Monthly Archives: January 2016

How Can I Catch Giant Winter Catfish?

Catch Giant Winter Catfish on the TVA Lake Chain

By Frank Sargeant
from The Fishing Wire

Big catfish from a TVA lake

While a lot of folks were still recovering from their hangovers on New Year’s Day, 76 boats headed out on a chilly Lake Wheeler in pursuit of the giant blue catfish of the Tennessee River system in the annual “Winter Blues” catfish tournament put on by the Alabama Catfish Trail.

Fishing for these catfish is a whole different ballgame from going out to land a few pan-size cats for dinner. Blues reach enormous size–the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) all-tackle record now stands at 143 pounds–and there are few places where the big ones are more abundant than in the lakes of North Alabama.

Big winter catfish

The current Alabama state record, 120 pounds, came from Holt Reservoir not far from Tuscaloosa, and the former record, 111 pounds, came from Wheeler. Blues reach lengths of almost 5 feet, and the largest have girths approaching 4 feet, according to the IGFA. Several blues over 200 pounds and one over 300 pounds were reported in newspapers of the 1800’s from the Missouri River, but whether these weights were anywhere near accurate is anybody’s guess.

Biggest catfish in the Winter Blues event was not record class, but Team Magness from Mississippi did manage a 72.58 pounder, the heaviest fish for the event. The team with the heaviest total weight for the event, Tammy Strouth and Brian Lawson, had a fish that went 68.69 pounder as part of their three-fish total bag of 168.9 pounds, while the second place team of Nick Diminio, Adam Long and Doug Jolly brought in a 69.58 pounder as part of a total bag of 151.9 pounds.

These fish can live at least 20 years, and don’t reach sexual maturity or spawning age until they’re 4 to 5 years old. Since they’re valued more as trophy fish than as food fish in the larger sizes, Alabama has placed a limit of one fish daily over 34 inches on the species. The idea is to allow more fish more time to grow into the lunker class. (All trophy-class fish caught in the Alabama Catfish Trail events are released.)

You can catch big cats

While the giants are most often found in the deepest holes in the river or directly below the dams in summer, in winter they spread out to feed on river points, shell beds and sandbars, and the big ones are evidently most active in the colder weather.

Blues eat just about any type of fish, but they seem to have a special preference for a herring-like baitfish called the skipjack, which is found naturally throughout the Tennessee River system. Most expert catfish anglers here prefer cut skipjack over gizzard shad or other bait. A chunk about 6 inches long is typically used to lure the larger fish.

The baits are usually fished on bottom, or just off bottom via a small float between a heavy egg sinker and the bait.

Most anglers use 40-pound tackle and up, with heavy spinning reels loaded with braid a favorite with some. Hooks are 8/0 or larger circle hooks, which are said to hook the fish without a hook set, and which make it easier to release the fish alive since they usually lodge in the front of the jaw.

Big cats are strong adversaries, and battles of 15 minutes and more are not uncommon with a lunker. However, the biggest problem most anglers face when the fish finally rolls at boatside is how to get it aboard–even the largest landing nets are likely to buckle under a 60-pounder.Gaffing would work, but since the fish are to be released alive, it’s not a good strategy. Some anglers who fish the giants regularly use two nets, placing one over the head, the other over the tail for a combined lift.

For more on catfish tournaments, visit www.alabamacatfishtrail.com.

Planting Crab Apple Trees for Deer

Yes, there is a seedling in that cage

Winter is the time to plant crab apple trees for deer, as well as other trees like persimmon and pear. Deer love fruit and if you have trees where you hunt they will attract deer. You may be like me and call that harvesting rather than hunting, since you are putting something out to attract the deer to you rather than going and hunting them, but that is open to your opinion.

I ordered my crab apple seedlings from the Georgia Forestry Service. They sell a variety of trees at very good prices. Ten crab apple seedlings were $30, much cheaper than I could have gotten them anywhere else. They start taking orders in June for delivery to your nearest Forestry Service office in December or January, the time to plant them. i wanted to order some persimmon trees, but they were sold out by the time I tried to order.

