Hey Rango

[big "E"]

Bam Bam and I are fishing in the tournement at Randolph's landing on santee in september.Ive never fished down there in the fall.Do you have any tips or hints for catfish in the fall on santee?I know the diversion canal is suppossed to be the spot, but then again so does everyone else.Any info? Eric.

[rango]

the diversion canal is a tourist hangout. you need to get out in the lakes, get you some drift socks, set yourself up to drift and try drifting. use cut baits. leave the stinks to the tourist catching the small stuff. if you still got that toon, you got the perfect boat for drifting down there. one sock off each end of the boat and fish off the upwind side, and use the slinky type weights, rods with soft tips and strong backbones and circle hooks.. and good rod holders. if you get a chance to go a time or two before the tournament, try that and refine your setup before the tournament. i spent most of my weekends down therer several year ago for a whole year and seemed like everytime i went id learn soemthing new. the first time or two we went down we dint catch much to talk about. talking to guides and fishermen who hauled the fish in helps a lot. by the end of the year, we was catching some real hogs, my biggest of the year was 42 lbs. i wouldnt consider the canal unless the current was strong in it or the wind was making it unsafe on the lakes proper.

[big "E"]

Thanks Rango , I had planned to use cut bait, probably crappie fillets.Ive read on boc that is a good bait .Do you agree?Its kinda hard to let go of them, but if its good Ill use it.We may keep some tater chips toward fall and sacrifice them.I've been meaning to buy some socks, but havent been to bass pro in a while.The pontoon has been a work in progress , but it has not stranded me again"YET".That baby is a gas hog though.Only two hours on a 12 gallon tank.Probably needs a tune up. Eric.

[rango]

eric, id rate crappie one of the best cut baits, along with brim and shad. down santee way theres also herring and perch. i wouldnt be afraid to use any of them, as long as they are fresh. another thing we tried that worked good was caught a bunch of shad with a cast net, run em whole through a blender and liquified them, put the juice in freezer containers and froze it. when we went catfishing, wed let the juice melt and whatever cut bait we was using, wed dip it in the shad juice before wed toss it out. that way we had fresh shad smell on the cut baits the fish seemed to go for. as everyone knows shad for bait after its been frozen and thawed dont work too well. if you using the wifes blender, make sure she dont know it and clean it up so theres no evidence around. i failed to do so and it caused quite a stir with her. i wound up buying my own blender i now use specialy for liquifying shad with. another thing you can do is if you freezin the cut bait before you go, pour some of the shad juice in with the cut bait and work it around so its all coated before you freeze it. that works good to.

[pete]

another thing that i heard from some of the great cat fisherman in santee is that cut mullet is one of the best bait u can use on Santee. if your goin to the coast, catch you some mullet and pogies, and u have some of the best bait. As much as i go to the coast, i can bring you back almost as much pogies (menhaden) that u want. its still early for the mullet tho.

[big "E"]

Pete , I appreciate the tip.I may get you to bring that later in the year.The tournement isnt until september.You must get to the coast an awful lot.It seems like thats all you post about lately.You ever do any good on drum? Eric.

[pete]

i like to fish for the bigger creatures...kings, cobia, ect ect

[big "E"]

Ive read about those cobia.They say the real fun starts after you land the thing.Ive heard stories about nice boats being beaten bad by an unwilling cobia on the deck.

[pete]

them stories are true. a friend of mine that is a captain landed a cobia about 60 pounds and put him inside the built in cooler that is located on the stearn of the boat. they went to the dock only to realize that the fish was missing??? the fish ended up opening the top, and jumping out.

[big "E"]

Thats one fish with the will to live.