My Friend Kevin Krumm and other stuff - NOT FOR THE WEAK STOMACH PEOPLE...

Sassy and I met up with my friend - Kevin Krumm - Kevin and I went to school together STARTING IN KINDERGARDEN at WestLake in Austin!  We all have close friends but, would have to say - Kevin is like my brother from another mother (different dad too!).  He is one of the funniest guys I have ever been around and I could not have picked anyone better to grow up with. So when Kev told me that he would go out fishing with me - I knew we would have a great time.  We did.  The Lake is a GREAT place to catch up on old times and talk about stuff in general.  The Bald Eagles were out and the weather was great - except, it got a little cold after about an hour of fishing...  I was checking the water temp on my depth finder and nothing was registering on the screen - it was dead - no signal!   I figured that I would work on the electrical stuff when Sas and I got home...  

Kevin Krumm with the two of the four Cats we caught - we threw them back.

OK - WARNING - if you have a weak stomach or are NOT in the mood to see anything bloody - do NOT SCROLL DOWN ANY MORE... just stop reading and come back another day...

YOU WERE WARNED....

Anyone that knows me - knows that it is very seldom that I work on anything mechanical without ending up in the Doc's office... today was no different... I was stripping the casing off a wire on the USS SASSY (trying to fix the depth/fish finder) when I decided to see how sharp my knife actually was... and how close I could come to cutting off my knuckle...

Last Chance to turn back - very graphic...

This is not a big cut but just deep enough to see the bone and get five stitches...

It was kinda weird - because I was not hurting at all - UNTIL this morning - WOW! 

The following video was taken by Leni in the Doc's Office... pretty intense...

Merry Christmas!!!!

We have so much to be thankful for and most of all it is to God for his gift(s) to you and me.

Before I head back to "fish stuff" with this TightLine Fishing Blog - I wanted to throw in one more KPa picture... (I am POSITIVE there will be more....)

Talk about Christmas Gifts (Addelyn Kate Sager)!!!!!

OK - back to CatFishing stuff....

Here is Sassy and my "TightLine CatFishing" version of the "The Night Before Christmas..."

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the lake,

all the fish were real happy cause TightLine Fishing was taking a break.

The rods were all hung in the Man Cave with care,

in hopes that the catfish soon would be there.

Sassy, Kev and Dad were nestled, all snug in their beds,

while visions of Blue’s and Channel Cats swam in their heads.

The USS Sassy was tied up all tight,

and settled in the garage for a long winter’s night.

When out on the Brazos there arose such a clatter,

I ran to the dock to see what was the matter?

When what to my wandering eyes should appear,

but one giant splash the biggest Catfish this year!!!

The Grand Dad of Catfish I saw in the night,

I just had to know how hard he would fight?

Sassy and I jumped off the dock and ran through the sod,

grabbed a net, grandpas's tackle box, and my favorite old rod.

Dashed back to the dock threw open my box,

tried so many baits – the whole situation put my stomach in knots.

Tried Sivle’s Stink then Brian's different frog's from big ones to small,

put on Rick’s Super Secret bait but, this Catfish would not bite at all.

When down in my box I saw something squirm,

I reached down and grabbed a Killer Worm!

It barely hit water my line got real tight,

I set the hook and then on with the fight.

The rod bent double the drag steady bellowed,

Sassy and I fought it three hours our muscles were jello’d.

Finally landed, Sassy and I looked at the prize,

but just couldn’t keep it you have to realize,

Fishing’s a sport we enjoy most everyday,

so catch and release is the only way.

As we released the fish, believe it you might,

he said to all the TightLine Fishing fans....,

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND

TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

Fishing 'frog' Story

Slipped in a GREAT - (BUT COLD) - morning to fish and I got to meet up with my old friend Clifton.  He was about to launch his boat - when I said how about we just take out mine.  That was a GREAT idea for me.  I got to know even more about lake Waco and he had a few stories to tell.... including this one:

According to Clifton - his friend Audie went fishing one day. He looked over the side of his boat and saw a snake with a frog in its mouth. Feeling sorry for the frog, Audie reached down, gently took the frog from the snake, and set the frog free. But then he felt sorry for the snake. He looked around the boat, but he had no food. All he had was a Coors Lite. So he opened the can and gave the snake a few swigs. The snake went off happy, the frog was happy, and Audie was happy to have performed such good deeds. He thought everything was great until about ten minutes passed and he heard something knock against the side of the boat. With stunned disbelief, Clifton's friend looked down and saw the snake was back with two frogs!

I found this picture on the web... pretty cool...



We got lucky today - GREAT conversation and six catfish total of 23 pounds!

This one weighed in at 12 pounds.

Sassy is a good judge of Character - she likes Clifton.  I think that he slipped her a few Hot Dog piece while I was not looking!

