CATCHIN' COLD CATS

Watch out...them jaws can hurt!

Ahhh, yeeess! Spring is just around the corner, or, at least the calendar says so! But right now, it's windy and the temperatures are barely out of the forties. Cold stuff. But a recent warm spell was just enough to get the local channel cat population to get squirmin' and seek out an early season meal. Most folks don't realize that channels can be caught as soon as the ice comes off the water in many regions of the country, and surprisingly shallow at that. Here's what such a scene might look like...

Matt waits it out at the local Catfish Mart.

As you can probably tell, it takes tremendous skill and determination to put a big cattie on the bank, Standard issue items include things like lawn chairs, sunglasses, cold sandwiches and sodas along with some degree of actual 'fishing' tackle. A warm spring day doesn't hurt a bit either!

Yet another great mug shot of a pond cattie.

As advertised, catfish have whiskers, and the use of pungent baits can up your odds on scoring some of the best eating in freshwater. The fish pictured above is a typical, good 'eatin'-sized' channel cat from a local pond. In this case, the pungent bait was chicken livers from the local grocery store.

First fish of the day was this nice 7.5 pounder.

Our recent trip to the local Catfish Mart was slow, but it was rewarding in that we picked up a couple of nice fish. We utilized European bite alarm systems to announce any and all strikes from post-hibernating catties. The fish above was the first, tentative run of the day. Cool! But my son Matt got a good run a little while later and banked this brute...

OK...I give, I give!

Matt's new personal best channel cat...cool!

Another picture of the beast...30.5 inches and 11 lbs, 10 ounces.

Pretty hefty kitty...huh? Yup! Actually, it was Matt's new PR for channel cats and put him right up there in the coveted Tanker Cattie Club...a prestigious group of whiskered fishermen who sit around and talk catfish all night long. Big fish...30.5 inches long and 11 pounds and 10 ounces. I'm jealous! The pond owners claim bigger cats are on the prowl.

But normally, spring catfishing is for tablefare and fun. This pond owner, however, wanted to remove the bulk of these marauding predators to give yearling bass a chance of survival. Also, channel cats, once caught and released in small lakes or ponds, can become fairly wary and line shy, and may not be caught for several months there after.

Sheeesh! Take the picture already!

Even smaller cats have a sizable maw.

My buddy Loren with a nice chunker from another pond.

Yes, channel cats are among the earliest freshwater fish to bite once the first warm days of late winter or early spring arrive. Lots of stuff works...livers, cut bait, dead minnows, night crawlers. We used 10 to 14 pound mono in case Mr. Big came along. They taste great, too,,,$7.99 a pound in the store this past week. Yet people still look down on the catfish as a lowlife, bottom feeder...undesirable. Thankfully, God does not look down on us as the catfish, where many view them as 'undesirable'

Whether you are catching catfish, carp, or them real purdy bass and trout, it will not matter what man's opinion is of you, but only God's. You can be rich or poor, healthy or sick, attractive or ugly...it will not matter, for 'God looks at the heart'

Psalm 49:17 points out this about all men, and women, of the earth...

'...for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him."

As Christ entered and left this world in horrid conditions, so will you and I. The best thing I can take with me is His Blessed Assurance of salvation through His Blood.  John 3:16

BOTTOM FEEDERS...COLD CARPIN!

OUTSTANDING WINTER CARP AT 21 POUNDS PLUS!

It might seem like spring is in the air, but the truth is that I am looking for 12 inches of snow in my driveway by tomorrow night and we just can't seem to get over the hump on raw, chilly weather here in the Mid-Atlantic. Fishing has been sporadic, but  the Carp Whisperer Mr. Bob has been putting them on the bank...

Another full-bodied 20-pounder.

Bob has been diligent throughout the winter and has put some impressive fish on the bank. He's not using huge gear or any secret baits...just plain old hard work. He has been chumming several different areas and rotates his fishing to adjust to the conditions of the day. Here's a couple more brutes he's caught so far this winter...

