornpout. Brownish/yellow in color and found in
    		      ponds/lakes. This is the smallest of the 3 and
    		      also has a straight ended tail.

    RAYJ

    
    A couple observations from an afternoon fishing with one of my boys
    on Laurel Lake in Lee, Ma. yesterday:  We were not fishing specifically
    for anything (7 year olds will settle for 3" bluegill) and I was
    spending my free time (between rebaiting & untangling) observing
    the water in the shallow dammed end of a very weed-infested body
    of water.  Small schools (3 or 4) of 12-15" bass cruised in and out of
    larger schools of stunted bluegills and these had my attention most of
    the afternoon.  I tried casting a nightcrawler to the bass but the
    smallest bluegills would beat all fish to the bait and tear it apart
    like a bunch of piranha.  I noticed a good-sized (15"+) bullhead
    making a small circle under a couple rocks and floating vegetation
    and called my son over.  I had him drop a half a nightcrawler (on
    a hook) into the middle of the circle and watched the bullhead chase
    the "piranha" away repeatedly before he gulped down the crawler.
    The hookup was simple and my son lifted the hooked fish out of the
    water and headed down the dam to show it to some other kids before
    I unhooked it and threw it back.  I released it about 40 feet from
    where it was caught.  I rebaited the hook and we headed back to
    the same spot.  When we got there, there's the same bullhead swimming
    in the same circle!!  Having one crawler left and finding bluegills
    more interesting, my son declined to catch the bullhead again. 
    I guess what I learned from all this is that bullheads are highly
    territorial, much more so than I would have guessed.
                                 
    I'm not sure if my observations will have much value when it comes
    to specifically fishing for bullhead but it's not often you can
    directly observe your quarry in its own environment.
                                                
    
    Steve