Since my soil is poor I bought some bags of topsoil at Lowes and a bag of 10-10-10 fertilizer. I also took some wire I had and made tubes to protect the saplings from deer and other animals. To plant, I dug a hole a little deeper than the seedlings had been growing and much bigger than the root spread with post hole diggers. I put the sapling in and added topsoil, compacting it as I added it. When the hole was full I poured water on it to settle it good and sprinkled a cup of fertilizer around it about a foot out. After staking the cages down securely I flagged them with surveyors tape.

These wild persimmon trees are in my field

I also fertilized some wild persimmon trees in my field and a white oak tree as well as some saw tooth oaks I planted a few years ago. I have been watching about a dozen persimmon trees that came up in my field, hoping to see some fruit so I would know they are female trees. I finally saw some persimmons on this group of trees this year so I fertilized them.

I hope to harvest venison around these trees in three or four years.

Outdoor Equipment and Other Stuff I Use

Please excuse these pages – I I will post reviews of these items as soon as I get them and try them out.

Costa Galveston Sunglasses

Pickup Truck Crane

Camo Netting

Extension cord

Electric Leaf Blower

Sump Pump

This muffler for my Ford 1710 was more than $300 at the local Ford Tractor dealer!

I keep one in the fridge for frying fish filets!

i keep forgetting to turn the water hose off at the farm!

Dog No-Bark Shocking Collar

Log Jack – Log Buck

I wish I had gotten one of these years ago! I cut wood and heat most of my house with a fireplace insert, and I am by myself when cutting wood. This log jack is amazing, making lifting a log off the ground to cut easy even if alone I have used it a few times and will never be without one again. I may get a second one so I can pick up the whole log, not just one end.

Electric Fence Charger

Electric Fence Wire

Electric Fence Insulators for Chain Link Fence

Electric Fence Corner Insulators

Campfire Reel roasters

These look cute and the reviews on the first one say kids love it. The second one only had one review and it showed a danger. I will order them and review them in detail. If you have kids, or kid-like adults, these would be fum!

Electronic Dog Training Collar

D-Con Rat and Mouse Poison
I have some rental houses so I buy in large quantities.

Flea Traps
I have had a major flea problem so I ordered these traps and refills – they work great, catching many fleas every day

CD Label Maker

CD Sleeves

Screwdriver Set

Ear Plugs

Good Catch of Bass at Lake Sinclair

Three at Sinclair

Had a very good day for me at Sinclair today – my first tournament with Potato Creek Bassmasters. Had five weighing 17.98 pounds – my best five fish limit ever, I think, and definitely my best ever at Sinclair. All hit a dark brown crayfish DT 6 – three around docks, one on a boat ramp and one on a clay point. Biggest was 5.5 pounds, other two in pictures were around 4 each. One four pounder was first fish at 9:15 this morning, other four pounder was last fish at 3:30 this afternoon

What Are Some Panfishing Tips for Ice Anglers?

Panfishing Tips for Ice Anglers
from The Fishing Wire

Horizontal vs. vertical jigs and the underwater footage to prove our point

Custom JIgs & Spins ‘Gill Pill

A Custom JIgs & Spins ‘Gill Pill jousts soft plastic Noodels to create a delicious horizontal-hung spider from Mars.

Pick a panfish jig. But not just any panfish jig. You want one that quivers like crappie candy; moves like bluegill food. Color matters, too. Ditto for body shape, profile, texture and, sometimes, taste.

Still, it’s possible to choose wisely, while continually overlooking one very critical characteristic. Some folks call it angle of the dangle. For specialists like Panfish “Phil” Laube, it’s about hook positioning, bluegill bite mechanics, or the way a crappie crushes a jig. When to present a bait perpendicular versus parallel? When to offer a hook angle that’s obtuse, as opposed to acute (remember Geometry 101?)

Turns out, paying attention in math class really did matter. For in the real world of lure selection, the difference between bites and actual hooksets boils down to one critical choice: When to go vertical and when to hang horizontal.

