Hey everyone, I've been doing a lot of catfishing already this summer and caught 3 over 18" and one 24". SO I haven't been doing too bad for this early, but... My room-mate and I are looking to find some BIG kitties, no, not kitties, lions, lol. I'm in Merced, so I've got pretty close access to snelling los banos and forebay areas. I've heard of some large cats in lake mclure, forebay, and the aquaduct, but haven't seemed to hook up too well in any of those places, I've been fishing the los banos wildlife reserve alot. If anyone know where and how to hook up some 10lb+ cats, PLEASE let me know. I'm searching for a trophy this summer. Thanks a lot.
The worst day fishing...
Is still better than the best day working.
Hunter

You're not too far from Don Pedro right? There's a place down there called Shammut Roadwhere I do really well on the larger model cats at night when I'm visiting family in Sonora. Use chicken livers and garlic salt on like 15 lb. Between myself, my brother, and my dad I bet we've had 6-8 fish in the 8 pound range with alot of the smaller 5 pounders. I don't have exact directions but just ask around and I'm sure you could find it.

Jake

i dont know how far irvine lake is but there are supposed to be some large cats in there.

The Forebay and aqueducts close to it are a pretty good bet. I haven't seen any big cats caught there but I do know that a 67 pound Striper was caught and documented out of the Forebay. I can tell you that I and my friends have hooked up into our fair share of big fish that got away in the Forebay. Don't know if they were Stripers or Cats but they went more than 10 pounds and I'm very positive about that. Give the Forebay a shot. Oh! Use The biggest legal baits. The bigger the better.

777

Aqueducts
The trick for me has been chum alot useing anchovys cut in 1/2 use a 1/4 once split 18" above the #2 octopus hook
good luck

...chumming is illegal in the aquaducts and most other freshwater in the state of California.
Tight lines,
Wade

Here is what the regs say. I say the aquaduct is a tributary of the sacramento river. I may be wrong but I have never been ticketed for it

2.40. Chumming.
Chumming is permitted only in:
(a) The Colorado River District, but only the approved bait fishes for this District
may be used as chum (see Section 4.15) except in the Salton Sea where corn
may also be used.
(b) Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay and their tributaries and saltwater tributaries.
(c) Sacramento River and tidewater of tributaries downstream from Interstate 80
bridge.
(d) San Joaquin River and tidewater of tributaries downstream from Interstate 5 bridge.

I'm pretty sure you could be nailed for it because 1) your not in the tidewater area, 2) I don't know if it would qualify as "downstream" of the 80. Instead of chumming, you can loosely hook small chunks of chovie on a hi/lo an set the hook when you feel the line go slack. It might be you hitting the bottom and it might be a fish right? If you cast into the same area 5 or 6 times doing this you've just put 10 or 12 pieces of bait in a smaller area than you could probably effectively chum.
Tight lines,
Wade

cool