Catfishing between hales ford and hardy or ponderosa

[OnTheRocks]

Hello all new to this forum but not to whisker fishing. My dad and I love to get out in the evening this time I year to try to get into some fish. Good bonding time and tons of fun. We are not that familiar with SML for cats though. We have usually fished for crappie in SML and for cats we usually go up to chickahominy and Potomac rivers. We are close to the hardy area and put in usually at Mormans marina between hales ford bridge and hardy bridge. Other place we have fished with a small amount of luck is ponderosa camp ground. We have a 14 ft big John with a 25 horse mercury jet to get us through the shallows and sometimes where the bigger fish are where others can't. So anyway where would the best catfishing be this time of year in SML and what bait? We are familiar with the lake being we crappie fish a ton around here. We will be fishing the evening into the night. Is it best to wait until the water clears up a bit after all the rain we are getting now? Any help is appreciated. Thanks to all!!

[CorneliaGale]

Put in at Moormans one morning and was talking to Mr. Moorman and he said someone had left a cat tied up on the end of the dock, I pulled it up and weighted it for him about 25 lbs. we turned it loose. There is a lot of good cat fishing up in that area, right in front of Moormans and above the trussle up to Bayroc, down towards Chandlers, most of those points hold cats, and sometimes nice ones.

[OnTheRocks]

Thanks for the reply, we have fished around the area before. Which points are you talking about? Is it a good idea to fish around the shoreline with chicken liver and cut bait this time of year? We also have noticed those rock bluffs before and after hardy bridge. Any other tips would be great. Would anyone recommend putting in at Mormans and fishing towards hardy or putting in at hardy fishing the trusses and back up the river. Thanks again!!

[CorneliaGale]

The shallow points going towards Bayroc used to give up some nice cats, as for where to put in I used Moormans when I could, shorter pull and safer I thought.

[ruger1nut]

CorneliaGale are you hitting Flatheads or Channels up there. About what depth would you suggest? I will be up to the lake second week in August to stay with my Mom and Dad. My son and I are trying to try our hand at some cat fishing

Thanx
Dave

[CorneliaGale]

Both should be up there, pick a point and put out some lines, both live bait and some cut bait, nitecrawlers, livers what ever you have, bluegills work real well, go back and look, Travis had a real good article on how to set up.
As for the other question about Moormans or Hardy, I like Moormans better, Hardy is OK, but the ramps are steeper, I know the guy that owns Moormans and I always use it when I put in up that way. about the same distance both ways, where you are coming from would make the choice as where to put in.