Looks like the catfish are starting to hit a bit more on the Pee Dee River.  This one was caught by Byron Melton of Rockingham, NC a week or so ago. This flathead catfish weighed 65 pounds and was 50 1/2 inches long. It was caught on a bass minnow with 20 pound test line on blewett falls lake in richmond county. nc. 

For those not familiar with blewett falls lake, check out http://www.blewettfallslake.com

 
CABO SAN LUCAS FISH REPORT
Capt. George Landrum
Fly Hooker Sportfishing
www.flyhooker.com
gmlandrum@hotmail.com


August 30-Sept. 5, 2010

Weather:   It was a hot, muggy, mostly cloudy week for us as a layer of clouds moved over from the mainland.  There has been a number of areas of circulation starting out to the south and fortunately none of them have developed enough to give us any problems but we are getting the cloud cover from them.  Our daytime highs averaged in the low 90's while the nighttime lows were in the mid 80's with humidity sometimes as high as 90%.

Water:  This week was a repeat of last week as we had tropical depression 10W pass to the west giving us large swells.  These caused the Port Captain, the most careful one we have had yet, wait to open the port until it was light enough to see the conditions outside.  The swells were large but there was almost no wind on them so conditions were very good.  Water temperatures on the Pacific side of the Cape ranged from 81 degrees to 83 degrees and on the Sea of Cortez side they ranged from 84 to 85 degrees.  We did see some high temperatures, to 89 degrees, up offshore of the East Cape region.

Bait: Caballito and Mullet at the normal $3 per bait, unless the bait boats were low, then you might have to pay 3.50 to 4 per bait.  No sardinas late in the week due to the large swells.

FISHING

Billfish:  The bite picked up on the billfish this week as there were good numbers of both Black and Blue Marlin caught.  Most of them were in the 200-300 pound range but a few larger fish to 450 pounds were found as well.  Both sides of the Cape were producing as the water was warm in both directions and there were still Striped Marlin to be found as well as some Sailfish in the 100 to 120 pound class.  Lures produced bigger numbers than bait, even for those who were tossing bait at every Marlin they saw.

Yellowfin Tuna: The bite on Tuna has finally picked up a bit more as larger schools of school fish move through the area.  Mostly in the 40-50 pound range, the fish are associated with porpoise for the most part and getting in front of the moving schools and dropping back bait has worked well.  There are still larger fish being found at the Gorda Banks, the Inman Banks, the Cabrillo Seamount, off of the Lighthouse on the Pacific side and south of the San Jaime Banks.  These fish are not a steady bite, but they have been quality fish ranging in size from 80 to 200 pounds.  The fish at the Gorda and Inman Banks have been producing for anglers using Sardinas while larger lave baits have worked for the offshore fish, as well as larger lures trolled for Marlin.

Dorado: We finally had the Dorado show up, and they have been close to home.  Both boats we had out yesterday did very well on fish to 30 pounds, and most boats fishing the area did well also with numbers ranging from 3 to 8 per boat.  Getting the first one hooked up and attracting more to the boat with it was the key.  Immediately gaffing the first fish made getting more take a bit longer.  Straight off of the arch to a distance of five miles, and farther up the Pacific coast the same distance offshore produced the most fish, but they were also scattered about on the Cortez side.

Wahoo: I did not hear of a great bite on Wahoo this week, but there were fish being found in the same area as the Tuna, that is, on the banks and sea mounts.  Most of the fish were single hook-up and the size averaged 35 pounds.  Having just come off of the full moon I thought the bite would have been a bit better, and perhaps it was, but most of the fishermen were focusing on the Tuna and Marlin.

Inshore:  The swells were smaller this week than last week with the exception of Thursday and Friday so there were more fishermen going after Roosterfish, and they were finding them on both sides of the Cape.  Almost any sandy beach area with scattered rocks, or abutting a rocky point was producing fish averaging 25 pounds with an occasional 60 pound or larger fish in the mix.  As well as Roosterfish there were Snapper and Bonito as well as Dorado to be found.  With the good water conditions many of the Pangas were going a bit offshore and focusing on Tuna and Marlin.


Notes: The fishing has finally become good, sometimes very good!  We have been waiting a long time, but all the warm water species are now biting well.  The cool water species are not here in force, the Striped Marlin bite is slow and there are no Yellowtail, but Blue and Black Marlin, large Yellowfin Tuna and Dorado are thick enough to keep everyone busy and happy.  Combine that with good weather and things are looking great right now!  Until next week, tight lines!
Just came to our attention you can now buy fishing licenses online.  Some Spanish required...won't let me buy quantities, as it looks like you can only buy one at a time. I only played on the website for a mew minutes this morning, look great for those yearly licenses!!!  Thanks David for the website
https://www2.ebajacalifornia.gob.mx/Pesca/
http://captgeo.wordpress.com/

Tides raise and lower the water level approximately two times per day and affect where fish are located and how they feed. The timing of a high or low tide changes daily and is also different for each coastal area.

A shallow area that might hold fish and may be a good spot to fish during a high tide, might be a bare mud bank during low tide conditions. And a slough (a slight depression in the bottom) that might be perfect for bottom feeding fish during a low tide, might be too deep and difficult to fish on a high tide.

Running tides (rising or falling) are best since they cause bait to move and promote active feeding among coastal fish. Changing tides, time of day and location are also important when you're fishing in brackish water—coastal water that's a mix of salt water and fresh water and contains saltwater and freshwater fish. Brackish water is found in most tidal creeks and rivers along coasts and is highly affected by tidal movements.

In general, the best fishing is almost always on a rising or falling tide—not dead low or dead high tide when there is little or no water movement.

Determining the best time to fish requires checking on many fishing factors and outdoor conditions. Read the local newspaper and visit with folk at a local tackle shop to get accurate tide information.

Turnover refers to the exchange of surface and bottom water in a lake or pond. This annual recycling program happens twice a year. There's spring turnover and fall turnover and summer stagnation in between. From spring to fall, warmer water goes from the top of the lake to the bottom and cooler water moves from the bottom to the top.

An understanding of turnover, combined with knowledge of what kind of water a particular fish likes, can make you a real fishing genius. As always, good luck.
Spring Turnover

Spring Turnover
 
Once the ice is out, the water on the surface of a lake starts to warm. When it reaches 39 degrees it begins to sink and is replaced by cooler water from below. This exchange continues until the water temperature is constant in the entire lake. Early in this process, fish will stay in the shallow areas of the lake where the water warms up faster, and where the first plant growth of the spring occurs.

Summer Stagnation

Summer Stagnation
 
During the summer, the sun heats water near the surface of lakes, but it doesn't sink. Eventually a condition known as "stratification" develops, putting a well-defined warm layer of water over a cool one.

Fish like the cooler water, but they also need the higher oxygen levels found in warmer water. So they'll migrate to an area right between the two levels of water called the thermo cline. The thermo cline can occur between 2 and 10 feet in depth, depending on the size of the lake.

It's best to find a point or some other form of structure that extends out from the shoreline and slopes gradually down into the thermo cline. This should be a place where fish can find warmer water, but have quick access to deeper, cooler and safer water.
Fall Turnover

Fall Turnover
 
With the arrival of fall and cooler air temperatures, water at the surface of lakes cools, becoming almost as heavy as the cooler bottom water. Strong autumn winds move surface water around, which promotes mixing with deeper water. This is fall turnover.

As mixing continues, lake water becomes more uniform in temperature and oxygen level, allowing fish to move around freely. Fish can be difficult to find as long as these conditions prevail, usually continues until the weather turns cold, chilling the lake's surface.

Water Temperature and Turnover
Each fish has a different range of water temperature in which it can survive. Although fish cannot always find the exact temperature they prefer, they are usually found in water close to that temperature.


By combining a knowledge of preferred water temperature and lake turnover, you can kind-of-sort-of predict which fish will be in a particular part of a lake at a particular time of the year.


Fish that like warmer water will be surface feeders in the summer and bottom feeders in the fall. And fish that like cooler water will feed deep in the spring and on the surface in the fall. But don't hold us to this. Fish are always tough to catch.

The habitat and patterns of bass, crappie, catfish, walleye, pike, trout, redfish, and more.
The conditions surrounding different types of fish, and how they respond.
The right type, weight, and color of artificial lures that’ll just kill the fish.
When to use live and dead bait.
How to “attract” fish to your fishing spot.
What the best retrieves are for different types of baits and fish.

Nice post... Most of the fisherman around here will use live shad or bream.  Quite a few use the stinkbaits also. 

I don't use the electric scalers, since I started using the bicco scaler. It's fast and easy, imo.

Catfish taste wonderful when you cook them over a fire on a camping trip. They are usually found in lakes, which are a bit murky and muddy, since they stay at the bottom of the lake and unsettle it. They like live bait such as minnows and worms best and can be caught close to the edge of the lake if it is deep since the muddy water makes them feel quite safe even close to you. Catfish have a smooth, thick scaleless skin, are usually dark brown or black in color. Their fins are soft except for the "whiskers".


You can usually find minnows in the same lakes as the catfish, and to catch them you can use a small net, wait until the minnows come close to explore, and quickly lift it out of the water. That way you don't have to worry about carrying the bait with you. But if you're going to a lake for the first time, bring some worms just in case it's unpractical to try to catch the minnows or in case this lake has none.

 
The catfish is more of a night animal. During the hot daytime hours they are in the deep pools, hiding under debris or logs, but they can still be caught. At dusk it is usually the best time to start fishing. In the spring and in the fall you will find more catfish then in the summer, but you can still try on cool evenings. In the winter the catfish is almost totally unavailable. Try out one area of the lake for about 15 minutes. If you don't catch anything in this time period, you are probably in the wrong area of the lake. Move along and try a different area. When you throw in the line, start pulling it in slowly, zigzagging the path. As soon as you feel a slight tug, pull once hard to ensure the fish gets hooked, then steadily pull the fish in.
Once you catch a fish, you can identify it by looking for catlike whiskers (hence the name catfish). The hook can now be taken out of the catfish's mouth which might be hard since this kind of fish likes to swallow the hook very deeply. To try to avoid this from happening use a large hook, but the mouth is huge and the catfish might swallow it anyway. If you want to catch more fish, it might be best to put the fish into a bucket with a little bit of water to keep it alive, so you can kill them all at the same time. To kill the fish quickly and painlessly, take a heavy stick, and hit the fish once on his neck to break it. Make sure you don't hit him just anywhere since that would cause unnecessary pain and suffering to him.


Now you can either fillet the fish (cutting along each side) or you can clean it, making an incision down the belly and taking out all the guts. The head is usually discarded, and the guts as well, but some people like to eat the liver. The skin can be taken off with a very sharp knife, which should be inserted between the skin and the meat and by pulling on the skin. To cook the catfish, you should make a mix with 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and any herbs you like. The fish can then be first dipped in an egg, then covered in the flower mixture, and pan-fried in butter over a fire. This is the best way to cook this fish.

   

Hope that what i post can be useful to you ,

Good morning
We would like to introduce ourselves. We are the Upper Saugeen Habitat Restoration Association (USHRA). Over the years we have done work on the upper part of the Saugeen River to improve fishing opportunities. This includes the hatching and release of 35,000 baby brown trout in the upper Saugeen river using Scotty incubators, planted dogwoods, willows and cedars to reduce soil erosion along the river banks, built a spawning channel, vortex weirs, angle deflectors, undercut banks for habitat improvements for trout, and worked in conjunction with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Saugeen Conversation Authority.
We are having our 7th Annual Fishing Challenge on September 10 to 13, 2010 and are presently looking for sponsors for our fishing tournament. Sponsors who donate prizes over $75 will have a link on all our pages until the next fishing tournament. We would prefer rods, reels, lures, bait, gift certificates, or any that you could donate. To see the all the work we have done, please check out our website. The link is below.

Thank you for your consideration.

Wayne Sheridan
Upper Saugeen Habitat Restoration Association
www.canadianangling.com
By Mail or Post for prizes donated or entry
Saugeen Cedars Family Campground
R.R. #1 401563 Grey Road 4
Hanover, ON
N4N 3B8
519-364-2069