Catfishing in Central Texas

Question
Hi Caleb!  I fish a private lake near my house that is supposedly full of big flatheads, and blues.  I've only been able to fish their once but had no success.  It's still a little on the cool side here in Austin, so that could be the reason.  I was wondering what types of bait you would recommend, rigging, hook, line, etc.?

I used live minnows yesterday, kept near bottom with split=shot weighted rig.  Should I use live bait or cut it first?

Answer
Trey, you are on the right track....Big live creek chubs are the absolute best bait for flatties and blues. You can sometimes catch cats using cut bait, but i prefer live bait anyday. Try using the biggest creek chubs you can get, but they will also bite the smaller ones too, but the big ones work the best. You fished the minnow on the bottom you said, and thats good..i fish tham on the bottom AND on a bobber.  They can swin around mpre when you use a bobber. When i bottom rig i like to use a 2/0 plain shank eagle claw to hook them thru the back, tail, or lip..whatever works for you.  I tie a 3-4 ft leader to the hook and then attach a barrel swivel on the other end, then i slide a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce egg sinker on my main line and tie the main line to the other end of the brass barrel swivel. with this set up the catfish can take the minnow and run with it and the line just slides right thru the sinker (providing you have your reel free-spooled, which is a must when bottom fishing).  Becasue if the fish feels resistence it wont be long before he spits out the minnow.

Next i like to use bobbers with minnows.  I generally tie a bobber stop on the main line and then slide a 6 inch cigar float on the main line (I prefer weighted floats but its up to you).  Next i slide on a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce egg sinker on the main line.  This helps sink the minnow down to the desired depth and also keeps him from coming to the surface and it also helps you cast much farther.  Then i tie on a brass barrel swivel and then run a 3-4 ft leader off the other end of the swivel and tie on a 2/0 eagle claw.  Ypu can move the bobber stop to the desired depth.

I use 40-50 braided Spiderwire on my reels because it  casts well on baitcasters and is really really strong.  You may not want to use this line on a bobber rig, as it tends to float, and the wind can be very annoying as it blows the line and bobber. But i use it on my bobbers and manage it, but you may wanna use mono on the bobber rig.  I like Berkley's BIG GAME mono in the 25-30 pound range..or bigger if you can find it.  Only drawback is it is not the bets line for casting becasue of its size but on a big spinning reelit does OK for me.

I also liek to use Chicken livers...they are dynomite for blues...the flatheads wont touch em mych but man the blues LOVE em!

Hot dog weiners are one of my secret go-to baits....doesnt matter what brand...the cheapest kind works fine.  Just cut into 1 inch peices and put on a bobber rig...be careful when casting them becasue they dont stay on teh hook too well, and aslo if bluegills are plentiful where you fish, they will constantly nibble on them.

Keep a watch for warm days...even though it may be cool where you live, whenever a warm day comes around the catfish (just like bass) will begin to stir...and especially pay attention to warm rainy days...They bite like hell sometimes after a good rain if its warm.

Hope I Helped!!!

Thanks
"Cat Man" Caleb