Anyway - we caught these guys in 6-10 foot of water near the Ridgewood Marina.  We use Hot Dogs and some of Cliftons stink bait... WOW! I am still smelling it as I write this!!

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS.....

Life is just like my tackle box. Just when you think you have everything you could possibly need in your arsenal of catfish poles, baits, and other assorted odds and ends, you find yourself in a situation where you have to run out and get something else. So it is with life. Just when you think you've seen it all, done it all, and heard it all, something new happens. And afterwards, you store it away in the appropriate compartment, or share it with a friend - like now...

6PM November 30 - Rick, Sas and I are on Lake Waco and Rick spots the following...

This a deer swimming across a very wide area of Lake Waco!  And take a look at the sun set in the back ground!!!

 

In all the years I have fished Lake Waco I have never seen a deer cross the lake.

 

MANY will disagree - but, I feel like CatFishing is the greatest sport (and I have played many...). It is a battle of wits (sometimes more, sometimes less) between CatFishermen and a CatFish; and in addition to appreciating the tradition, history and grace of the game, we get to play it with all kinds of Gods creatures and His sun rises and sunsets like this one...

Great Weather and new Friend!!!!

Sas and I were met with some of the BEST fishing conditions this morning.  The water was calm and the air temp was prefect.

There was only one other person in our area of the Lake and he was awesome to talk to... He too comes out to fish and watch the Eagles....

Here is one of the two Lake Waco Eagles. Beautiful!

This morning Sas and I made friends with Clifton, an older fellow fisherman from Waco- we helped him back his boat in the water... And he told us a few of his Lake Waco experiences... Before we left, Clifton gave us some of his homemade “stink bait” and a warning – DO NOT GET THIS ON YOUR HANDS… Nothing beats learning from those that have “been there done that!” I am STILL trying to get this smell out of my nose… Sas and I are sticking to Hot Dogs!

Cats, Cranes and Cuts

Dad and I caught 12.11 pounds this morning on Lake Waco.  Caught them all on Hot Dogs!  The water was about 57 degrees and we have been having luck in about 10 foot of water consistently.  We got out of the water before the wind picked up to about 20+ mph!

I am not sure if this is a Sandhill Crane or not... We named him Bob.  I have a good friend named Bob.  My friend Bob lives in Pasadena and if Bob was to stand on a buoy like this one next to the twin bridges on Lake Waco – he would stand on it just like my new bird friend named Bob.  He (the bird) was awesome to watch he sat there for a LONG time...

Here is Bob flying off... These guys are BIG... the wing span on this one is huge!  He (just like my friend Bob in Pasadena) was graceful but pretty mad that I interferred with his day...

Here is what happens when you catch a Lake Gar that is not ready to get out of the water!!! They must have a hundred or more teeth and they are SHARP!  I have fully recovered.

Here is the pre-historic dude that gave me something to think about!!!!

Thankful Thanksgiving!!!!

This one of the best Thanksgivings...  It started out with my Dad and I hauling in a boat load of Catfish... including this 8.5 BlueCat....

And then it got better

We spent the day with family and friends...

(except Ash and Nick who are in Florida - getting ready to have my Grand-baby!!!!)  

AND THEN IT GOT EVEN BETTER...

 We added on to our family!!!  Alex said "YES" to taking Wilder Chandler's hand in marriage!  

We are blessed and very thankful for our kids....

Ash, Nick, Alex, Harry - and now - Wilder (and his family)!!!

Best Fishing Day is a Long Time!!!

There is nothing better than spending time with your dad on the lake fishing and taking in nature.  I really am thankful and blessed to have a dad that likes a lot of the same stuff I like...  Here are some pictures of a great morning....

Sas inspects a 9 pounder with my Dad!

 Here is dad and a Blue Cat we caught in ten feet of water in Lake Waco.  The water temp is about 57 degrees and the fish are biting on Hot Dogs!!!!

 Two great smiles! This fish had some BIG WHISKERS!

Not really sure if my dad enjoyed catching fish NEARLY as much as he enloyed seeing the Bald Eagles!

Here is the pair of Eagles watching over EVERYTHING we did!  They were much braver today as they allowed us to get a little closer.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Bald Eagles, Fish and Tongue!!!

Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Sea Eagle White Head) - Seeing these Birds is pretty special. They have been in the same tree for the past week. Each morning, Sas and I go out, they are perched about 200 yards from our latest "catfish honey Hole"...

They are HUGE and very loud.

This is just in front of the old gravel pit - very close to the twin bridges on Lake Waco!
It is really tough to get close to them - they fly off when we get within a hundred yards or so...
BUT, when they take off - they are BEAUTIFUL!!!!

We had nine keepers today.  The Cats are biting on Hot Dogs! 

Our lines are set in about ten feet of water - the water is 57 degrees. 

