Warsaw's Bob Schultz Known For Big Catches
August 8, 2017 at 4:38 p.m.
Warsaw's Bob Schultz Known For Big Catches
By Dale Hubler-dhubler@timesuniononline.com
Time of the day. Outdoor temperature. Water temperature. What was biting, and on what bait.
Now the 58-year-old Warsaw resident just goes off his years of experience.
Schultz, who moved to the area from Danville, Ill., when he was a teenager, is an avid fisherman – to put it lightly – and is known for his big catches, particularly catfish.
“When I was little, my father used to take us to pay ponds all the time in Illinois,” said Schultz, sitting at Pike Lake Friday afternoon. “That’s how I learned to catfish. Ever since I was 10 or 11 years old, I’ve been fishing. It’s what I love to do.
“I moved here when I was 17. These old men used to rent row boats, and they’d come back in with catfish almost as big as the row boats. So I started talking to the old men, and that’s how I learned to catfish.”
In the past week, Schultz has caught some large catfish from his favorite spot on Pike Lake, including a 30-pound female flathead and a 40-pound male flathead.
Schultz, who said he fishes nearly every day, practices catch-and-release, with the idea of hopefully catching the fish again when it’s bigger.
“What I had to do was fish different times of the day, different times of the year, there’s a lot that goes into it,” said Schultz. “Flatheads like live bait, so I use bluegills, rock bass, all panfish. Whatever you catch there, that’s what they’ll eat.”
Schultz said he’s been catching flatheads in the same spot for years, noting this is the time of year when catfish spawn.
“Every year it’s the same spot ... I’ve been catching flatheads there for 30 years,” said Schultz, pointing toward his honey hole. “That’s where they spawn ... they come out of the deep (water) and make their beds.
“I first started catching them in spring, right after ice out. I started fishing for largemouth bass and walleye, and in the midst of them I was jigging a nightcrawler and catching flatheads. That told me right there that they were in that area.
“In August is when they spawn, and that’s when I start catching the bigger ones. The 40-pounder I caught was my ninth one this year, and they’ve been different sizes. Right now I’m catching the bigger ones because they’re spawning.”
Naturally, Schultz didn’t want to reveal the location of his honey hole, but did say that his setup includes 10-foot rods with Abu Garcia 6500 C3 reels, Berkley XT 25-pound line and Eagle Claw hooks.
Asked what he thought might be in Pike Lake, Schultz didn’t hide his excitement or optimism.
“Monsters, big ones,” said Schultz. “There’s gotta be a 100-pound catfish here. My biggest carp here is 50 pounds, biggest bass is eight pounds, my biggest bluegill here was two pounds. There’s monster fish in there.”
Rest assured, Schultz is going to keep on fishing for those monsters.
Time of the day. Outdoor temperature. Water temperature. What was biting, and on what bait.
Now the 58-year-old Warsaw resident just goes off his years of experience.
Schultz, who moved to the area from Danville, Ill., when he was a teenager, is an avid fisherman – to put it lightly – and is known for his big catches, particularly catfish.
“When I was little, my father used to take us to pay ponds all the time in Illinois,” said Schultz, sitting at Pike Lake Friday afternoon. “That’s how I learned to catfish. Ever since I was 10 or 11 years old, I’ve been fishing. It’s what I love to do.
“I moved here when I was 17. These old men used to rent row boats, and they’d come back in with catfish almost as big as the row boats. So I started talking to the old men, and that’s how I learned to catfish.”
In the past week, Schultz has caught some large catfish from his favorite spot on Pike Lake, including a 30-pound female flathead and a 40-pound male flathead.
Schultz, who said he fishes nearly every day, practices catch-and-release, with the idea of hopefully catching the fish again when it’s bigger.
“What I had to do was fish different times of the day, different times of the year, there’s a lot that goes into it,” said Schultz. “Flatheads like live bait, so I use bluegills, rock bass, all panfish. Whatever you catch there, that’s what they’ll eat.”
Schultz said he’s been catching flatheads in the same spot for years, noting this is the time of year when catfish spawn.
“Every year it’s the same spot ... I’ve been catching flatheads there for 30 years,” said Schultz, pointing toward his honey hole. “That’s where they spawn ... they come out of the deep (water) and make their beds.
“I first started catching them in spring, right after ice out. I started fishing for largemouth bass and walleye, and in the midst of them I was jigging a nightcrawler and catching flatheads. That told me right there that they were in that area.
“In August is when they spawn, and that’s when I start catching the bigger ones. The 40-pounder I caught was my ninth one this year, and they’ve been different sizes. Right now I’m catching the bigger ones because they’re spawning.”
Naturally, Schultz didn’t want to reveal the location of his honey hole, but did say that his setup includes 10-foot rods with Abu Garcia 6500 C3 reels, Berkley XT 25-pound line and Eagle Claw hooks.
Asked what he thought might be in Pike Lake, Schultz didn’t hide his excitement or optimism.
“Monsters, big ones,” said Schultz. “There’s gotta be a 100-pound catfish here. My biggest carp here is 50 pounds, biggest bass is eight pounds, my biggest bluegill here was two pounds. There’s monster fish in there.”
Rest assured, Schultz is going to keep on fishing for those monsters.
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