Learning the ropes - and getting burned by them...

Wheeler Lake - Mouth of the Elk and near Lucy's Branch

Time: Morning Run
Air Temperature: 75 - 81F during trip
Water Temperature: 
Lake Level: 555.64

Weather Conditions: Nice, clear. Winds calm.

After spending about 2 years talking about it, I finally hooked up with Kevin to show him how I run big water trotlines.

YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF THE TRIP HERE:

I set out lines on Thursday afternoon and launched from Cowford and intended to run all the way down to the Elk river.  It is about a 30 minute boat ride, but I wanted to enjoy my time on the water and the weather was great.  I had two lines boxed and anchors placed in the front of the boat.

WARNING - GRAPHIC INJURY DESCRIPTION!!

I'm writing this after the fact, but I had the worst fishing related injury/close call that I've ever had while heading to put out these lines.  Shortly after I launched from Cowford, I had gotten the boat up on plane running about 30 MPH when one of my anchor lines and marker floats came unwound.  The pool noodle float flew up into the air like a kite on a string.  I was somewhat annoyed and never slowed down, but instead attempted to grab the line with my left hand and reel the line back in.  Suddenly, the float hit the water behind my motor wake as I grabbed the line and it was pulled underwater.  The line became tight and started smoking through my closed hand.  I felt the pain immediately, but couldn't get my hand off the line quick enough.  I managed to pry my hand open just in time as the float ran out of line and pulled a 25+ lb steel I-beam anchor out of the front of my boat as sailed it right by my face until it crashed into the water.  It all happed in just a split second, but it seemed to drag out forever.  I slowed the throttle and realized I just had an extremely close call.  The pool noodle marker float was in shreds behind the boat and the trotline anchor was gone for good.  

I realized I hurt my hand pretty badly.  I I took a look at it, it was bad.  I has sustained severe rope burns on all five fingers and the palm of my hand.   The line had burned away about 1/4" of flesh from my fingers and had cauterized them.  It never bled a drop even given the severity.  I was trying to figure out if I needed to go to the ER or exactly how bad it was.  I was close to my neighborhood boat dock, so I decided it was best to pull in and walk to the house to check out the damage a little closer.

There really wasn't any think left to sew up and all a Dr. would could do is numb it, pack it, and wrap it.  I decided I could do as much.  I sprayed it down with Dermoplast, packed it with triple antibiotic ointment, wrapped it in gauze and tape, and put on a thick latex glove.  That would have to do.

The pain was steady, but manageable.  My hard-headed, stubborn ass decided that putting out the lines wasn't too bad and I had help the next day to pull them in, so I carried another anchor and float down to the dock and hit the water to fish.  Gotta be tough to be dumb...

The culprit that made me cuss and left me with some new scars...

NOW BACK TO THE FISHING!!

I decided to put one line out on the west side of Lucy's Branch and the other in my favorite spot on the south shore across from the mouth of the Elk.  This is the first time I put lines out since installing the programmable trolling motor and MAN, what a difference it makes in ease of deployment!!

I baited alternating hooks with cut bait and my Kool-aide and garlic soaked chicken gizzards.  We returned at daylight to pull lines and it was a hit!!  I won't spend a ton of time writing detail about the pull, but please check out the YouTube videos of the day above.  

On the first line, we caught 41 cats which I believe is my best haul ever on a single line.  This was the line across from the Elk.  We caught 20-something on the second line, which is more typical.

We ended up catching 60-something and kept 58, I believe.  We had both livewells absolutely running over with catfish.  Kevin came to the house and we cleaned fish for hours over a few cold ones.  I believe we ended up with 50-something lbs of dressed fillets.  What a haul!!

Juggin'

Took Thomas and Jessica out this morning form some jugging.  We threw out 24; 13 in the shallows in about 7-9 FOW and 9 in the deep in about 32 FOW.  We used my "Guzzard Punch" bait, which is chicken gizzards soaked in Kool Aide and garlic powder.  Had a fantastic time and Thomas pulled in a big one!  Ended the day with 8 cats and 1 drum.  Ready to go again.

