# catfish in the winter??



## fargojohnson

what do you ues to catch them in the winter? same as you do in the spring/summer.

:withstupid:


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## schultz345

wasting your time during winter, they like warm waters.


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## DOGKILLR

I don't know where you are from but wintertime here in NC is a great time to catch big blues. Just find the bait and they will be there suspende right with them. We slow troll downline with live shad, bait trout or small crappies for them.


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## Duckslayer100

Unless you find open water and troll with a snowmobile or 4-wheeler, I think that option is fairly limited for us northern boys. There's an article in the lates Ice Fishing magazine all about catfish through the ice. Though I've heard its next to impossible, it can be done.

If you head out to try, good luck...I think you'll need it :beer:


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## 94NDTA

DOGKILLR said:


> I don't know where you are from but wintertime here in NC is a great time to catch big blues. Just find the bait and they will be there suspende right with them. We slow troll downline with live shad, bait trout or small crappies for them.


This is a ND based website, I would assume ND. So the only catfishing he will be doing is through a whole in the ice.


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## DOGKILLR

I know it's a ND based site but I've seen alot of people post from all states not just ND. I did say here in NC so that it would be understood that I was relating the question to my area or areas like NC. Heck, ain't no way I'd sit on a bucket over a hole in the ice for a catfish or any other fish for that matter.


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## fox412

I thought that too until I moved up here. Now I think I would rather ice fish than go out in the boat in summer. Winters get way to long up here not to have something to do so you can get yourself outside.


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## whisker

Channelcats won't go as far in search of food in the winter, they aren't as aggressive. They will however still have to eat. Through the ice the biggest trick is finding them. If they're not biting within 15-20 minutes...move. Try downsizing hooks and baits, and fishing them deeper. Use as oily,...or as bloody a bait as you can. Scent won't spread as fast as in warm water. If chumming is legal,...pay a little visit a day ahead of time and give them some smell to pull them towards your spot.


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## NDhunter7

caught a 6 pound cat on lake elsie with a fathead couple inches off the bottom last weekend.


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## weasle414

DOGKILLR said:


> Heck, ain't no way I'd sit on a bucket over a hole in the ice for a catfish or any other fish for that matter.


Amen to that... and I'm from the land of 10,000 lakes, even. If I'm sitting on a bucket over a hole, it's the makeshift outhouse at our hunting shack.


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## Forstner

Icefishing is fun! we have a couple of those sleds you pull out on the lake!! very handy!!! u put a lil sunflower heater in there, have some sunflower seens and ur choice of drink and ur set!!! tons of fun!! better then in a boat if u ask me!!


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## Starky

The cats in the Red don't go south for the winter and they still need to eat. Mostly they go to the deeper holes so if you know wher they are you can pull them through the ice. You're more than likely going to catch an eelpout before you catch a cat though.


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