Offering an optimized hook angle, the tournament-proven Chekai Tungsten Ice Jig fishes fast and active. It’s the perfect jig for pairing with plastics, particularly a Custom Jigs & Spins Wedgee plastic, or even a writhing mass of live larvae. Either way, the Chekai’s jighook is ultra sharp, with plenty of extra gap to set itself sweetly and securely in a panfish’s lip. Fishing precisely horizontal, the hook itself “tips down” slightly, a fine-tuned detail that assures the hook always finds home.

Custom Jigs & Spins tungsten Chekai

The Custom Jigs & Spins tungsten Chekai fishes fast and horizontally, and with its freakishly sharp, wide and unturned hook, sticks fish with amazing precision and consitency.

Assuming a similar underwater posture, the Diamond Jig fishes small, yet heavy for its compact size. Perfect for presenting live bait or plastics, this gem jig also sports a sweet little extra enticement—a bejeweled attractor bead at the base of the head. The Diamond Jig’s needle-sharp hook is offset at an ideal 45-degrees for ultimate hook-setting success (see, Geometry does matter.)

To turn the tables on panfish in shallow vegetation or other valuable vertical scenarios, Custom Jigs & Spins’ VertiGlo Demon remains a classic tactic. Finished with a chip-resistant, long-lasting glow paint, this perpendicular panfish jig maintains an upright posture at all times. Yet the hookpoint stands out at 90-degrees from the body—again, the optimal angle for vertical jig tricks.

jig crappie

Adding extra polish to each of these optimized jigs, the Wedgee plastic looks, feels and swims like a living thing. Poured with a super-fine, tapered body shape, this sweet little softbait is the ultimate ice-fishing inducement. The Wedgee’s super versatile, too. Fish the 1.75-inch plastic whole. Trim the head and thread it onto a jighook. Present it wacky-style, t-boned onto a Demon Jig for a lethal “vertizontal” posture. No matter what you do, the Wedgee’s tail just keeps on quivering. Try to stop it. Can’t be done. Also unlike live bait, it never dies.

We’re not suggesting you go back to school. Nor to revisit Geometry 101. Thankfully, the fishing folks at Custom Jigs & Spins have already aced the final exam, gifting anglers with A+ ice jigs that attract, trigger and most importantly, hook every fish that bites.

ABOUT
Custom Jigs & Spins started almost 30 years ago producing high quality ice fishing lures.

Why Check Your Trolling Motor Shaft for Fishing Line?

Last weekend while fishing at Sinclair I got my jig hung on some line near a dock. When I got it loose I let the line fall back into the water. It got on my prop as I started to move and I got all of it off that I could see. i checked it today – thank goodness I remembered

Line on prop shaft

Use a pair of pliers to remove nut

To get the prop off, I used a pair of pliers to loosen the nut on my Motorguide Trolling Motor. You can buy a tool for this but a pair of pliers, opened a little and used like a wrench, works fine. You can do the same thing in reverse to tighten the nut when finished.

Take the nut off by unscrewing it, you will have to hold the prop while unscrewing the nut. After taking the nut off the prop should slide off the shaft. You may have to tap it on the back side to get it off. There is a pin in the shaft that goes into a slot in the prop hub and it sometimes sticks. Be careful you don’t lose the pin. See the picture of it below.

After I cleaned off all the line I checked the white line barrier. It helps keep line from getting into the prop shaft seal. if line gets into the seal and damages it water will get into the motor and it will rust and stop working.

Clean prop shaft showing seal protector

Time to put the prop back on. First put the pin into the hole in the shaft

Look inside the back of the prop hub and you can see the slot the pin has to go in. You can see the ridges from the front of the hub to help you line it up. Slde the hub down on the shaft until it is tight on the pin. There should be little gap between the outside edges of the prop hub and motor housing when it is all the way down on the shaft as it should be.

Put the nut back on the shaft and tighten it. Use your pliers to get it very tight. I have lost two props because I left the trolling motor in the water and idled across a cove. The water pressure turned the prop backwards, unscrewing it. That is why I have a spare prop, nut and pin in my boat and why I never idle with the trolling motor in the water!

Prop pin

Slots inside prop hub

Prop on shaft

Prop Nut

Nut tightened properly

Why Are Recreational Fishermen Being Pushed Out of Red Snapper Fishing?

