Invasive species....
- Thread starter tigger
- Start date
B
binka
Guest
Wait until they get into the Ribble Ian, it might sound a bit far fetched but they didn't walk their way into the Trent and there are some huge Catfish knocking around in there, just munching their way through the Barbel.
Fortunately there are an awful lot of Barbel too but that sounds a bit like the perfect storm just waiting to happen, our climate is not that different to some of the rivers of northern France and look how commonplace they have become there and at colossal proportions.
Nature's balance often tends to upset itself when man intervenes.
Fortunately there are an awful lot of Barbel too but that sounds a bit like the perfect storm just waiting to happen, our climate is not that different to some of the rivers of northern France and look how commonplace they have become there and at colossal proportions.
Nature's balance often tends to upset itself when man intervenes.
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2009
- Messages
- 9,335
- Reaction score
- 1,692
Theyre already there Steve, or they have been. The ribble has a lot of game anglers and coarse anglers who are dead against invasive species and I think most anglers on there would kill them if they catch one.....I certainly would! Lets face, if you have an ounce of brain then releasing something like that would be backward, plus it's illegal to do so.
thecrow
Well-known member
Catfish I love em, the more the better.
B
binka
Guest
mikench
Well-known member
If I caught a catfish, unlikely I know, it would not be returned to the water! Filleted with Cajun spice and fried ! Maybe in a poor boy sandwich! They are only fit for eating!
chrissh
Well-known member
Wasn’t there a report that a snakehead was caught in a Lincolnshire rive 5 or 6 years year ago?
flightliner
Well-known member
I witnessed a chanel catfish from the lower tidal Trent in 1990. The guy who caught it told me it was his second, he put it in the Angling times! No idea how big they grow?
B
binka
Guest
Keith M
Well-known member
I caught a small Wells Catfish tonight of around 7lb from my local estate lake. It was put into a large net which the club has placed in a corner of the lake especially for any catfish we catch; which are removed periodically. The largest removed from the lake so far was 44lb.
.
One good thing with we’ve had with the cats is that we no longer have any Turkish crayfish problems (Turkish Crays are similar in size to the Signal Crays but with longer pointed claws) and we can once more use groundbait and loosefeed without having foreign crayfish move in.
Keith
.
One good thing with we’ve had with the cats is that we no longer have any Turkish crayfish problems (Turkish Crays are similar in size to the Signal Crays but with longer pointed claws) and we can once more use groundbait and loosefeed without having foreign crayfish move in.
Keith
Last edited:
Another Dave
Well-known member
One about a foot long came out of the park lake and the bloke, deciding the lake was in no way large enough to support a wels, decided to put it in a nearby river, hmm. Not sure how i feel about that, maybe one for HDYGO thread in a few years time.
O
O.C.F.Disorder
Guest
Its a story as old as our gene pool, the few ruining it for the many
A few years ago I connected with something whilst deadbaiting at Torksey Lock on the Tidal. I had substantial Pike tackle. It spooled me as it headed for the Humber. In the end all I could do was hang on and luckily it was the knot at the trace that gave way so there was no great quantity of trailing line.
thecrow
Well-known member
Could have been a seal as it sounds very much like the time I hooked one on the relief.
B
binka
Guest
A similar experience for me too, Pete.
Around three or our years ago now and I was deadbaiting one October and I had taken three Pike to 22lb that morning, no problems at all with the gear.
It all went quiet until around 2.30pm when the float just slid away, none of the dips and slides that you typically get when a pike picks up the bait and the baitrunner slowly began clicking away.
At first I wondered if a large, submerged log had come down the river as I was just pulling a very heavy dead weight to the surface and when it broke the surface all hell broke loose, until that point I reckon it didn't even realise it was hooked but I clocked the mottled colouring as it went into an almighty S-shaped thrash and shot off UPRIVER at a pace that the drag on the reel couldn't keep up with and I ended up smashed to bits.
Hard to estimate a weight but I reckon it was a good five feet in length, if not more.
I remember looking into the gear needed to land one back at the time with a view to fishing a sleeper rod for them but even with strong enough gear I reckon I would have had to strap myself to a tree to be able to get enough winding power on it.
People do land 'em though so it can be done.
I've caught quite a few catfish to 38lb 6oz. They scrap like mad but lie still on the mat like a great big slug! Apparently the lake used to hold a decent head of big roach - all gone now. Please don't put 'em back!
Yep, I think we need more specialist dedicated Catfish waters ...of course they could chuck in a few Carp too for variety..
More seriously (because the above was indeed a joke you see....got to be careful about these things nowadays...) ...having caught my fair share I would say best way to catch them is with a livebait and the bigger the better. They tend to go on bananas runs when you heave back so I try and tire them out midwater if I can, let it swim around a bit before I pull back too much.
Always get their head to the spreader block ...they are as adept swimming backwards as forwards out of nets. Finally pack allot of hand towels or better still disposable clothes... because they stink !
B
binka
Guest
You open the Catfish water and i'll bring along the Carp to fatten 'em up
I have a seemingly endless supply...