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It's been a few months since I had been trolling for Rainbows and I was really missing it. Saturdays weather looked OK so I decided to make the trip to Long Lake. I knew that it would probably be very tough fishing this early in the season, the water temp was only 49 degree to 51. For the first 2-1/2 hours I was marking some fish but absolutely no bites. I got desperate and tried the northeast corner of the lake where it rises to only 9 foot in depth. As soon as I got over the shallow hump --Wham-- to my amazement a 10 pound 5 ounce catfish took the trolled smile blade and nightcrawler. I was trolling at 1.1 mph and using 1/8 ounce weight. I believe that it is a Channel Catfish, but perhaps some of the more experienced guys can help identify it. About and hour later I finally hooked into 2 nice Rainbows and brought one home for dinner. These were caught on a Pink/Red Mack's Wedding Ring with nightcrawler piece and 4" silver dodger (20 feet of water).

Part-Time

3/25/2019 8:38:48 AM

Thanks for the report, if you say it's a channel cat that's good enough for me, sounds like you weren't going to eat it. Where do you launch at Long Lake?

cubmaster

3/25/2019 12:26:41 PM

I have a good friend who loves CATFISH, so he agreed to clean and prepare. I used the WDFW ramp.
Directions:
From Carpenter Rd in Lacey turn north onto Boat Launch St SE at the east end of the Thurston County Fairgrounds, right into site at entrance sign.

grubowski

3/25/2019 5:33:15 PM

Looks like a great big channel cat to me. I didn’t realize they were in there. Yet another lake to add to my to do list for the year.

Ruffneck18

3/25/2019 11:39:53 PM

I Don’t believe that is a channel cat, ones I caught years ago in the Snake River were more silver in color with a black spots here and there. JMO though.

Shad_Eating_Grin

3/26/2019 3:49:05 PM

Whatever kind of catfish it is, I just carped in my pants. Nice fish!!

grubowski

3/26/2019 11:42:36 PM

I’m pretty sure it’s a big female. They can be dark like that, especially when they grow larger. The only other species of catfish around here are bullhead, and they don’t get that large, and their tails are squared, not forked.

darincoleman22

3/29/2019 11:27:26 AM

im about 99 percent positive it not a brown bullhead.I dont know if they hybridize.if they do thats probably what they wold look like

ilikefish

4/1/2019 3:46:51 PM

That’s a blue cat.

minnows

4/2/2019 4:12:23 PM

Cubmaster, That is 100% a Channel Catfish. They were stocked a few years ago. It's absolutely not a blue cat, the anal ray count for blue catfish is 30 - 36, while only 24 - 29 for Channel Catfish and it would be a big deal if it were a blue. Channel Catfish are functionally sterile in our lowland lakes as water temps don't hit the appropriate degree days they need. It's not a Brown Bullhead either, as stated above bbh have rounded tail fins and very different coloration (though color is a bad meristic).

The Quadfather

4/3/2019 9:58:12 AM

Great fish, and report!

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