Court ruling clears way for charter/for-hire privatization scheme
from The Fishing Wire

Gulf of Mexico red snapper anglers are out of options under federal management.

NEW ORLEANS, LA – A federal District Court judge has ruled that Amendment 40 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico will be allowed to stand, clearing the way for a new charter/for-hire sector in red snapper fishing and reserving a significant percentage of the recreational quota exclusively for its use.

Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) filed the lawsuit against Amendment 40, also known as sector separation, on behalf of anglers who have seen their access to the red snapper fishery steadily diminish under federal management while both the commercial and charter/for-hire sectors are positioned to reap windfalls.

“The great risk in these kinds of cases is that the court will simply defer to the federal agency charged with managing public resources and, unfortunately, that is what the court chose to do in this case.” said Bill Bird, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations Committee. “NOAA Fisheries is committed to privatizing public marine resources for the benefit of private businesses at the expense of recreational anglers. We are deeply disappointed that the judge missed an opportunity to correct this misguided federal management philosophy, but it is certainly not the end of our efforts to get this fishery managed properly, for the greatest benefit to our nation.”

The ruling makes it unlikely that recreational anglers fishing from their own boats will see an improvement from the 2015 red snapper season in which they had nine days to fish, compared to 44 for charter/for-hire operators and year-round for commercial vessels. Separating sectors, awarding private property rights to public resources to some and denying access to other is a dysfunctional management philosophy that sets the stage for a never-ending series of user conflicts under federal management.

“This is another frustrating development in a fishery that has been defined by failure and misguided policies for decades, but it does prove that state management is now the only viable avenue out of this mess,” said Bird. “We are more committed than ever to working with Congress to transfer responsibility for the red snapper fishery away from the federal government and let the Gulf States manage it.”

Congress is aware there are significant problems in the Gulf red snapper fishery and is moving to address it. Last month, language was inserted into the Fiscal Year 2016 appropriations bill by Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) that extended all Gulf state waters to 9 miles and sought to improve red snapper allocation and stock assessments. That bill was signed into law, and both Alabama and Louisiana announced immediately they will extend their boundaries from 3 to 9 miles, greatly increasing the potential areas for anglers to harvest red snappers. There has been no announcement from Mississippi thus far.

A bill introduced by Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) H.R. 3094 – the Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act – will grant legal recognition to a plan adopted by the Fish and Wildlife agencies of all five Gulf states to assume management of the Gulf red snapper in federal waters. The bill currently has 28 bi-partisan co-sponsors and has the support of a coalition of organizations representing the saltwater recreational fishing and boating community.

Why Are Pro Fishermen vs Joe Fishermen So Much Better?

There is a popular fishing show called “Brent Chapman’s Pro. vs. Joe.” on TV and the internet. In it professional tournament fisherman Brent Chapman takes a non-pro fisherman out for a day on the “Joe’s” home waters. They have a friendly competition to see who can catch the first, biggest and most bass. Brent usually wins.

I get to do my own version of that show every month. A good example was last Thursday when I drove to Smith Lake north of Birmingham and went out with Alex Davis to get information for a February Alabama Outdoor News article. We fished from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Smith is a highland lake much like Lake Lanier, with steep, rocky shorelines, very clear water most of the time, and big spotted bass. Due to the heavy rains in December the lake was over full pool and very stained. Our bright colored crankbaits disappeared about four or five inches deep.

Alex is 30 years old and has been fishing the FLW Tour tournaments the past four years. That is the top trail for the FLW tournament series and he does well on it. Alex guides on Guntersville and Smith when he is not tournament fishing, so fishing is all he does.

I didn’t have much confidence in catching much since the water was so stained. But Alex was confident. He said he usually fishes subtle baits like a drop shot worm or Fishhead Spin down in 15 to 25 depths in the clear cold water in the winter. But the stained water was 55 degrees so he changed tactics. He fished points with a crankbait, and targeted water less than ten feet deep.

After fishing about four points and Alex catching about a dozen bass to my zero he gave me a crankbait the color he was fishing. I don’t carry much fishing stuff with me on the writing trips and I had only a couple of crankbaits and they were a color that is best in clear water.

