Catfish Time

[Stump bumper]

It is an oily bait fish, same as using a carp minnow, creek chub, or other oily bait. Sometimes they want those and sometimes stuck on shad or crawfish but you are right just about anything will hit it if they are feeding.

[J-Doc]

Well I'm failing to see the downside here if anything will bite it if the fish are biting.

Thanks for the help!

[Wayne SW/MO]

J-doc part of the attractiveness of goldfish is two fold, one is that they standout as bait and the second is the market is bigger for goldfish. If you don't buy them someone at Wal Mart might. They are carp.

I saw a koi in TR that was at least 2# and 16-18". Outgrew its aquarium I guess.

[JohnF52]

If you want to buy bait gold fish work fine for flatheads and blues, I have even heard of big strippers being caught on gold fish. There might not be a lot of catfish in Beaver but it makes up in size for it lakes in quantity. I have straightened out some very strong hooks and broke 30lb test on some huge catfish around Prairie Creek.

What is your usual technique for catching big catfish on Beaver with rod and reel? I think they are likely under fished.

[Feathers and Fins]

John, For me I like dropping live bait down boulder faces... In PC though anchoring off the channel and casting into it has produced some beast live bait and liver.

[bfishn]

Follow the stripers. Literally, but not too close. Big blues do, especially fall & winter, when the bait's bigger.

Okay, following stripers by 50 yds isn't practical, so position yourself where they're known to pass (with shad there too). Inside channel bends are good contact areas. Hang right on the shallow side of the channel break over the 25-40ft zone. Once they show you can keep them around with some chum.

[Quillback]

There's gotta be some big blues in Beaver, AGFC has been stocking them for quite a while. I used to drift fish for blues over at Grand Lake. Net some shad (sometimes netting shad can be tougher than catching cats). I would use bottom walker walleye type sinkers, have about 3 feet of leader and drift along slowly maintaining contact with the bottom, with a whole shad or shad chunk. Usually good for 8 -10 blues on Grand on a good day. Grand, however, has a very healthy blue population.

[JohnF52]

I sure would like to catch some good blues in Beaver. A lot of catfishermen in this area drive to the Arkansas river because It is perceived that Beaver has few catfish. No doubt the smaller ones would be better eaters out of Beaver because it is somewhat cleaner than the Arkansas river.

[bfishn]

Beaver water may be cleaner than the Ark River, but having eaten plenty from both, the river blues are far better eaters. I wouldn't hesitate a moment to clean and eat a 30lb river blue, but I generally throw anything over 15 from Beaver back.

[Guest]

Beaver doesnt setup well for catfishing like most of us like to fish.

Deep water and suspended cats are hard to catch.

I would much rather sit on the bank below the tailrace and catch cats down at Alma.