Blue cat fishing on Missouri

[4wanderingeyes]

I am a avid cat fishermen, that has found other things to occupy myself the past couple year. Around where I live, we have a great flathead fishery, and I have caught several flatheads above 40 pounds, and a couple 50-60 pounders. I have made the trip to fish blue cats a couple times in the past down to Missouri, with minimal luck on any sizes. This spring my son and I plan on giving it another try. This time we were thinking of hitting the the mouth of the Missouri River where it dumps into the Mississippi by St Louis on Easter weekend. Can anyone giving me any tips on spots to try, a place to stay, or any other tips to try? I wouldnt be opposed to trying a different spot either, but so far we have struck out on sizes in the Ozarks, and by Kansas City. We had no problems catching 10 pounders, but we want big.

I dont need your honey hole, but if you want to give it to me I wouldnt be offended! Just a few tips to help us make the trip worth it. We are CNR 100%, so we wont be taking any thing out of the fishery other then memories. Any help would be appreciated! Feel free to send me a private message if you want.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

http://www.stlcatfishing.com

If you want to catch BIG cats and dont mind spending a little bit of money give this guy a call. He is a local guy that has a very good reputation. He is really tight with a good buddy of mine. Have had allot of guys in my inner circle say great things about fishing with him. An these are DYI guys like me that dont pay for stuff like fishing guides etc... I am considering booking a trip just to learn a thing or two. Check out his FB page. Lots of great pics and reviews.
I grew up in a little river town called Kimmswick. Have caught a good bit of nice blues where the rock creek dumps into the Mississippi. Have also had great luck fish the rock eddies just north of Kimmswick.

Give me a shout when you come in town! 314-603-4962

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Jordan, I have seen his site, and looked through his pictures on Facebook. There will be 3 of us going, myself, my son, and my sons fiancee. Most guides only like 2, and charge a quite a bit more to take more. I have all of my own equipment, boat, and pretty much the knowledge to catch them, but I just havent had any luck with any larger ones yet. I have fished with several guides, but never had hired one. I was a pretty hard core fishermen, that spent every spare minute fishing for many years, but kinda burnt myself out. My screen name 4wanderingeyes, doesnt relate to my eyeballs, it was because I traveled all over to catch walleyes. One day I would be up fishing Canada for a week, the next week I would be fishing southern MN, Rainy Lake, Devils Lake, etc. I have fished with some of the biggest names in fishing around the upper midwest, then I just lost interest in walleye fishing, and then went for larger fish, sturgeon, and flathead catfish occupied my life after that, up until my addiction lead to a divorce, then I pretty much stopped, and started enjoying my hunting land, and making wildlife improvements, I still fish once in awhile, but only as a hobby, not as an obsession. I once fished 97 out of 100 days, and that was the summer that led to my divorce.

 

[Tap]

Man, I love fishing for flatheads.
Pgh's 3 rivers has a healthy population but for some reason, they just don't get that big. 8-15 pounders are common, but getting one over 40 lbs is pretty rare.
The Muskingum lakes in Ohio has some whoppers. Clendenning has the state record...73 pounds!(dont know if it is still the record)
Piedmont visitor store has a 55 pounder mounted...its impressive!
I know a guy on another Muskingum lake that jug fishes for them...he gets 50 pounders every year.
Its so exciting to have a run and set the hook on a cat. Knowing that you could have a 50 pound plus fish on the end is exhilarating.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[ksgobbler]

Man, I love fishing for flatheads.
Pgh's 3 rivers has a healthy population but for some reason, they just don't get that big. 8-15 pounders are common, but getting one over 40 lbs is pretty rare.
The Muskingum lakes in Ohio has some whoppers. Clendenning has the state record...73 pounds!(dont know if it is still the record)
Piedmont visitor store has a 55 pounder mounted...its impressive!
I know a guy on another Muskingum lake that jug fishes for them...he gets 50 pounders every year.
Its so exciting to have a run and set the hook on a cat. Knowing that you could have a 50 pound plus fish on the end is exhilarating.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

I am the only male in my family that doesnt have at least one 50+ lb flathead to his name. My biggest is 38. I have lost a couple that would go over 50.

 

[Tap]

Man, I love fishing for flatheads.
Pgh's 3 rivers has a healthy population but for some reason, they just don't get that big. 8-15 pounders are common, but getting one over 40 lbs is pretty rare.
The Muskingum lakes in Ohio has some whoppers. Clendenning has the state record...73 pounds!(dont know if it is still the record)
Piedmont visitor store has a 55 pounder mounted...its impressive!
I know a guy on another Muskingum lake that jug fishes for them...he gets 50 pounders every year.
Its so exciting to have a run and set the hook on a cat. Knowing that you could have a 50 pound plus fish on the end is exhilarating.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

I am the only male in my family that doesnt have at least one 50+ lb flathead to his name. My biggest is 38. I have lost a couple that would go over 50.

