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Member
Posts: 650
| I read below about willow cats as bait for walleyes... anybody try any soft plastics that resemble them? Maybe some sort of goby? case madtoms are close... also the spank em baits gobie looks real close... |
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Member
Posts: 625
Location: LaCrosse, WI | There have been a lot of guys trying the plastic versions on the Mississippi and they just haven't caught on. I've tried the gulp gobies and caught some fish, but as a test I fished regular gulp on those same days and caught fish on those too.
I think there is a certain smell comming off the slime of the willow cats, that has yet to be reproduced on artificials. If they come up with a spray, they could sell a ton of it. I've caught fish on the Case Madtoms, but usually when I run them behind a real cat. |
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Member
Posts: 1991
| I have had good succes with GULP Gobies |
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| I live in iowa does anyone know of a bait shop were willow cats are sold? |
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| I have tried the plastics with no success. And, I haven't heard anyone report them as successful. |
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Member
Posts: 1195
Location: Orland Park, IL | Smell as definately something to do with it. Back in the70's when my dad taught me to fish willowcats outta bass camp near winona (pool5a), he always cut the skin behind the head. Then pulled the skin back just a touch with some needlenose. That trick alone got us walleyes when others with willows cats just didnt work. So, the smell/slime has a great deal to do with it. |
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Member
Posts: 650
| great info Komo... let me ask this being from the far east... I know these cats are like little bullhead... what is the standard rigging for these live baits? thanks... |
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Member
Posts: 625
Location: LaCrosse, WI | The majority of the time, willow cats are rigged on a single hook on a live bait rig.
Single hook with about a 18"-3' leader to a ball bearing swivel with an egg sinker above. This allows the bait to roll in the current. They're most commonly fished on the Mississippi above wing dams, so this set up allows the bait to roll along the face of the wing dam covering more ground.
They can be used in sloughs, snags etc... Some guys like to put them on a jig and drag them or jig them. |
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Member
Posts: 650
| great info rook... actually blended in good with an article in FLW mag (bass) about wing dams...
I just dug out my gobie box and the best willow cat plastic I got is the spank em gobie... small simple shape...
word of caution, be careful typing in spank em in your search engine... I will try and get a link when I can find it and post it...
I guess in a pinch like Komo says scent could be a good thing... soak good in some smelly jelly... might work...
being a bass tourney guy mainly, live bait is never an issue... with walleye events, I think I'm missing a whole deal in getting bait for an event... must be tough sometimes... my hats off to you guys...
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| Case plastic makes a Mad Tom that would be prefect
http://www.caseplastics.com/creature.html |
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New User
Posts: 1
| There's a soft plastic that is scented with real willowcats. It's called liquid willowcat. I'm sure a quick google search would find their website |
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