catfish thru the ice

[4inch_ok]

I once saw a TV show where they were catching cats through the ice. Has anyone on here done this? What NJ lake is good for this? I guess bacon or blood bait right on ther bottom is the strategy?

[sofa king cool]

I caught a bullhead though the ice a long time ago.  Saw a couple caught too.  Minnows

[NickN]

I have never targeted them but, I lucked into a 4 pounder through the ice on a jig and meal worm a couple years ago at Furnace.  If I am not mistaken they get some pretty big ones at Hopatcong.  I believe in the Chestnut Point area.

[rowboater]

Webguy has some nice videos (under IceShanty Pictures/ Ice Shanty videos) of some of those catfish coming up thru the ice at Lake Hopatcong.

[AJ Flag]

I've gotten 1 or 2 through the ice in the last couple of years. I also got an eel once  , I guees they will still bite just far and few between.

[ecsteelheader]

The lake i live on produced some big cats in 2005-06..One guy caught a 17 1/2 lber and few 10+lbers..They were using dead shiners med-big size..Big bait = Big Fish.

Right now there letting water out so ,theres ice ,but the question is how much open space between the water and ice...Stinks...

[Scientist]

Are you trying to specifically target catfish through the ice? Most people catch them on accident. In the winter bullheads will burry themselves in the muddy bottom of the lake at varying depths trough out the lake, mostly in and along the weed lines. The channel cats will seek out the deepest area within a lake and often times they will congregate together. So if you catch one, the others will be close by. As for baits, I like to use a chuck of oily fish, such as fresh mackerel, suspending it 6 inches from the bottom. Suspending it helps disperse the scent in a larger area and every half hour or so lift the bait 1 foot and drop it back down. Catfish also have a milder taste and firmer texture when caught in the winter compared other times of the year. 

[JigAwhopper]

I used to target them at LH over the deeper water.  Watch the Vex to see where they hang in the water column and jig in their face.  The'll wack it eventually.  They run on average 8-11lb,   lots of fun   

[iceman_4432]

I think I have only caught 1 catfish in 20 yrs of icefishing.  Figured that was just a freak occurance. 

[NJ PIKER]

my friend lost one in the hole today at oxford
looked to be 4-5 #