Fishing Brutal Post Front Winter Conditions For Bass and Catfish

Today we're fishing for a mix of Bass and catfish. We've got brutal post-front conditions that have completely shut down the bite! Instead of giving up we decide to continue the multi-species trend and turn our attention from bass to catfish. This isn't the kind of cat fishing you're used to, we've discovered that in cold water the big catfish school up and devour a spoon! Come along for a few very wet, very windy, very cold hours on Clearlake!

Fishing for big catfish is an awesome alternative to bass in the cold Winter months. Unlike the bass, catfish thrive in cold water and will readily chase baitfish and attack fast moving lures. We choose to target them with one of our favorite Fall bass techniques, the deep jigging spoon. Unfortunately today the "first cast curse" got the best of us and the bite ended just as quickly as it began. We caught a few tiny catfish, blackfish, and hitch off camera but the big channel catfish we were after had stopped biting. 

Instead of simply giving up we continued to endure the cold (with frozen hands and toes) in pursuit of at least one bass to round out the day. When conditions are this tough our confidence lies in the crankbait. It took less than 10 minutes to catch a Clearlake bass on the crank despite the brutal conditions. As soon as we had a fish we headed back to the ramp to get warmed up. 

Today wasn't the great fishing we've grown to love on our home lake, it was downright tough. Tough fishing during brutal weather conditions is the reality of Winter. When you're faced with the same conditions we were, it doesn't have to be a bust. If you bear down and endure, even the toughest conditions will yield a fish or two. 

Below is a breakdown of the baits and equipment we were using to catch these fish. 

Baits…

Spoon- Blade Runner 1 3/4 oz Duh (Morning Dawn, Electric Chicken): http://bit.ly/2aKVLlG

Crankbait- River2Sea Tactical DD 75 (Mirrored Minnow): http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Spoon Combo... 

Rod- Denali Attax 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2tDsOa0

Reel- Daiwa Tatula SV TWS: http://bit.ly/2xALqpz

Line- Sunline Assassin 20 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Matt's Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Pending World Record Catfish!

Tim was using 6 lb line and a spinning rod when this giant catfish bit! The fight lasted over an hour with so many drag screaming runs we lost track. Come along and watch the entire fight play out! The fish has been submitted for the Channel Catfish All-Tackle Length Record and is currently pending.

One of the most exciting aspects of fishing is that you never know what's going to bite. Tim was throwing a Neko Rig for bass on light tackle. He was searching for smallmouth when the big cat surprised him.

Quality tackle made all the difference in this fight! There is no doubt that lesser gear would have failed under the strain of the battle. Below is a breakdown of the gear Tim was using when he subdued this monster.

Rod/Reel Combo...

Rod- G Loomis NRX 852S JWR: http://bit.ly/2dX9zjv

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- 12 lb Sunline Braid: http://bit.ly/2tn8EzQ

Leader- 6 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

The Bait...

Lure- 5" Yamamoto Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Weight- Swagger Tackle Tungsten Pagoda: http://bit.ly/2iGNSFW

Keeper- G7 Protect Tubes: http://bit.ly/2PWEkUs

Hook- Owner Mosquito Light 1/0: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

Camera Used: http://bit.ly/2RsLpjB

Scale Used: http://bit.ly/2f7QgQ9

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WORLD RECORD CATFISH

Angler Sean Moffett Caught this MASSIVE Channel Catfish on 7/8/17. It is being submitted for the ALL-TACKLE WORLD RECORD for Length. It measures an amazing 83 centimeters (Inside Dimension) and will topple the existing record of 80 centimeters if all goes well with the IGFA Record Application. 

The Most amazing part about this giant catfish is that Sean was fishing for bass at the time of the record catch. He was using a light action spinning rod coupled Keitech Worm. He was only equipped with 10 lb line and the monster fish was in shallow grass. He was in for the battle of his life, lasting nearly 10 minutes! 

Whether you enjoy bass fishing, catfishing, or fishing for bluegill and crappie, a fish of this size is worth stopping and checking out. World record fish are always incredible. The biggest fish in the world of any species is special and this one is nothing short of amazing!

Gear Used For This Video...

Rod- Powell Max 3D 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2nSoTxZ
Reel- Diawa RG Spinning: http://bit.ly/2sVk1z6 (Actual Diawa used is discontinued, this is its modern equivelant)
Line- Power Pro Braided 10 lb: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b
Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 10 lb: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Lure- Keitech Mad Wag 7" Worm: http://bit.ly/2sRJ3ix
Hook- 4/0 Gamakatsu Offset EWG: http://bit.ly/2d07gvp 
Weight- 3/8 oz Lead Bullet Weight: http://bit.ly/2tEcZfq

ElectroSamson Scale: http://bit.ly/2f7QgQ9

Net Used: Dotline Seamless: http://bit.ly/2txz0xQ

This video was shot exclusively with the GoPro Hero5 Camera: http://bit.ly/2iwZqqU
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Equipment We Recommend...

Favorite Pliers: http://bit.ly/2tfxFvw
Favorite life jacket: http://bit.ly/2odXXIP
Favorite sunglasses: http://bit.ly/2glE3eN
Promar Net: http://bit.ly/2dh9xQP
Tacticalbassin Apparel: Email tacticalbassinapparel@gmail.com