After fly fishing the morning with a visiting friend and getting skunked, I had a decision to make - getting stuck in rush hour traffic, or to fish a favourite spot for a few hours to wait out the traffic.
Glad I made the right decision.
First cast...
Had a fish come off on the third cast.
I thought it would be off the charts with quick action like that, but it went a little quiet. There was a guy across from me float fishing so we synchronized with each other. A while later, he caught a Channel Catfish.
Not to be left out, I got one too.
Got another tiny Channel Catfish, then the bite died off on the bounce. There was a family beside me who was fishing lines on bottom and caught 2 Shorthead Redhorse and 1 Golden Redhorse. I wanted some Horsies...so I switched out my rig and soaked some bait on bottom. Water had only 8" of visibility today so it really wasn't suitable for the bounce.
Surprise, surprise...a Greater Redhorse! The way this guy was fighting, and its size plus the red tail, had me fooled that maybe I finally found my River Redhorse. Oh well...the Greater is great!
A while later, a Shorthead Redhorse
And then a Mooneye too. It was so chrome the scales were reflecting the blue sky!
No Golden or Silver Redhorse today, but the family beside me caught two Goldens and a Freshwater Drum also. It's just like the lottery...some days you get them, some days you don't.
Not bad for 6pm-9pm session...and I didn't have to fight rush hour traffic! 
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A grand idea
#1
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Perch
Posted 05 July 2014 - 08:29 AM
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#2
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Largemouth Bass
Posted 05 July 2014 - 11:08 AM
#3
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Perch
Posted 05 July 2014 - 04:53 PM
That mooneye has muskie bait written all over it.
Yeah, except you cannot use sportfish as bait in Ontario...
#4
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Sunfish
Posted 05 July 2014 - 05:24 PM
didn't know there were mooneye in Ontario. Do you know if there are goldeye in those waters also? They would be fun on the fly.
#5
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Perch
Posted 05 July 2014 - 09:11 PM
No Goldeye around southern Ontario. Goldeye are in northeastern Ontario (Lake Abitibi and tribs, Lake Timiskaming, Lake Waswanipi and connected waters) and in northwestern Ontario (Sandy Lake, Rainy Lake and Lac Seul).
I've caught Mooneye on the fly before. It is fun. Try for Goldeye on the fly in Alberta on the Red Deer River but they had migrated for the spawn in Red Deer while we were fishing in Drumheller at the time...
#6
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Perch
Posted 05 July 2014 - 11:10 PM
Great report man! Looks like a good outing!
#7
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Crappie
Posted 05 July 2014 - 11:26 PM
wish they had more channel cat spots near GTA. R-River has little to no access 
#8
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Largemouth Bass
Posted 24 July 2014 - 09:03 PM
Are you sure the pictured fish was a Channel Cat? The colors don't seem right and I don't see the typical spots. Even 4 inch Channels are spotted. But I caught one a few weeks ago that was completely black so I know the colors can vary.
I get lots of Mooneye in a certain river I fish, they are mostly an incidental catch while fishing Bass and Kitties ( barbless ) but most seem to turn belly up when I try to release them.
As for you usernamehere. There are plenty of good spots with access to Channels near here. How far are you talking from T.O.?? Within an hour of Toronto I could put you on lots. Mostly 2-3 lbs, but I got one last week-end about 5-7 that required we get the net out, and know another spot where I have caught them up to 12 and probably at the edge of that 1 hour from T.O. a spot where a friend caught a 15 lber. Send a PM and I will be happy to help you, maybe get together and show you a few tricks.
Alfie.
#9
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Perch
Posted 24 July 2014 - 09:26 PM
Yes, it is a Channel Catfish. As you said, colour is variable and not always the best ID characteristics. Look at the forked tail and the longer but more rectangularly shaped anal fin.
In Ontario, you have 4 species of "larger" catfish - Channel Catfish, Brown Bullhead, Black Bulhead and Yellow Bullhead. The three Bullhead species all have very slightly forked or squared tail. Only the Channel Catfish has a significantly forked tail. That alone should indicated to you that it is a Channel Catfish.
** White Catfish, which belongs to the genus Ameiurus (Bullheads), does have a slightly forked tail even though it is a "Bullhead", but we do not have White Catfish in Ontario. Besides, the Channel Catfish tail is so significantly forked that you cannot mistake it.
#10
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Largemouth Bass
Posted 27 July 2014 - 01:08 PM
Yes, it is a Channel Catfish. As you said, colour is variable and not always the best ID characteristics. Look at the forked tail and the longer but more rectangularly shaped anal fin.
In Ontario, you have 4 species of "larger" catfish - Channel Catfish, Brown Bullhead, Black Bulhead and Yellow Bullhead. The three Bullhead species all have very slightly forked or squared tail. Only the Channel Catfish has a significantly forked tail. That alone should indicated to you that it is a Channel Catfish.
** White Catfish, which belongs to the genus Ameiurus (Bullheads), does have a slightly forked tail even though it is a "Bullhead", but we do not have White Catfish in Ontario. Besides, the Channel Catfish tail is so significantly forked that you cannot mistake it.
Fair enuff MuskieBait. I didn't really notice the tail, but you are right. The yellowish color made me think Bullhead right away.
Where I get most of my Channels they range from green to blueish to various shades of gray, sometimes brown and as of a couple weeks ago, black. I shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion following last weeks Smallie. Lol. I got a nice one that was very dark all the way down to the belly. I txted a pic to a friend and he immediately asked is that a Black Bass, I said no, Smallie. He said, no that is a Black Bass. I went on to explain the common nick-name for Smallies, but am now thinking I should have corrected him and told him it was an African-American Bass, again laughing.
Alfie.
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