>>2869224
You shouldn't be catching cats if you are targeting bass. They hunt entirely differently.

>>2869226
I was doing a whacky rig with a senko and I got 2 of them, just twitching and reeling, not letting it sit too long on the bottom

>>2869224
use nightcrawlers with a bobber

>>2869226
that's not entirely true. most catfish are hunters, not bottom scavengers like people claim. especially common to catch younger channel cats on bass lures. if they are very hungry they are very aggressive and easier to catch than bass even on moving lures.
>>2869224
you're either not fishing right, or the places you're fishing don't have as many bass as you think. they aren't easy to catch if you don't know what you're doing, but also not hard. juvenile bass are pretty easy to catch, but once they get above 3 pounds they become much more intelligent. the lure that actually works year round in all conditions is spinnerbaits. for the hot summertime, you should have good luck with a topwater popper. throw it in shade lines and work it very slowly. sometimes, if a pond has a lot of catfish, it won't have a ton of bass.

>>2869224
Big bass that have been caught learn to avoid lures. Put live minnows on a bobber.

>>2869258
he said he wants to catch bass, and you tell him something that will catch everything but bass. the bass won't even have time to get a minnow because bluegill and cats will be all over it first.

File: hckvdj300-469_kvdj300_tnshad2_glamright.png (1.3 MB)

>>2869233
Yeah I cant deny the classics, I'll give it a go this upcoming monday

>>2869242
I was gonna try topwater, to be honest though i haven't seen much action from the fish from some of the other anglers which is why i havent tried, but ill give it a shot! ive been using spinners, both light/dark and naturals with a trailer that matches, no luck yet.

>>2869258
>>2869271
Yeah I caught one of the cats on a jerkbait which is weird, but live minnows could be an option if i go to a bigger pond/lake

>>2869494
just don't buy the biggest lures in each category. you get more bites with downsized lures. say under 3.5 inches in length for minnows and topwaters.

>>2869271
Bluegills aren't going to eat a big killifish or shiner, or better yet put a small bluegill on the hook. A few years back I had a bass swallow and then spit out a bluegill I was reeling in while fishing with worms.
>catfish
That's why you use a bobber

>>2869531
bluegill will eat a 3" minnow. also, channel cats are predators that hunt down prey throughout the water column, not bottom feeders. I've caught them on fast moving baits like spinners, chatterbaits, and crankbaits. if there are channel cats around, a minnow isn't lasting long enough for a bass to eat it.

>>2869540
Well that's your experience and I have mine. Let OP try it and come to his own conclusion.

>>2869524
got it, thanks for that bit, ill give it a shot.

>>2869531
I'll try with a bobber, the ponds im fishing are only max 2-3 ft deep so im not sure if it'll make much of a difference. I'll still try it though. I was thinking of using bluegill i catch, but id have to rehook and cast pretty quick i usually only bring a small baitbag with me.

>>2869540
I caught the cats the last few weeks with a small jerkbait, 2 senkos, and a critter, i believe it.

File: IMG_5863.jpg (2.5 MB)

So update, caught a few more dinks, 2 lmb, one on a nightcrawler and one on a senko. Tried minnows as well as flukes, no luck. Went to 6 ponds, those were the only ones. Weather was partly cloudy, slight breeze and warm. Caught them next to a fountain, both in the same pond. Gonna try tomorrow and see what I can get, that was the last place I tried and I was running out of gas, had been out since 7 am. Pretty sure there gotta be bigger ones in there.