There was a time when catfishing was pretty simple.

Find what you think is a good spot. Put some bait on a hook. Throw it out and wait... No fancy electronics. No apps. No checking the weather every five minutes.

Just a catfishing rod or two and the hope that something big (like Dug or Dug's Brother) was swimming around down there.

I was thinking about that the other day while sitting on the USS Sassy with Dazy and Rick.

We weren't in any hurry. We were just catfishing.

And you know what? I think that's what I like most about catfishing. It's my water therapy.

You watch the rod. You tell a few stories (old or new... usually old!). You laugh.

You wait some more.

And then, every once in a while... BAM!
All of a sudden, we get excited and start moving around like we've never caught a catfish before.

Blue Cat ... caught in 6' of water (72°F) using our favorite bait... HOT DOGS!

Funny how that NEVER gets old.

Technology has sure changed catfishing. We've got all kinds of electronics and gadgets, but apparently none of them can remind me to put the boat plug in. We found that out the hard way the other day!

Maybe that's one piece of technology we need on the USS Sassy!!

But I'm not sure any of that makes sitting on the boat and catfishing any better.

Sometimes the best part is just being out there with good friends, talking about whatever comes up and waiting for that next bite.

We're not always catching catfish. But we're almost always catching a good time (until Rick gets scared and asks for a life jacket).

And that's what I look forward to with TightLine. The catfishing trips are great, but I also look forward to firing up the fryers, sharing a good catfish meal, and spending time with folks we get to meet along the way.

Whether we're sitting on the USS Sassy or standing around a catfish fryer, it's really about good people, good food, and good times.

The catfish are just the bonus.