Here is a three pounder.  This one was caught at 7:30am on a Hot Dog!  #5 hook. 

The best part is Sas sniffed it out right before we headed for the boat ramp!

Here is Captain Sas!  Her sniffer is clean and ready for the next trip!

BIG! BIG! BIG!

Here is a 25pounder Sas and I caught early Monday morning.  This one was released but not before Sassy had a chance to give it a little kiss...

Sas loves to get up close to these fish... she sniff's EVERYONE of them that we bring into the boat

Of course, I am sporting the TightLine Fishing t-shirt and cap that they refuse to sell in the Abercrombie & Fitch Store!

Here are two of the MAIN reasons I love to go out early in the morning... these are Bald Eagles that greet us each morning...

Sassy...

Catfishing may be said to be so like the mathematics that it can never be fully learned.

BUT, Sassy has it down to her own science...

 RARE FORM THIS MORNING... She sniffed out 17 Keepers - one of which was 18.7 pounds! 

Here she is in ACTION

This is the face of a BIG ONE!  You cannot even see the eyes!

Here is a better view. 

We caught this at 7:30am - on a cut Shad in 10 foot of water about a foot off the bottom - 53 degrees! 

Cloudy Days and Big Cats!

Sassy and I snagged two really big cats on cut shad in 10 foot of water. This one was 14.14 pounds!

We were drift fishing - the wind was light out of the southeast and when we crossed over the gravel pit near the west shoreline - we fell into a great group of cats... we caught about 20 and of those about 13 were keepers!  This area is near the twin bridges - in the background.

This one weighed in at 11.10 pounds - I know your not going to believe this, but I am sure that Sassy can sniff out the Cats - when we drifted over this group of cats she started getting excited and ran from the front of the boat to the back... Rick swears that all this means is she wants to use the restroom - but, I am positive she has a Catfish Sonar in her... this one was talking to Sassy when we got it in the USS SASSY. 

My friend Vincent said it best, "If one really loves nature, one can find beauty everywhere."  I am sure that includes Lake Waco or Belton!    My friends last name...Van Gogh

WOW Factor!

CAT-ICHTHYS

 It is hard to describe the incredible scenery given to us each morning and night - you really feel like your receiving a Christmas gift DAILY.

Rick caught this seven pound bass on a Shad.  The water is 78 degrees and I think that the rain had something to do with our boat load of Cats we brought in.  We caught 40 keepers in a new "Honey Hole" near the gravel pits in 8 foot of water.

Speaking of eight foot of water...  Here is the USS Sassy on the Midway Dock near the twin bridges - the water level in Lake Waco is a little over six feet down!  I heard through the grapevine that Lake Whitney has MANY boats stuck in the mud - let’s pray for some rain to come soon!

Sassy and I were thinking...

For every single Catfish we have set out to catch, it is the ones that have got away that thrill us the most, the ones that we keep fresh in our memory.  So I say it is good to lose fish.  If we didn't, much of the thrill of Catfishing would be gone.  Believe us - we have lots of THRILLS! 

Fishing Dude aka, "Wild Life Expert"....

We did not have our lines in the water more than 20 minutes before we started catching fish. This big Channel Cat is 7.5 lbs and 53 inches long! He was pulled in by the twin bridges in 12 foot of water using cut chad as bait.  

OK - some people have been asking what is "cut chad" - this is a bait fish that is abundant in the lake this time of year.  As a matter of fact they just went through their spawning season and catching them was very easy near the shore.  Sometimes - you could catch hundreds in a single cast.

Lake Waco has some ugly MONSTERS - (including the one below)...

This is a five foot long Lake Gar. They have some of the sharpest teeth EVER and each Gar must have at least a hundred teeth! They look pre-historic and are very aggressive. We caught this one on a trot-line in five feet of water. After taking the hook out - we let him go.

AND NOW FOR THE ENDING SHOT OF THE DAY....

This is a Southwestern Rat Snake.

So late last night - as I was watching Baylor beat TCU in the opening day of college foot...
My good (and snake fearing) friend Brian called me and said that he needed the - and I quote... "Wild-life Expert" because his lovely wife saw a snake in their bathroom (If you’re afraid of snakes - that is the place to see one - considering bodily functions and all).... Brian was not home at the time. So, he wanted to see if I could come and help.  Mr. No-Shoulders (the snake) climbed through a very small area behind their toilet... it really does not take that big an area for them to slither in, they are all around us...
Fact is, these guys are thirsty and looking for cool places.
My fishing buddy Rick calls all snakes by the same name - DEAD!  I am not a big snake fan and I don't really like the idea of them being so close to us - but, I kind of like thinking they are helping take care of our mouse and rat populations! 

AFTER MUCH DEBATE - Brian and I let this one go...