Channel Cat Tips

[Drum Solo]

Hoping to get some tips on channel cat behavior and tactics to use to catch them. I have been messing around trying to catch one for a couple of months at my local Community Fishing Program site(with NCWRC-stocked fish). Initially, I was just wanting to have a rod or two in the water while I went after panfish. People online seemed to mostly be using circle hooks and I have primarily fished the surf the last few years so I had lots of those. Figured this would be perfect-wait for a hit, reel in, fish on. It works at the beach...

I have been getting plenty of bites, but I have not managed to hook up with a channel cat on a circle hook yet. I've tried drag tight and loose, reeling in immediately and letting them play with it. I was mostly using 1/0 or 2/0 hooks. Recently I've started trying #4 and #8 trebles. I had what felt like a decent fish on yesterday but he bent a #4 and got off. I set the hook fairly quickly(but not immediately) on that one. I'm about ready to go down to one rod and just hold it, but that really is not my kind of fishing, if I am bottom fishing I like to also throw lures of some kind and not just hold a rod waiting for a strike.

Anyway, just wondering if people usually manage a multiple rod setup and try to let the fish take a bit of line before setting/reeling in or if it's better to do that as soon as you notice a bite. It seems to me like they are playing with the bait and not really inhaling it-not sure if that's a seasonal behavior or what.

I have mostly been using prepared dough bait-that seems to draw the most bites. I tried cut bream and small live bream a few times but didn't get so much as a bite(on days when the dough drew bites) so I stopped. I do have some dip bait and punch bait but have not really used them much yet.

Am using a Carolina rig.

[roostertail24]

Try shrimp for bait. And if there are good sized channels in there that rig and hook should work fine. They usually hit pretty aggressively so no need to hold the rod. If there are only smalls in there you will gets lots of stolen bait. This is one from last week from the Neuse.

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[Drum Solo]

I'll give shrimp a try; I've got some salted from this fall. I have some dough bait that is shrimp flavored but I have gotten more hits on the liver and blood flavor.

[Fishin Technician]

Try chicken livers too= If a catfish is around- it won't take long for a strike

[gambusia]

Shrimp and chicken liver