Caught a Blue Catfish on Old Hickory Lake using a Skipjack

Caught By

Eric Moore
7/17/2015 6:38:00 AM

88 lb blue :)

Catch Details

	Braggin' Board Winner!
	Species	Blue Catfish
	Waterway	Old Hickory Lake
	Location	The location of this catch is only visible to Fishidy members. Create a free account!
	Lure/Bait	Skipjack
	Visible to	Everyone

Catch Conditions

	Sky Condition	Clear
	Air Temperature	73^°F
	Wind	S at 3mph
	Air Pressure	falling

Comments
12K+

1. Jan 09, 2016 Will Schibig 0
  That must be lake record!!!
2. Nov 30, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  Just realized I didn't completely answer your question, I throw them back behind the boat and let the weight settle to the bottom with the sunperch.
3. Nov 30, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  I will usually run two of them off of the back of the boat with as little weight as I can get away with. Roughly a 4 foot leader in front of a half ounce or an ounce ...more sinker. It just helps them from tangling up with each other and swimming into the brush, kind of keeps them put. I'll leave my drag wide open with the bait clicker on and let them take it for a while if I'm not super tight on structure. 8 octopus circle, 80 lb main line and leader, sometimes you'll bring one up with a whole section of tree, you need to be able to rip them out of the structure LOL. Also, just in case you didn't know it's night and day difference between fresh and frozen skipjack on the big cats. I have used frozen for years and I have completely quit using it now, for the big ones anyways. Even a fresh yellow belly or stripe is better than a frozen skipjack. Skips last up to four or five days on ice but I don't waste my time fishing for big cats unless I have fresh, just my opinion. I've had several times where I was catching big cats and I ran out of fresh and pulled out the frozen and never caught another big one, and could see them on my graph. Hope that helps!
4. Nov 30, 2015 Mitch Shubert 0
  Sweet thanks man so the flatheads r you suspending also or bottom fishing those with the live bluegill? I've been catching a lot of skipjack in the lock 4 area ...more so I have plenty of those in the freezer I'm new to catching the bigger ones but would love to hook one
5. Nov 30, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  If I'm targeting big blues I only use big chunks of skipjack my favorite would be the head plus an inch of body on a 12 to 16 inch skipjack Under 12 inches ...more cut the tail off and fish it whole. Keep in mind on old hickory you're not fishing for big cats, you're fishing for a big cat. Find deep holes in fall and winter, main Chanel's 60, 70 ft and if you mark a good one stop and fish it. Drift the area with your bait suspended about 5 foot. Several drifts if necessary before moving, The more current they're pumping and the more current that particular area has the better. I typically will make the drive to the Tennessee River to target big blues. There's just so many more than what the Cumberland holds. For example I would not fish for one big fish that I mark on the Tennessee but I will in the Cumberland.
6. Nov 30, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  Old hickory is tough! The easiest thing to do on old hickory is the big flat heads in the river using live Sunperch or bluegill or shad , Creek mouth's, Bluffs, ...more fallen trees, or structure. Big blues are rare!!!
7. Nov 29, 2015 Mitch Shubert 0
  I fish old hickory and the Cumberland a lot trying to catch these big guys any pointers for someone who's learning the ways of catching these trophy cats I have ...more no problem catching good eating size ones but am looking for a trophy catch
8. Jul 24, 2015 Joshua Dean 0
  Thanks for the tips. I have decided to only go after trophy class fish this year so I can use all the help available.
9. Jul 21, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  If there are big schools of bait there are probably big catfish below them nearby somewhere
10. Jul 21, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  It's hard to type on this LOL
11. Jul 21, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  Look for creek beds hitting into your main channel, holes structure near Bluffs, Channel drop offs and flats above the main Chanel. What I'm looking for the ...more spots also look for the bit what I'm looking for the spots also look for the bait. If they're big schools are shad there are probably big cats nearby below somewhere
12. Jul 21, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  I catch most of the monsters in the fall, different bodies of water will have the fish at different depths but typically either holes or structure. For example, ...more Tennessee River anywhere from 40 to 85 feet deep, Old hickory, 35 to 70
13. Jul 21, 2015 Joshua Dean 0
  Nice one. How deep are those big blues?
14. Jul 20, 2015 Darren Ellis 0
  Nice Fish ! Nice to see mature fish and better sportsmen releasing them.. For hopefully our younger generations to catch..
15. Jul 20, 2015 chris kliman 0
  Nice beast ya got there!!
16. Jul 18, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  So true, I released a 109.6 lb blue last year on the Tennessee river, I sure hope to see him again in a few years!
17. Jul 18, 2015 Deleted 0
  Good man! In my neck of the woods, a lot of people keep everything they catch. ESPECIALLY the big ones. People think I'm nuts for releasing everything. Gotta ...more let em go, could be the next record!
18. Jul 18, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  Thanks guys, hopefully be posting some more soon, cough 9 over 80 pounds last year
19. Jul 18, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  Fresh bait every 15 minutes to keep the Scent trail going
20. Jul 18, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  The big boys should be hitting in the river soon, I lost and 80+ directly below the dam last week, still sad about that one LOL
21. Jul 18, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  I use anywhere from a quarter to a whole skipjack according to the size
22. Jul 18, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  Sorry Will, I deleted your comment accidentally, I caught it in one of the deepest holes I could find
23. Jul 18, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  Release always! Let him get bigger
24. Jul 18, 2015 Deleted 0
  So jealous!!!! WHAT A BRUTE! Did you keep or release?
25. Jul 18, 2015 Mike Ryan 0
  WOW bet that zebco was screaming great catch
26. Jul 18, 2015 John Fletcher 0
  Wow... I live in Murfreesboro. I'm gonna have to get over to Old Hickory and give it a go!!!
27. Jul 18, 2015 Jason Evans 0
  Wow, what a fish!!
28. Jul 18, 2015 Tim Steinmetz 0
  What a beast! Awesome catch!
29. Jul 17, 2015 jeff clark 0
  amazing. I haven't fished for cats on old hickory yet but maybe I should!
30. Jul 17, 2015 Rich Pardy 0
  Man what nice blue, that has to be fun.
31. Jul 17, 2015 Tony DeMeo 0
  I live on the river, I had no idea.. Whole skipjack or cut bait? I think that would scare the crap out of me if I saw that monster come out of the water. Great catch!!
32. Jul 17, 2015 Eric Moore 0
  Thanks man, i'm glad to see there are still a few big blues left!
33. Jul 17, 2015 Tony DeMeo 0
  WOW, congratulations Eric!
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