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