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Sunday, April 5, 2020

Thomas's First Time on the Water and Daddy's First Trotlines in nearly 20 years

Location: Wheeler Lake - Cowford/Swan Creek Area - Alabama

Time: 7:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Air Temperature: 58 degrees AM
Water Temperature: 62 - 67 degrees
Lake Level: 554.91' - 97,667 cfps - A little heavy on current, but level is correct for this time of year.
Weather Conditions: Calm. Sunny.


Decided to take the 50+ 2-3" bluegill I caught this week in minnow traps and do a trial run of my new trotlines with nothing but live bait.  Jessica and Thomas helped me to put a 50 hook line just east of the Cowford boat launch in about 9-10 FOW.  We put the line between the channel and the feeding flats in hopes of targeting flathead catfish with the live bait.  We placed it about 6 pm on Saturday and ran the line out and came back to bait it in the water. This was Thomas's first time out on the water! 

I came back out this morning (Sunday) by myself to run the line.  On hook number 2, I had my first fish! Although I didn't catch any flatheads, I did haul in 4 channels and one nice blue.  My line did get snagged on something pretty solid around 20 hooks in.  I did have to cut and re-tie, but that is just part of it.  Hooks 20-30 seemed to do the best.  Lots of empty hooks.  I think the bluegill got off the line rather than catfish throwing the hooks.  I think I ended up with about 20 lbs of fish.  They made a nice mess once filleted!.  These new lines are nice and I can't wait to run them again.


















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