Testing new trim unit and catching catfish

Wheeler Lake - Browns Ferry

Time: 6:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Air Temperature: 66 - 84 degrees during trip
Water Temperature: 87 Degrees
Lake Level: 555.77

Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny and clear. Winds SSW- 7-9 MPH.

I'd like to start out by giving a shout out to Five Star Marine in Port Richey, FL.  I've been having progressing issues with my power trim unit for the past couple years.  After researching it, I found a new unit to be about $1,200.  I was watching a YouTube video on how to remove the trim on my boat and the video mentioned sending their unit off to Five Star for repair.  After doing some research, it was a no brainer.  I shipped my unit off and 10 days later received it back in the mail.  They charge a flat rate, depending on the model, for refurbishing plus whatever parts incurred during the refurb.  In the end.  I was $635 in including shipping and have a unit that is as good as new with a 2 year warranty.  They are excellent if you are in the market for a trim repair.

I headed over to the nuclear plant today for some catfish.  I launched right at daylight and noticed some threadfin popping the water at the the boat ramp (Cowford).  I decided to throw a net a few times and see what I could catch.  l was able to catch a few small shad around the ramp and a few more plus a couple small bluegill under the powerlines.  I brought frozen skipjack and some chicken gizzards too, but fresh bait is always good to have.

Once I got set up, I noticed someone has placed several marker buoys around the pipeline marking the drop off.  I have mixed feelings about this, but it definitely makes sighting the pipeline area easier.

As normal, I dropped down below the pipeline and immediately begin getting hits.  I noticed chicken gizzards we're performing very well.  I tried the live threadfin, but they too weren't doing fantastic.  Nothing today seemed to beat the cut skipjack.  

I putted around the area until about 11:00 and managed 18 blues.  Most were around 6 lbs on the average, but I caught a couple bigger.  It was an excellent morning and my trim performed perfect. 

Summer Pattern

Wheeler Lake - Browns Ferry

Time: 6:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Air Temperature: 78 - 87 degrees during trip
Water Temperature:
Lake Level: 555.72

Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny and clear. Winds SE- 5-8 MPH.

Slipped back out there this morning for a repeat of what I did last week.  Same place, same bait, same results.  Caught 17 in 3 hours this morning on chicken gizzards soaked in Kool-aid and cut shad over at the Nuclear Plant.  They've settled into a consistent summer pattern now.

COVID CATS

Wheeler Lake - Browns Ferry

Time: 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Air Temperature: 66 - 82 degrees during trip
Water Temperature:
Lake Level: 555.76 

Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny and clear. Winds N-NE- 5-9 MPH.

Well, it finally happened... After two plus years, I finally caught the Rona.  Figured it i was going to sit around, I might as well do it atop a swivel seat! I can't say I felt 100%, but didn't feel bad enough to sit out a fishing trip.

I headed out by my house to the Nuclear Plant this morning.  Fished with chicken gizzards soaked in Kool-aid and cut skipjack from the freezer.  Bounced bottom along the pipeline.  

It got hot and I figured I needed to rest some, so I left at 11:00 AM.  Caught 21 cats this morning.  

Gone Nuclear

Wheeler Lake - Browns Ferry

Time: 4:30 PM - 9:40 PM
Air Temperature: 85 - 73 degrees during trip
Water Temperature:
Lake Level: 555.58 

Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny and clear. Winds SSE- 5-10 MPH.

After taking about a month off, I finally got back on the water today for some Memorial Day weekend catfish.  I had to replace the trailer boards today, so while I had the boat off the trailer and in the water, I headed over to the nuclear plant for an evening/night catfishing session.

I started tied up to one of the four metal corner posts and was casting slip egg sinkers on the bottom and also floating a couple of slip bobbers at adjustable depths too.  I was using a mix of chicken gizzards and cut skipjack.  I got a quick fish on the bobber and had a monster throw the hook and slime my line on a giant skipjack head, but the wind was tough and I moved over to the green side tower and tied up and repeated my same spread.  I picked up fish more quickly here.  I caught one more on the bobber rig and here gizzards seemed to be the best bet.  I was catching smaller fish on the gizzards, but they were more frequent.  

