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...

Big Fish and an Invite to the Fun!!!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... This big cat was caught in 12 feet of water on a HOT DOG!!!  Bet you did not figure we even had 12 feet of water in Lake Waco!  We pulled in 10 in less than an hour... that was enough time for Sassy - she was ready to head home.  Our next adventure starts tonight at 7PM - we have space for one more if your interested!!!!

Warm Water and Slow Shallow Fishing!

I guess watching the wildlife and Gods Pictures are a BIG part why I love to fish so much...

Getting to see it with Family and Friends is even better...

This night we caught 18 keepers - all together - weighing in over 36 pounds...

Fishing has been very slow - but steady at about 5-7 feet.  We have been using Hot Dogs and cut shade.  The water is a warm 87 degrees most of the day.

Talking with some of my friends that bass/crappie fish - they are finding good results around the banks early in the morning and late evenings...

You really cannot beat an evening Lake Waco sunset - with or without a catch...!!!

Calm Waters - Good Morning & Night Fishing... and boat loading....

Here is the Hwy 36 Bridge on Lake Belton - just to the right of this bridge is where Sassy and I catch shad.  There are plenty of fisherman that fish along this bank area and under the bridge.  All of them will tell you evening time and early mornings are the best time to catch the active blues and channel cats.  We caught plenty of keepers Saturday & Sunday evening and early Monday morning.

This the USS Sassy waiting for Captain Sas and I to board for an evening of casual conversation between me and Sas (sometimes I do not get a word in), a little catfishing at 8 feet with cut-shad as bait and a lot of pondering .... about world events and what its going to be like to be a grandpa aka... KPa?!?!?

I wanted to share with you an event that happened this morning while loading the boat... a "seasoned" couple was loading their BIG boat as I was loading the USS Sassy - I could see that they were struggling with getting the boat on their trailer. The gentleman snapped a few times at his wife as he was getting wet and slipping on the algae covered loading ramp. I jumped out of my boat and helped them - as anyone else would have done. After she got in to their truck - Sas and I finished loading our boat and we jumped in to our truck. The lady rolled down her window and softly said "thank you" so that her husband would not hear. As I drove home, I remembered a passage in a book my dad gave me to read - it has the following true words of wisdom....

If you want happiness for an hour - take a nap
If you want happiness for a day - go fishing
If you want happiness for a month - get a new car
If you want happiness for a year - inherit a fortune
If you want happiness for a lifetime - help others
Thanks Dad!

FISH COMMUNICATION... weird nature!!!!

It is NOT uncommon to see fisherman communicating with the wild-life...

Some do it more than others...

I am pretty sure this fish is smiling!!!

I know that it is hard to believe - BUT, the water on Lake Waco has been a consistant 80-83 degrees!  Here you can read that the depth is 6.8 feet and the water temp is 80!  This is 7:30 in the evening! 

Since the 7th - we have caught 93 keepers for a total of 117+ pounds!!! 

HOT!!! HOT!!! HOT!!!

Really it is not that bad if you fish really early in the morning or late in the evening.  During our last three trips out we have brought back 62 pounds.

This is a channel cat we caught on a hot dog this morning. 

12.13 Ounces!  All together, this morning, we brought home 20 fish weighing in at 37.10 pounds.

 This is a new TightLine Fishing cap we are sporting...

Wish I would of thought about one these a LONG time ago!!!


This is a view of the shore near the twin bridges on Hwy 6.  There are a lot more exposed rocks now - I figure the lake is down almost three feet.  Tough place to lanch a boat when you are by yourself - but, this is a GREAT area to catch shad.

SASSY - Turkey, Gar and Deer - all in one morning!!!

In know your not going to believe this but, I think that Sassy gets a "smell" view of the area we are going to fish and then IT IS ON!!!! She has some weird way of getting us to the fish.

This is the 36 Bridge going to Gatesville. If you head to the right (under the bridge) - we have been fishing in an area just off a sand bar. The water has been about 86 degrees - seems too hot to catch fish - but, we have been fortunate these past few early mornings with cut shad and hot dogs.

When she stands up on the front of the USS Sassy like this I know there must be fish under us...

Sometimes you catch stuff you do not want to see... this gar was fun to bring in but was not on the menu!

Not sure - but I think this is her telling me its getting a little too hot for catfishing! Or, she wants me to hurry because she forgot to set the DVR for a show on Animal Planet she does NOT want to miss.

I put this picture on here because - it is not everyday that you see wild turkeys and deer (one was a good size buck). We spotted these near the Cedar Creek boat ramp this morning. I let Sassy out to see what would happen... to my surprise - the Turkey's did not run away!!!! Sassy ran up on them and they chased her away from their feeding area.

Hot Weather, Bass and Wieners - weird COMBO!

There are MANY weird things that can, and do, happen while we are out on our fishing excursions.  Some events you try to remember and others - well....

This fish was a 3.7 pound bass that we caught in eight foot of water with a HOT DOG!!!! Anyway, she swam away after having to endure a lot of Rick trauma!

Our water level is dropping really fast and it is becoming more and more dangerous to travel through the low waters to get to the Catfish areas we usually fish. 

We will be taking a break from Lake waco for a while and heading to Belton for a few days - just to see if Sassy can sniff out any areas worth baiting!  We will stay in touch!

GORED BY A CATFISH and LIVED TO TELL THE STORY....

There is no free tuition in the school of experience. Have you EVER been speard by a Catfish... only one thing to say... PAIN!   YES, I have a very dangerous job!!! While pulling in this fish last night I was GORED in the ELBOW of all places!  I have never wanted to cry so bad - but, I held it in.

I always try and remember what my Grandma told me a million times - and I quote...

"Once it stops hurting, it will feel a lot better!!!"

Great night of fishing - 8 keepers and 22 we released! Lots of fun!