83 pound blue cat
Schroeder's fishing day nets 83-pound blue cat
As the sun came up over Memphis Friday morning, I knew it was going to be a great day, but I had no clue it was going to be one of the most thrilling fishing adventures I've ever had.
My son, Troy, and I linked up with fishing guide James "Big Cat" Patterson for a day on the Mississippi River to catch some of the river's big catfish. I've fished with Patterson before and a day's trip routinely puts fish in the 20- to 30-pound range in the boat.
Troy has been recovering from the effects of a recent stroke, and I thought the fishing trip would be good therapy for him.
We couldn't have asked for a better fishing day. There were no clouds in the sky, no wind to make the fishing difficult, and the temperature was a comfortable 73 degrees.
Patterson has been guiding for nearly 30 years and he specializes in big blue catfish. He knows all the holes and structure in the river where the big cats live, and he knows how to put a bait right in front of their noses.
"September, October and early November are the best times of the year to drift fish for big blue cats and I've been catching some nice fish over the past several weeks, including a 70-pounder last week" Patterson said.
The bait for the day was skipjack (river herring) and Asian carp. The 10- to 15-inch skipjack were frozen bait that Patterson had previously prepared, but the 4-to 6-inch Asian carp were fresh fish taken with a cast net near the boat ramp at Mud Island.
The exotic carp were accidentally released into American waterways about 20 years ago and they are becoming a danger to native fish species.
With the baits rigged, we cruised up the river to an area where rock jetties projected out into the river for several hundred yards. The river current was about four miles per hour, which seemed rather fast, and it took a 6-ounce lead weight to get the bait to the bottom.
Patterson turned the boat into the current and dropped the trolling motor to reduce the drift to a slower one to two miles per hour. We bumped the heavy lead weight on the bottom at 40- to 45-feet as we slowly drifted to make sure the bait was in the "kill" zone.
My rod was rigged with 40-pound test braided line attached to the lead weigh and two 8/0 Eagle Claw circle hooks imbedded in an 8-inch fillet of skipjack, and it was relaxing to sit back on a comfortable deck bench and enjoy the scenery as we drifted along the river.
We would drift for 2-3 miles, then pick up and start over again. The river bottom was strewn with big rocks that had been washed away from the jetties and they provided prefect cover for catfish to rest and wait for food to drift
The first two drifts were hitless and we were about to finish the third drift when my line went slack. I thought that it was hung on some debris and started reeling to free the hooks. That worked for several seconds, but then I felt a savage jerk on the line and set the hook.
It was like hooking into a locomotive. I could feel the fish moving, but I couldn't stop it. My inshore saltwater rod was bent nearly double and line was zipping off the reel as I held on.
Patterson thought it was a pretty good fish and told me to keep pressure on it. About all I could do was hold on. The fish was in control and I had to wear it down until I could gain some line. I had previously caught a 40-pound blue cat while fishing with Patterson and this fish was pulling a lot harder.
We waited and waited for the fish to tire. Finally, I was able to gain some line and began to work the fish to the boat, but every time it would get it close, it would take off on another surge. We couldn't see the fish in the stained water, but I sensed that it was a good fish and I was worried about the hooks pulling loose.
The fish eventually rolled up along side the boat and Patterson was able to get grip in its mouth. As he pulled it out of the water, we realized the actual size of the monster catfish. Patterson put the muscle to the fish and slipped it into the boat saying, "What a fish."
Patterson estimated the big blue might weigh as much as 80 pounds and put in a scale to verify the weight. We were surprised when it tipped the scale to 83-pounds.
The big blue was 50-inches long and had a girth of 34 1/2-inches.
We quickly took some pictures and gently put the behemoth back into the river. Big catfish are a scarce resource and should be released as quickly as possible. Patterson said it was the biggest catfish ever caught by one of his clients or himself in 30 years of guiding on the Mississippi River.
That finished my fishing day. Troy went on to put a 15-pound blue cat in the boat, along with a number of smaller fish. It was a day I will always remember and to share it with my son is unforgettable.
Fishing with "Big Cat" Patterson is a memorable experience. He is a gentleman and knows his craft. I've fished with him four times over the years and I've never been disappointed.
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Originally Posted by seamonkey
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