Shellcracker bait to avoid cats

[howl]

Can anyone recommend a bait for shellcracker they catfish don't like as much as wigglers? I like to fish those deep water shellcrackers in Juliette, but it's hard to keep the catfish off the hook. Spend the whole time running away from catfish to find some bream.

[SeaRay]

Excellent question and good luck figuring it out. I have the same problem. Finally started keeping the cats. Most ran around 2-4 pounds and when I learned you could fillet and skin them just like a bass they started going home with me.

[Yankee Bill]

I don't know for sure if the cats would mess with them or not (probably would), but you might want to try catching some grass shrimp and using them. Panfish LOVE them and at least it would be free bait if the cats end up getting to it. Just my

YB

[Danbo]

Ain't one.

[howl]

I used to try to catch grass shrimp when I lived in FL. It seemed so easy on youtube. I do find that using minnows instead of wigglers when fishing perch works to avoid cats fairly well. Don't catch too many shellcrackers on minnows, though.

I might have to order some wax and meal worms.

[papasage]

if Danbo says they Ain`t then they Ain`t one .just keep the cats and eat them or sell them . in Ga. that is the only fresh water fish you can sell but you have to have commercial license and in Ga that is only $15.00 a year and on lake blackshear you can put a basket in from dam to Hwy 27 bridge .

[T-roy 120]

I hate cats fish. It's like boogers up your line every time you catch one of those dang nasty creatures. Hate'em! I fish a small jig tipped with a berkley power wiggler, not as many cats but probably not as many crackers either.

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[howl]

That slime is my problem. I take the time to tie up some 4# fluorocarbon rigs before I go. Then about the time I get into the fish, a cat rolls up the line making it stand out with slime. The catch rate on bream really goes down if I don't get the slime off or change out rigs. Hard to get that slime off.

Anyhow, we went yesterday and caught a little mess on wigglers. I just knew we'd be covered in cats the whole time, but we didn't catch the first one.

[howl]

Got by with it again. I guess the cats have moved on now that bedding has ceased?

[papasage]

last time i went the most i cought was little brem . i saved some for limb line and one cat out of 7 limb lines . the gar ate them off . guess i need to bait them up later in the day between sundown and dark .