Thread: Cats @ Buggs Island (Kerr) VA

Caught these on Buggs Island 5-24-09 drifting the main lake channel... We caught 17 total the biggest being about 14lbs.
Blake

Real good looking bunch of bluecats you have there! As soon as the Ohio river gets down to pool stage (usually in June), the drift fishing will really turn on in my area.

How do you drift fish??? Some just drag their baits on the bottom... I use a slip cork (a big one :D:D) and suspend my bait off of the bottom. All those fish were caught 12-18' deep in 22-35' of water.
Blake

[quote=bc1448;808570]How do you drift fish??? Some just drag their baits on the bottom... I use a slip cork (a big one :D:D) and suspend my bait off of the bottom. All those fish were caught 12-18' deep in 22-35' of water.

I use 7 ft fiberglass rods rigged with 50 lb gorilla braid. I will attach a 1-2 ft leader ( 40 lb mono ) via a barrell swivel. Above the swivel I will use a 2-3 oz egg sinker and for the hook a #4-8 circle hook.

I will place the rods in drift master rod holders and float down-stream with the current. When necessary I will bump the boat into position with the trolling motor ( usually several times each drift).

I like to use skipjack for bait. When a 5 lb+ catfish hits the bait, the rod will usually just bury into the water - it's a hoot!

When drifting, I like to keep the baits about 1-2 ft off the bottom. But watch your depth finder, sometimes the catfish will be suspended in the water column. The water I fish will range from 15-45 ft deep. This is my opinion, but for drift or jug fishing it is hard to beat a circle hook. Hope this helps, good luck.

Nice mess of cats, good eaten too!

Hell Yeah!