Guide Keith Wall’s tackle is big enough to handle the job of a medium- to magnum-size blue or flathead catfish.
“I use 6 1/2-foot Big Cat Ugly Sticks with Ambassadeur 6500 C level-wind reels,” said Wall, who spools the reels with 30-pound Trilene Big Game monofilament, then ties on a 2-ounce, triangle-shaped lead sinker with a hole in the middle. He ties his line to a swivel beneath the sinker, then adds 1 1/2 feet of 80-pound braided leader. His hooks are 10/0 Kahle Lazer brand.
“I put the hook into a baitfish right beneath his dorsal fin,” Wall said. “That lets him swim better.”
Wall said he’s careful to check his hook eyelets for defects after a disastrous tournament loss a few years ago.
“I was fishing a Cabelas King Cat tournament and had the winning fish on, a 40-pounder, and when I got him to the boat, the line slipped through a crack in the eyelet,” he said. “Hooks shouldn’t have cracks where you tie the line to the eyelets.
“It cost me $1,200.”
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