Annual Blue Catfish Trip

[OzarkFishman]

My dad, his buddy and I went for our annual setline trip to LOZ.

We only ran the lines for 36 hours, since they were hitting our hooks at close to 50% (we checked the lines 3 times).

Ended the weekend with over 130 pounds of blues (18.5, 14.5, 14.5, and 2 others over 10 ... plenty of others less than 10). We set the release limit at 15 pounds for the weekend, so the 18.5 went back.

What a great weekend, next year I will bring along my oldest boy!!!

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Wow, good job. Great fish.

[OzarkFishman]

Just a couple tips to all you guys and gals that run lines ...

Cut bait works and is easier to bait, but 3 - 5 inch LIVE bluegill and sunfish work even better.

Just lip hook them (make sure you get enough "meat" to hold the bait). I use 7/0 octopus/circle hooks. Some people go up to 10/0 and others go as small as 4/0 for set lines (personally wouldn't go any smaller than 4/0 if you plan on getting into bigger catfish).

You can set the bait anywhere in the water column, but ALL dissolved-oxygen breathing fish will die if they stay below the thermocline too long. I run 2 hooks on my anchored jug lines (5 feet and 12 or 13 feet). I would not recommend going any lower than 20 feet deep for the hooks. We caught 9 out of 10 jug fish at 5 feet. Set the jugs at any depth, just be careful on where you put the actual hooks (with swivels and leaders). I ran a trot line this weekend also and it caught 10 out of the 20 fish. We set 2 anchored jugs in 30 feet of water, then connect the 2 jugs with a line at 12 feet (looks like a big H if you saw the whole thing at once). We put 7 swivels spaced evenly over 100 feet. The last morning we ran the trotline, there were 4 catfish including the 18.5 and a 10+. It is always fun pulling up a catfish and knowing there has to be something bigger on down the line.

Let me know if any of you all have any questions.

PS - Thanks Daryk