Stonecat on Steriods!

[Dave_W]

Readers of this forum know I'm fascinated with baitfish like sculpins.

We have had some interesting threads on the topic of "stonecats" (actually a marginated madtom) as they're a popular live bait for river smallies and I enjoy tying flies to match 'em.

Anyway, here's one this morning from a local creek. It's one of the largest stonecats I have ever seen - this big dude is nearly 7" in length and his head is an inch in width. River smallies won't hesitate to crush a baitfish of this size and I suspect that big brown trout eat a few of these guys as well.

Note the light color with mainly olive and tan tones and the dark edge of the caudal - these are typical of marginated madtoms if you're thinking of tying some patterns to imitate them.

 

[BrianMyers67]

What color was it's underside ?

 

[Dave_W]

BrianMyers67 wrote:
What color was it's underside ?

This guy was off-white but I've seen stonecats exhibit undersides with ranges of pink, yellow, and cream.

 

[Fredrick]

I have seen some really nice size ones in Penns Creek a few years ago, when I fist saw them I thought that they were channel cats . I have never held one do they have the same spines on the side as channels cats ?

 

[jifigz]

Fredrick wrote:
I have seen some really nice size ones in Penns Creek a few years ago, when I fist saw them I thought that they were channel cats . I have never held one do they have the same spines on the side as channels cats ?

They have sharp edges on their fins and also have a poison/toxin to accompany them. It feels kind of like a bee sting/wasp sting. Just cup them gently and you're fine.

Dave, I've seen them that big but it's been rare. Lately in the Juniata I've been seeing more and more leeches.

 

[jifigz]

I would argue that a stonecat is the BEST bait for river smallmouths that you can get. Followed by hellgrammites and then probably a soft shell crayfish. Dave, I've seen you tie up a nice stonecat pattern that you've posted here before. I don't tie any patterns to specifically replicate them but I should start. I fish generic patterns that could look like a lot of different stuff.

 

[afishinado]

jifigz wrote:
I would argue that a stonecat is the BEST bait for river smallmouths that you can get. Followed by hellgrammites and then probably a soft shell crayfish. Dave, I've seen you tie up a nice stonecat pattern that you've posted here before. I don't tie any patterns to specifically replicate them but I should start. I fish generic patterns that could look like a lot of different stuff.

Brown wooly buggers?

Olive rules, but brown will do in the pinch

 

[BrianMyers67]

Thank you Dave

 

[jifigz]

afishinado wrote:

jifigz wrote:
I would argue that a stonecat is the BEST bait for river smallmouths that you can get. Followed by hellgrammites and then probably a soft shell crayfish. Dave, I've seen you tie up a nice stonecat pattern that you've posted here before. I don't tie any patterns to specifically replicate them but I should start. I fish generic patterns that could look like a lot of different stuff.

Brown wooly buggers?

Olive rules, but brown will do in the pinch

Do you remember that brown is often my favorite color woolly bugger? Not always, but certain times of year I have a lot of faith in brown. It just works for smallmouths and trout.

But Afish, I always carry buggers in brown, black, olive, and white. Sometimes some other colors, but those colors are a must.

 

[afishinado]

jifigz wrote:

afishinado wrote:

jifigz wrote:
I would argue that a stonecat is the BEST bait for river smallmouths that you can get. Followed by hellgrammites and then probably a soft shell crayfish. Dave, I've seen you tie up a nice stonecat pattern that you've posted here before. I don't tie any patterns to specifically replicate them but I should start. I fish generic patterns that could look like a lot of different stuff.

Brown wooly buggers?

Olive rules, but brown will do in the pinch

Do you remember that brown is often my favorite color woolly bugger? Not always, but certain times of year I have a lot of faith in brown. It just works for smallmouths and trout.

But Afish, I always carry buggers in brown, black, olive, and white. Sometimes some other colors, but those colors are a must.

+ Chartreuse and black.

Like you, I believe more generic fly pattern offerings work well for river smallies and the wooly bugger is as generic as it gets. It could, depending on the size and color, represent a leech, minnow, crayfish stonecat or madtom, hellgrammite or any bigger nymph. Or just something the moves a lot in the water and is good to eat. Good luck fishing.

 

[jifigz]

afishinado wrote:

jifigz wrote:

afishinado wrote:

jifigz wrote:
I would argue that a stonecat is the BEST bait for river smallmouths that you can get. Followed by hellgrammites and then probably a soft shell crayfish. Dave, I've seen you tie up a nice stonecat pattern that you've posted here before. I don't tie any patterns to specifically replicate them but I should start. I fish generic patterns that could look like a lot of different stuff.

Brown wooly buggers?

Olive rules, but brown will do in the pinch

Do you remember that brown is often my favorite color woolly bugger? Not always, but certain times of year I have a lot of faith in brown. It just works for smallmouths and trout.

But Afish, I always carry buggers in brown, black, olive, and white. Sometimes some other colors, but those colors are a must.

+ Chartreuse and black.

Like you, I believe more generic fly pattern offerings work well for river smallies and the wooly bugger is as generic as it gets. It could, depending on the size and color, represent a leech, minnow, crayfish stonecat or madtom, hellgrammite or any bigger nymph. Or just something the moves a lot in the water and is good to eat. Good luck fishing.

As in a black/chartreuse bugger? Which parts do you tie black and which parts of the bugger do you tie chartreuse?

I mix and match hackle colors a lot depending on what I have.

 

[afishinado]

jifigz wrote:

afishinado wrote:

jifigz wrote:

afishinado wrote:

jifigz wrote:
I would argue that a stonecat is the BEST bait for river smallmouths that you can get. Followed by hellgrammites and then probably a soft shell crayfish. Dave, I've seen you tie up a nice stonecat pattern that you've posted here before. I don't tie any patterns to specifically replicate them but I should start. I fish generic patterns that could look like a lot of different stuff.

Brown wooly buggers?

Olive rules, but brown will do in the pinch

Do you remember that brown is often my favorite color woolly bugger? Not always, but certain times of year I have a lot of faith in brown. It just works for smallmouths and trout.

But Afish, I always carry buggers in brown, black, olive, and white. Sometimes some other colors, but those colors are a must.

+ Chartreuse and black.

Like you, I believe more generic fly pattern offerings work well for river smallies and the wooly bugger is as generic as it gets. It could, depending on the size and color, represent a leech, minnow, crayfish stonecat or madtom, hellgrammite or any bigger nymph. Or just something the moves a lot in the water and is good to eat. Good luck fishing.

As in a black/chartreuse bugger? Which parts do you tie black and which parts of the bugger do you tie chartreuse?

I mix and match hackle colors a lot depending on what I have.

Chartreuse body, black marbou and hackle works well.

My secret wooly weapon for smallies is dark olive or black chenille on top of the body and chartruese on the bottom. You can either layer over or weave the chenille that way. I tie in a black marabou feather on top and a chartreuse on on bottom, so looking on the top of the bugger it's all black and flipping it over it's all chartreuse. Most creatures have lighter undersides. Anyway, it works well for smallies.

 

[jifigz]

Sounds like too much work for me. If you want to tie me up a couple you know where I live.

 

[afishinado]

jifigz wrote:
Sounds like too much work for me. If you want to tie me up a couple you know where I live.

I'm sure I'll be in your neighborhood sometime this summer and I'll drop some off....

In the meantime, try the chart body / black tail and hackles ones, especially when fishing murky water after a t-storm.