Lean 15 -pounder on a cold February day.

Nice fish...around 11 pounds or so.

Most folks think that carp shut it down in the winter and watch sports, like the rest of us lazy anglers who fish for them. But Bob knows better, because Bob knows carp. These fish will feed all winter long, and he has been catching them in water as cold as 38 degrees F. Amazingly, he subdues these big fish on just 10-pound test line. Here are a few more...

Nice looking 13-pounder with a perfect scale pattern! Bob's happy!

Leg-long carp are a winter challenge.

Smaller female...chubbin' out for the spring spawn.

A lot of people think carp are 'unworthy' or 'scum suckers' or 'nasty' or just plain too dumb to be bothered with. Truth is, and I can vouch for this, carp are very spooky, selective feeders and grow big and fight hard. We use European style bite alarms on bank sticks. Bob has been hard at work on the chumming end, and the effort to catch fish this big is noteworthy. On todays trip, Bob got 2 fish out of 5 runs, and I caught the skunk. That's OK, cause I like the 'big fish' excitement these golden giants offer on a mild winter day.
Here are a few I did manage to get during the cold...

My only January carp was this 'sympathy' fish  Bob let me reel in.

Earlier in the fall, we doubled up on these guys!

One of my bigger fish from late October.

Even an 8 or 9 pounder is a good fish for the winter!

Despite 40 degree water, the fish can roll!

Yes, Bob has had a very successful winter with the big, golden fish. And all fish released. He takes care of the fish, takes care of the fishery. He treats them with respect, as though they are worthy, which, they certainly are!

Our relationship with God is certainly worthy and worthy of respect. I find that I need to take care of my relationship with my Savior more and more with each passing day. As a broken down, sinful, shell-of-a-man, I know that I am much like the carp, viewed upon by many in this world as a low-life, bottom-feeder...unworthy. But I have a God and Savior in Jesus Christ who tells me different, tells me he has a mansion for me and a new body for me in His Heavenly Realm. When I stand before Him, He will declare me innocent, not guilty, but worthy in His eyes as a child of the King. And He alone, is worthy to be praised!
I am not innocent because of what I have done, but because of what He has done...paid my debt in full upon a cross on a hill over 2000 years ago.

As Psalm 150 says...'let everything that has breathe praise the Lord'.  Even the carp! Even this carp fisherman!

ICE FISHING IN DIXIE

A brief ice fishing season in Dixie.

Technically, any place below the Mason Dixon Line is supposed to be the 'south' portion of the eastern half of the nation. At least that was the story back in the Civil War times. You might call it Dixie. I'm about 4 miles south of the border, and we get 'safe' ice about every 4-5 years, or less. So...I spent my entire ice fishing season, one day, at a local pond that locked up with a recent cold snap and put 4 inches of clear ice on the pond. We were out for bluegills, but had to settle for those darned ole green fish...largemouth bass! Hey...something was biting!

Kastmaster spoons did the bass in.

Hooked right at the top of the mouth.

Not huge but, hey, I'll take some ice action!

My carp buddy Bob and I had fun. Didn't kill the fish, but we had some action, which is better than sitting home taking a nap every Sunday after church. I went 4 for 5 on strikes with 4 bass from 14 to 17 inches long and lost a near five pounder right at the hole. Awwwwuggghh! Dang....the big girl came off just as I was going to give her the flip out of the hole. She just hovered motionless inches below the clear ice, in the clear water...as if to say 'hey, check me out. I'm the one that got away!' I watched as she slowly drifted back into the inky darkness.

The 14 to 17 inchers were healthy!

Icy bass...cool!

Fun on 2 pound line!

We caught these fish in about 5 1/2 feet of water on 1/10th ounce gold Kastmaster spoons tipped with a mealworm for a teaser. I was using 2 pound SOS mono and Bob upped it to 4 pound test on his. He had two good strikes, including a big fish that took some drag, but came off before we could get a sighting. The only difference between he and I was that I was using a sensitive wire strike indicator. We were after bluegills, but they never came around.