My biggest is only about 22 lbs.
I got a many dozen 12 pounders.
I'd love to fish for some big ones.
Isn't the world record, rod and reel flathead over 100lbs?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[ksgobbler]

My biggest is only about 22 lbs.
I got a many dozen 12 pounders.
I'd love to fish for some big ones.
Isn't the world record, rod and reel flathead over 100lbs?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

A 126 lb fish came from Elk City Reservoir in KS. Kansas has world class catfishing. My house is a mile north of the best channel cat lake in the state.

 

[Tap]

I am a avid cat fishermen, that has found other things to occupy myself the past couple year. Around where I live, we have a great flathead fishery, and I have caught several flatheads above 40 pounds, and a couple 50-60 pounders. I have made the trip to fish blue cats a couple times in the past down to Missouri, with minimal luck on any sizes. This spring my son and I plan on giving it another try. This time we were thinking of hitting the the mouth of the Missouri River where it dumps into the Mississippi by St Louis on Easter weekend. Can anyone giving me any tips on spots to try, a place to stay, or any other tips to try? I wouldnt be opposed to trying a different spot either, but so far we have struck out on sizes in the Ozarks, and by Kansas City. We had no problems catching 10 pounders, but we want big.

I dont need your honey hole, but if you want to give it to me I wouldnt be offended! Just a few tips to help us make the trip worth it. We are CNR 100%, so we wont be taking any thing out of the fishery other then memories. Any help would be appreciated! Feel free to send me a private message if you want.

Is there a reason why you are wanting blues instead of flats?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Is there a reason why you are wanting blues instead of flats?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Bucket list thing. I can fish for flatheads all summer long, since I can actually see the Minnesota river from my house, which has some decent flatheads in it.

 

[ksgobbler]

Kansas has big blues too. My cousin fishes the catfish tournaments.

I know they fished over by ST louis with a guide last year. Ill call him.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Just going through my phone for some quick pictures of fish, most are on my computer, or my Facebook page.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

My son with one

 

[ksgobbler]

Ill have to go dig through photo albums but back in Early June 2007 ( i remember because I had been married less than a month) me and a buddy had a night to remember. We caught a 43, 42, 38, 23, and a 10. I lost one right at the bank that was in the 30s as well. We wouldve caught more but a Hmong guy showed up and we didnt want him to see us catch any so when we got a bite we pulled the bait away from the fish. It was a magical night.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

My son when he was 10 breaking the 40 mark.




A 33 inch walleye, I didnt have a scale, but I did have a tape measure.

 

[ksgobbler]

Biggest walleye I have caught is 26" which is big for this area.
My cousin says Showme CatFishing Trophy Guide service. Ryan Casey is who to talk to. My cousin is trying to make a return trip with him this year.

 

[j-bird]

I was looking at some of the pics and was like.....Ummm, guys....that's NOT a catfish! Hahahaha.... Awesome sturgeon!

Record (rod and real) blue is 130lbs
record (rod and reel) flathead is 123 lbs
per a quick interwebs search....

Part of me wants to try the "hillbilly hand fishing" and another part of me says...."do you WANT to drown?"

Never forget the first time I caught a walleye....I was about 12, fishing a small pond. I wasn't familiar with what a walleye was, so I went to lip it like I did bass.....Damn thing had teeth! That changed my approach!!! Turns out the old guy who owned the pond stocked a few in there just for kicks!

 

[Tap]

View attachment 23104

My son with one
View attachment 23103

THAT is a sturgeon.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[4wanderingeyes]

This guy just caught this one, I know him very well.
https://www.stcroix360.com/2019/03/...GGp80C4v4M5L6KTIaXJEE-K9rjYuFpSfKlmtgXRPY9Xvo

 

[H20fwler]

We are all about big cats here, pretty much all flat heads.

 

[Tap]

So, what's your favorite bait for flats? We always use live suckers but I hear bluegill are the best bait...I never used them.

Fish story...
My wife had a flathead run one time with a live sucker for bait. She set the hook and briefly felt a fish on, then it got off.
She reeled in to check the 5" sucker bait and, lo and behold, there were now TWO 5" suckers on her hook, but one of them was half digested. We figure the cat swallowed her bait and when she set the hook, it just buried into another sucker that the cat was digesting and she yanked it out of the cats belly. True story.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk