Saturday Night Chasing Channel Cat

Last night the moon was around 95% full. It was a stormy night from Altamonte Springs to Oviedo area but I noticed the storm was headed south-southeast. I saw a good opportunity to get some fishing done at CS Lee Park since the storms were avoiding that area completely. With two poles, one with nightcrawlers and one with cut bait, I was targeting small and large fish. I first caught a small catfish about 12" long using a nightcrawler and size 2 hook. Then my other pole caught a florida gar using a dead shiner and size 3/0 hook. All of my hooks are the Owners Mutu Light style, extremely sharp and very effective hook set ratio.
Later in the evening Kyle and Tara came out to join me by the bank while the fish were still biting. Tara came out with two Florida Gars using dead shiners. I also caught another Channel Catfish, this one was a bigger 2 lb 5 oz using nightcrawlers again with the smaller size 2 hook. It was around 3am and we called it a night, the mosquitos were getting bad and the fish were not as active. The two catfish I took home on ice.

Location: C.S. Lee Park
Tackle: Owners Light Mutu size 2 hook on carolina rig - 1 oz sinker

Species: Channel Catfish
Weight: 2 LB 5 OZ
Bait: nightcrawlers

Personal Best Channel Catfish - Full Moon Fishing Report

Last night was one of the most productive and exhilerating nights fishing. It was a full moon while we fished Mullet Lake Park river bank. The night temperatures were in the lower 70's / upper 60's. It was my buddy Kyle and myself putting the smackdown on some Channel Cats and Florida Gar. Between the two of us, we landed 5 fish for a total of 25 LB! Everything was caught on some cut mullet for bait, and 6/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hooks. Kyle caught the first fish and it was his first big Channel Catfish. The night started grim for me though, reeling and losing 3 fish one after another. Then my luck changed, and the next 4 fish I made no mistake. My first landing was a personal best Channel Catfish. But while I was taking pictures my other Okuma baitfeeder began to sing and it was a big Florida Gar. It was awesome :)

The tally for me was:
Channel Catfish @ 7 lb 5 oz
Florida Gar @ 4 lb 8 oz
Florida Gar @ 3 lb 4 oz
Florida Gar @ 4 lb 4 oz



Kyle's catch:
Channel Catfish @ 5 lb 8 oz

A Double Catch @ Mullet Lake Park

Last night Zack and I both caught and landed a fish. Zack reeled his first, a 7 LB 6 OZ Channel Catfish. Just as soon as he landed his, my rod started tipping and all of a sudden I had a fish on too. Mine was a Florida Gar, probably around 4 LB. We were able to weigh Zacks catfish and photograph the fish together on the bank. These were caught using cut shad.

4lb 12oz Channel Catfish & Florida Gar

Kyle, Zack, and myself have found a fishing spot thats holding some large channel cats. We fished the Mullet Lake Park river bank last night for the 3rd time. Last week Zack caught a monster 17 lb channel and a small gar from the same spot.

Last night using cut mullet on a 6/0 circle hook, I first landed a good sized Florida Gar that was about 3 LB. It wasn't happy at all so we didn't get a chance to put it on the scale. Then around 2:00 AM I landed my first channel catfish weighing 4 LB 12 OZ. These were the only two fish of the night and both were caught on my Wild Cat rod.

Species: Channel Catfish
Tackle: Gamakatsu 6/0 octopus circle hook
Weight: 4 lb 12 oz
Bait: cut mullet