I used the tie-off method today mainly because of all the wind, waves, and recreational traffic.  I would have normally bumped bottom.  

I stayed well after dark, but the fish actually slowed down tremendously when the sun went down.  Still had a great trip and ended up with 8 or 9 cats.  I've missed this evening bite and need to do it more often.

Drinking the Kool-Aid

Wheeler Lake - Elk River

Evening of July 31 - Morning of August 1
Air Temperature: 72 - 80 degrees during trip
Water Temperature: 91 Degrees.  HOT!!
Lake Level: 555.6
Weather Conditions: Rain drizzle and overcast.  Wind N-NW 6 mphs.

It is time to do our annual fish fry fishing trip and there is no better way to stock a freezer than with trotlines.  I recruited Doug and Douglass to help me out for a couple days in hopes of filling my freezer and theirs.

We put out 100 hooks per person in and around the Elk River.  We put one 50 hook like just north of the HWY 72 bridge and one 50 hook line in deep channel water out in the body of the lake around 45 feet deep.  These two were to be experimental.  The one in the Elk was baited with 40% live bluegill and put in a spot that might attract flatheads.  The deep water line was to see what was lurking in the deep and if a thermocline has any impact on summer fishing.  We place a 100 hook like out from the island towards the channel and another 100 hook like on the Courtland side below the bluffs.

For bait, we had plenty of freezer shad and for giggles, I decided to play along with the trend of chicken and, yes, Kool-Aid.  We soaked two pounds of chicken gizzards overnight in Kool-Aid and garlic powder.  We baited every other hook shad then chicken. 

When we deployed lines on Saturday evening, the recreational traffic was insane.  We had to be very careful due to all the boat traffic.  We ran into a couple snags putting lines out due to traffic and being out of practice, but got all of them out shortly after dark.  Now to let them soak...

We got up early Sunday morning as was immediately met with rain showers.  The weather forecast was calling for scattered early showers, but as time went on, the rain set in and was going to stay.  We delayed an hour, but eventually had to go out there.

We ran the 50 hook like in the Elk first during a break in the weather.  I believe we caught 6 off of this line, but it was shallow and we had some casualties due to the stagnant, hot water.  Soon after, we headed to the other deep water 50 hook like and Douglas pulled this one as well.  We did better in deep water.  All fish were alive, but no monsters like we were hoping for.  However, it was nice to see that no lack of oxygen in the deep existed and this line actually did better than the shallow line likely due to cooler temperatures at depth.  

We headed over to the bluffs and Doug pulled this line.  It was a solid line.  We had weighted the center of the line and caught fish all throughout.  At this point, we were very impressed on the performance of the chicken and Kook-Aid.  We had been keeping all fish between 2-6 lbs and had threw back a few on each end of the range.  

Finally, we headed back towards the island to pull in the last long line.  I pulled this one in.  As soon as the anchor was up, I could feel good fish.  We caught stead fish, but with about 40 hooks left, I could feel something nice.  I made comments along the way, " yes, I still feel it".  10 hooks later, " yes, its still there".  " It's big.",  "This is a nice fish, guys."  After about hooks of feeling tugging, we finally came to the last 2-3 hooks and finally surfaced our big fish.

As she surfaced, she was fighting hard.  I had to let line spool back out like a drag.  Finally we tried to net the fish, but even my big net wouldn't due.  We got it up against the boat and I reached into its mouth and hauled her in.

She's BIG!  51 lbs and some change and we had my larges trotline fish ever in the boat.  This fish is my 2nd largest fish ever and a boat record.  We took photos and released her back to the depths unharmed.

It was a fantastic day.  We caught a total of 50 fish which equates to one every 6 hooks on the average.  Learned that deep water in the summer is still a good bet and chicken and Kool-Aid is a real bait option.  

We cleaned 32 fish and dressed 17.5 lbs of clean fillets.  Were all set for or fish frys!