Back we go!

No, Bob...there are no carp in this lake.

Just the week before, the Mason Dixon weather was mild with 50 degree temps. With that, Bob was still doing the carp thing at the local Carp Mart, with fish up close to 20 pounds. He even let me reel one in...

Bob felt bad for me, let me reel in this nice carp a week earlier.

Bob with one of many of his January carp. When it warms up, he'll be back.

Freedom!

The temperature are supposed to rise up to 60 on Wednesday, and what little safe-ice we have will no longer be safe. Have to head north for more hardwater action and maybe load up on gills and perch. Are more fish frys a comin'? We'll see...

You know, I was reading in Psalms tonight and as Psalm 49:20 points out...'A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish'. In other words, we can have it all...cars, homes, big bank accounts and the latest fishing gear. But if we do not have the word of God, in our hearts, then we perish like an animal. In verse 13, it points out that 'This is the fate of those who trust in themselves'. When I have trusted in my own percieved wisdom, I have failed. When I seek God's Word through the Holy Scriptures, I get blessed. Even when my prayers are not answered the way I want them to be, I am still blessed. I will not perish like the beasts. THANK YOU LORD!

BEST OF THE BEST FOR 2012 part 2

Well, as promised, I am going to try and wrap up the year of 2012 and the bluecollar fishing trips we had in the Mason Dixon area and beyond. Here are a few 'big and ugly' catches we made...carpin in Jan and Feb of 2012...

Not a huge fish, but beats sittin' home in January!

Bob with a smallish carp..7 or 8 pounds.

That's a little more like it! Close to 'twenty'.

Long, lean 38 incher.

Bob hangs on as a big girl powers off.

And here's a very nice 22 pounder in February.

I'll put in a few more carp pics later. But here are a few select, early March and April catches, some not so ugly...

My buddy Patrick with a fine 8 pound channel cat taken on a 1/64th oz jig and 2-pound test line.

Check out my PR on rainbow trout...23 inches in a small PA lake!

And more channel cats from another PA pond...Loren with a 6 lber.

Chicken livers were hot, and this one had to have it!

One of my favorite types of fishing is in small, wadeble streams that are close to home. Check out these small, but beautiful fish from the Monocacy River in central Maryland...

First up is this hornyhead chub on the Rebel Crayfish.

Battle-scared redbreast sunfish.

And a little smallmouth bass. There are much bigger in the Monocacy.

Some type of a sunfish cross. Check out those eyes!

Lot's of green sunfish in the river.

Along with some rock bass, or 'redeyes'.

All these from a small, slow moving river in the country...cool!

Along the way, we had a few other highlights during the year. Here are a few of the 'keepers'...

Matt with a nice 16 pound class carp on a pineapple chunk.

My 2 year old grand daughter came along and got thirsty.

Another big carp from the local cyprinid factory.

Bob's 23-pounder...nice fish!

This one made the cover of Fishing Headquarters! Cool!

Blue cats in the Potomac...lots of small stuff.

Patrick with his personal best 27 -pounder!

Yes, I must say, we were blessed with many beautiful moments fishing in 2012. God has graciously poured out memories and beautiful grand children as well, including Abigail Grace, born on Oct 2, 2012. Now I have TWO girls to take fishing!

Best catch of the year was Abigail Grace... 8 pounds 6 ounces!

With all that we had in 2012, I can't wait to see what will happen in 2013! Gods plans are perfect, even when we don't agree with them, they remain his sovereign plan. His wisdom is endless, and we will never conceive or totally understand it. As Psalm 139:6 puts it 'TOO LOFTY FOR ME TO ATTAIN''

I am thankful that He makes the plans, and not I, a mere mortal man. Yet His love overpowers me!

Praise be to God who created all things for His Glory, forever and ever! Amen!

THE GREATEST CATCH IS THE FIRST!