At the end of the day Alex had landed between 30 and 40 spotted bass – I lost count at 30 – and had several weighing more than three pounds. His best five, a tournament limit, would have weighed about 15 pounds. He caught every one of them on one crankbait.

I finally caught one spotted bass on a jig head worm. With the rods I took with me I just could not cast the crankbait far enough to get it down to the eight foot depths where the bass were feeding. Alex casts were half again as long as mine. Thats my excuse and I am sticking with it!

Thursday was not the first time this has happened to me. A few years ago I did a Georgia Outdoor News article with Mike Milsaps on Lake Lanier. He is one of the best fishermen in Georgia and wins a lot of tournaments. We didn’t catch much the day we fished but he told me he would be on the lake the next week, practicing for a BFL tournament, and invited me to go with him.

I had a club tournament the day after his BFL so I jumped at the chance to go, hoping to be shown enough to do well in my tournament. After Mike tried several things and figured out what he would do in the tournament, he said he was going to show me something for mine.

In the BFL, if you don’t have at least a limit of bass averaging three pounds each you won’t do well. But in the clubs I am thrilled with a limit of two pound fish, or even just keeper size bass.

Mike took me to a rocky bluff bank and started fishing it with a crankbait. After he caught about six spotted bass in the 15 inch range I had not had a bite on my crankbait. He gave me one exactly like he was using we started up the bank again after I tied it on.

We went about 50 yards and Mike caught several more bass and I still had not had a bite. I realized he was not casting and I asked what was wrong. Mike said he was watching me trying to figure out what I was doing different. He said as far as he could tell I was fishing just like he was. He started casting again and again caught several bass.

By the time we got to the end of the bluff he had landed 14 keeper spots – and I had not had a bite. The only difference we could come up with was he was using ten pound test fluorocarbon line and I was using 12 pound monofilament.

The next Sunday in my tournament I had a reel spooled with ten pound fluorocarbon line and the crankbait Mike gave me tied on it. I went to that bluff bank and fished it, and never got a bite!

Really good fishermen have some kind of special ability to catch fish. It is almost like a sixth sense that tells them exactly how to fish to catch bass. I seem to get little doses of it on rare occasions but nothing like they have every day. That is the difference between the Joes and the Pros!

My Favorite Rod and Reel Fishing Products

When Is Trophy Bass Time In Florida?

Trophy Bass Time in Florida

Winter is prime time for a lunker Florida largemouth, based on statistics from the state’s TrophyCatch Program.

By Bob Wattendorf, FFWCC
from The Fishing Wire

Happy New Year! TrophyCatch Season 3 ended on a very positive note, and Season 4 is off to an even better start, with peak fishing time right around the corner. TrophyCatch is the citizen-science program that allows the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to collect data on largemouth bass heavier than 8 pounds. In return, corporate partners reward anglers for properly documenting the catch with a photo of the entire bass (head to tail) on a scale with the weight showing, and releasing it. Check out these trends to find your own trophy bass.

During Season 3, the FWC verified 1,744 TrophyCatch bass, with more than 70 percent of the submissions being approved. The previous season, 993 bass heavier than 8 pounds were verified, which was about 60 percent of submissions. The first season, 185 were verified, which was less than 40 percent of submissions.

“This reflects an increasing awareness by anglers of the TrophyCatch program and how to document their catches, but also shows how prolific the trophy bass fishery is in Florida,” said KP Clements, director of TrophyCatch.

By going to TrophyCatchFlorida.com anglers can register, submit fish, and examine other catches from around the state. Just registering makes you eligible to win a $40,000 boat package. Ed Prather was the lucky winner of the third Phoenix Bass Boat given away by TrophyCatch. The prize boats are powered by Mercury and equipped with a PowerPole shallow-water anchoring. To be eligible for the random drawing at the end of Season 4, simply ensure you are registered and your information is up-to-date.

