Catfish or Shark gear?! HELP ME! NEED TO BUY!!!

[Hull-Custom-Guitars]

<p align="center"><font size="3">I have been cat fishing a lot lately, mostly to accommodate my girlfriend’s newfound craving to catch BIG FISH. She is a complete newbie, and I figured cat fishing would be perfect….. Well we have been fishing for cats for over a month, and have done pretty well. Several over 40 pounds and one close to 60, But we are after MONSTERS!!!! I would like something around 100 pounds. I am used to getting at least two catfish per year close to 100 when bow fishing,… but haven’t caught anything like that lately. So, we are really enjoying “the hunt” and don’t really care if we catch the “big one” or not, its just really fun to watch her enjoy fishing.
</font></p><p align="center"><font size="3">Well, we have two “OK” cat fishing rods, they are actually 15 year old LEWS surf rods, with abu Garcia reels, and 25lbs monofilament. They work just fine, but we are ready to upgrade. I will be purchasing two custom J. Miles catfishing rods, but am STUCK ON WHAT SPINNING REEL TO BUY!!! I really want a reel that allows the fish to take line with little resistance, and the reel clicks when line is taken. I also travel to Florida a lot on business, and would like these two rods to do well in that situation as well. I like to fish the piers and bays for sharks. So,… my problem is… the reels that have the built in “strike indicator” or what they call “BAITRUNNER” OR “BAITFEEDER” are about $200 each, and I really wanted to stay under $100 each for a reel,…. I was going with Shimano, because I KNOW FOR A FACT they will hold up to heavy use, and the salt water. Okuma makes a reel, but I'm just not sure if it would hold up. And besides,… they are about $125 each. </font></p><font size="3"><p align="center">
So…. Any ideas or suggestions? Also, any ideas on good catfishing/surf rods for under $75, I have a buddy looking for something that’s great quality, and I don’t know if “ugly stix” or the other $30 catfish rods would hold up. Anyone know about that?</p><p align="center">
Thanks so much guys. And if you have anything like this to sell, please contact me.
</p><p align="center">Have a blessed day</p><p align="center">-Grant Hull-</p><p align="center">!!!GOD BLESS THE USA!!!
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[EricM]

Quote: " I am used to getting at least two catfish per year close to 100 when bow fishing"

<font color="#000000" size="4">Huh?</font> <font color="#ff0000"><font size="7">HUH????</font>


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[fishinvol]

That's what I was thinking.

 

[Fishin Fool]

"Huh" is the right word.

 

[buzz]

High dollar rods and reels for the slimey creatures? I use those rods and reels from WALMART. Combo's with the big spinning reels, about 35.00 apiece. Loss or breakage...your not out much. Just .02 worth. Made by Shakespere.

 

[EricM]

Where are you finding a couple of 100 lb catfish per year? The Tennessee state record (rod and reel) is only 112 lbs for blue catfish. No other catfish reach that size here (at least according to Tennessee's records). I know a lot of folks who fish hard for BIG cats who have NEVER seen a 100 pounder, or likely ever will, myself included.

You are claiming to shoot them with a bow? Where? When? Can we see pictures?

 

[SpurHunter]

And I would add WHY?!?!

 

[Hull-Custom-Guitars]

haha, yes I have been bowfishing for 12 years out of a 22 foot polar craft. Got a big generator in the back and 12 flood lights on the front. It works well. Big cats come up to feed in the shallowes around 10pm, and if your in a boat bowfishing from 8pm to 4am three to four days a week for six months out of the year, a 90-95 pound catfish isn't that uncommon. Check the bowfishing tournament results for largest cats,.... that last tournament I shot the bigest cat was 72 lbs, but your only talking about ONE NIGHT to get it rite. SPread that out over half the year, and big cats are still uncommon, but not un-heard of like rod and reel fishing. Its normal to go into a slew and see 60 cats in a few hundred yards, and theres bound to be a big one. If anybody wants to go with me,... Im finally getting the boat together for this season. you cover gas 423-322-9420

 

[buzz]

Grant, My neighbor boys hooked up with a guy in Ga, over spring break to do some bow-fishing. They had never done it....but had a blast. I'm not sure how many that got. I'll save your number, and pass it to them.