Data has shown FWC biologists that while there are hot lakes, like Kingsley Lake in Clay County (which has limited access to the military and homeowners), numerous catches come from small urban or rural ponds or even golf course ponds. Large popular public lakes like Istokpoga, Tohopekaliga, Okeechobee and Kissimmee provide equal opportunity for all anglers and are popular tourist destinations. At TrophyCatchFlorida.com you can search for catches by county or water body to determine how your favorite area is doing or where to try next.

Another trend wasn’t unexpected but was interesting to see confirmed. Last season about 50 TrophyCatch bass were verified in December, which doubled to over 100 in January, then increased to about 150 in February and peaked in March with almost 400 approved submissions. Trophy bass catches then declined through November before picking up again, in a typical annual cycle. Of course, this is keyed to the bass’ spawning cycle and anglers’ enthusiasm for finding bass during early spring. TrophyCatch helps ensure these big bass get put right back to continue their activities and challenge other anglers.

March panned out very well for the 15 Hall of Fame winners from Season 3, who were honored in December at an event at Bass Pro Shops, Orlando. Those anglers caught, documented and released 17 bass over 13 pounds; five of which were caught last March. This included Seth Chapman, who earned the TrophyCatch championship ring, donated by the American Outdoors Fund, for a 15-pound, 11-ounce bass submitted from Kingsley Lake. The ring goes to the biggest verified bass of the season.

Each Hall-of-Fame angler earned a fiberglass replica of their first Hall-of-Fame catch prepared by New Wave Taxidermy, gift cards from Bass Pro Shops, a SpiderWire sweatshirt and sunglasses, a Fitzgerald rod and Glen Lau DVD. In addition, American Registry presented them with a customized plaque featuring a photo of their catch with all the details. These custom plaques will be available during Season 4 as a new incentive to Hall-of-Fame winners and at a special discount for Lunker Club (8 to 9.9 pounds) and Trophy Club (10 to 12.9 pounds) recipients.

Porschia Gabrielse was the first angler with three Hall-of-Fame bass — a 13-, 14-, and 15-pounder — all from small Polk County ponds. She has contributed a total of 41 TrophyCatches to the program. Other anglers with more than 30 include: Robert Burnett, Mark Lemieux and AJ Jackson —all dedicated trophy anglers. In addition, thousands of other anglers have submitted at least one catch, many of whom were just average anglers out for an enjoyable day on the water.

“TrophyCatch provides significant data to help manage our valuable fisheries ensuring that Florida remains the ‘Fishing Capital of the World’,” said Tom Champeau, director of the FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management.

Clements added, “This program shows what can happen when government, the public, and the business community partner to improve fisheries conservation.”

“It’s great to see this program growing and amazing to see how many giant bass we have swimming in Florida. TrophyCatch anglers documented four fish over 15 pounds this year, and we know there are bigger fish out there” added Keith Alan, from the American Outdoors Fund.

Each Hall-of-Fame fish would be a state record in 28 states, and Florida has had 23 documented in three years. A 15-pounder exceeds the records in all but 12 other states.

To become a TrophyCatch winner yourself catch, document and release a largemouth bass legally that is eight pounds or heavier in Florida. To enter a trophy bass take a photo of the entire bass on a scale with the weight visible, and release it alive. Being legal includes having a Florida freshwater fishing license or approved exemption, so make sure you are covered. You can buy or renew a fishing license at License.MyFWC.com.

For more details and reminders, like us at Facebook.com/TrophyCatchFlorida, and check out the award winners, some great catches and promotional videos on YouTube.com/TrophyCatchFlorida.

So from all of us at the FWC, we hope you enjoyed the holiday season and encourage you to take the opportunity to participate in all the great outdoor experiences the new year has to offer here in the “Fishing Capital of the World.” Who knows, if you bring a scale and camera with you, you might be our next TrophyCatch champion. Good luck and good fishing this year.

Instant licenses are available at License.MyFWC.com or by calling 888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356). Report violators by calling 888-404-3922, *FWC or #FWC on your cell phone, or texting to Tip@MyFWC.com. Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and select “more news,” or bit.ly/FishBusters for more Fish Busters’ Bulletins. To subscribe to FWC columns or to receive news releases, visit MyFWC.com/Contact.

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