 

[Liveliner]

Well back to the reels. I have a scheit-load of Shark fishing and Tarpon fishing equipment. You say you have purchased big rods from john M already, so you are pretty much obligated to Spinning. I would have highly recommended Daiwa Sealine-X casting reels for you double duty outfits. I have several of them for Pup Sharks up to Six footers. Without a doubt if I can crank in a Seven Foot Bull, you could crank up a Catfish. As far as casting, My Sealine's will out cast my USA made Penn Spinning Tarpon reels with heavy loads. I have a USA Penn SS 8500 on an Ocean Master offshore spinning Rod (7'-0") Backbone galore in the offshore class rods. If you are not casting I have a USA Made Penn 345 GTI on a matching Penn Boat Rod - New in the Box. Step up several notches and I have a USA made Penn Formula 15 KG two speed transmission graphite Reel on a Matching Penn Formula Stand.up Roller guide Rod. It is brand new in the box and has never touched the Brand new Rod. We can then go up to USA made Penn 50 SW Internationals Wide , two speed transmission - Brand New on a Penn Roller guide Tuna-stick. Then to a Penn international 80 STW on an Ocean Master IFGA 80 Class all Stewart Rollers Mint condition. I think i could have you covered for anything that swims. I have many below and between The range I mentioned for sale as well. I am not kidding at all ... I acquired a ton of equipment while a member of the SSI Sharkers Research Team fishing out of Saint Simon Island, Georgia.

 

[SpurHunter]

So how many cats, say over 20lbs do you typicaly shoot in a night? Or are they all smaller, with a few pigs throw in each night?

 

[Fishin Fool]

The better question in my mind is what do you do with the cats you shoot? Eat them? Toss them? a 95lb cat is a lot of meat.

 

[puddle jumper]

100 lbs is a pig.
I would love to see some pics,,,
PJ

 

[wetaline]

Never seen one over 90 lbs myself. 100 lb blue is a monster. There are a lot of cat fishing guys on here and if EricM aint seen it 99.9 percent of all catfisherman aint seen it. Pictures are a must.

 

[Hull-Custom-Guitars]

Ill have to dig up the pics,... but I'll find em,... I have a scale an photo from every fish I have ever shot or caught over 75lbs. Of course, don't have scales from any cats or sharks haha.

On an average, we shoot five to eight cats over 20, and could probably shoot more. But unless we are gunna eat them, or give them to someone who needs the meat, we pass on anything that ins't just a monster. I looked at some of the pics I could find, and I have been bowfishing since 1999. I am 23 so I started young. I have several of the "big fish" on my wall, including a 67" gar shot near sullivans boat ramp in 2004. That was a really fun night. But mostly I only take shots that are extreamly hard, or close to impossible, or at huge or unusual fish. I have shot about a dozen albino cats (all snow white) several shovelbill catfish, one that went 34 lbs,... and on complete accident I shot a 14" shell cracker. Also shot some bass on accident. But since I started so young, I can hit pretty much anything, any particular squar inch of the fish I aim at. So I usually shoot for the last 6 inches of the tail, away from the spine and down into the body of the tail. That way, I can still get the fish in, but If I don't decide to keep him, he will heal. I even clean my arrow tips with alcohol after a night, so as not to pass alon disease or infection. I know that sounds crazy... but I do have a boat with 12 flood lights on it...

 

[WLG]

Hull-Custom-Guitars - 4/27/2012 2:47 AM



On an average, we shoot five to eight cats over 20, and could probably shoot more.

Were these fish shot here in Tennessee ??

 

[Fishin Fool]

But unless we are gunna eat them, or give them to someone who needs the meat, we pass on anything that ins't just a monster.

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Then what do you do with them? You mention in your post that unless you are going to eat them or give them to someone that will, you only will shoot monsters. I am just curious because I know most really big cats aren't that good eating. How many big cats do you get per night? You mention albino cats. I've never seen one and think they are pretty rare
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[Hull-Custom-Guitars]

We see an albino cat every few weeks, considering if we are going 4 times a week. If Im not mistaken there is video of me shooting a 22 pound albino that aired on "benny hull's" TV show a few years back. I know he filmd it,and pretty sure that wasn't edited out.
Best place for big cats is within 5 miles either direction of sullivans boat ramp, in any of those slews, browns lake is great, lake guntersvill is pretty good as far as BIG cats go. Not too much quantity, but major size difference. I found some of my old pics, and will post when I get home. But its mainly of 80-90 pound carp, albino carp, and grass carp. But I will find the cat pics as well. Kinda busy building guitars....
If we don't eat them, and they are really big (don't taste that good) we park off dods avenu and in 5 mins, they are all gone. Those guys " " get them and I guess they eat them. But actually, the best cat I ever cooked was my first big cat, (62lbs) when i was 13 years old. That was ten years ago, so mabe I just didn't know what it was suposed to taste like. IDK, but I been skinnin them and eating them since I was 7, and I don't care how big or small, I like them all.

 

[SMA]

Back to the original question of where to get big baitrunner spinning reels:

Watch ebay for shimano baitrunners - stout reels with excellent baitrunner functions. I've got a pair of 3500s I paid $50 each and am happy with them. They make them bigger than that too. Daiwa makes good ones also.

 

[Hull-Custom-Guitars]

How do I upload pics?