Back in the jungle.......

[Gator gar]

Yes sir, i'm back in the jungle again. I'm running 3 trotlines with an average of 33 hooks on each of them. My 6/0 J hooks and my 11/0 true circle hooks have all fresh perch/bream on them. My 4/0 J hooks hve all decent size chunks of shad on them.All the bait is freash, but also dead.

I had some of Danny Kings blood bait, so I stuffed some sponge type material in there with it and was going to bait up 5-10 hooks, but a cloud came up on us and the wind went from nothing to something pretty fast. So we decided to test the stink bait tomorrow in calmer waters.

Any ideas from anyone how they think the fresh cut-up perch might do. I do have one live one out there and I know how many stages he is down and hopefully he'll have a big blue attached to him tomorrow.

How about this little front moving in, you think it might help or hinder our fishing. Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.

[Gator gar]

You know you are in rough water when you ask your fishing partner if he can swim, when you are on your way to the trotlines. Yes, it was that rough at times in my 14 foot jon boat this morning.

We made it to the lines and had 6 good size blue cats on there. Alot of the bait was still on the hooks, but we were still impressed with the size of those blues that had taken the bait.

It had taken us awhile to catch enough shad to re-bait, but we managed. It looks like the shad did the trick over the bluegills. From what I understood one of the locals say, it was pretty bad last night aroung there at around 3 in the morning. Who knows, we might have caught more if it was calmer.

Even though we were soaked to the bone from the constant rain and the winds were up, we still had a good morning. Looking forward to doing it again this afternoon.

[saltyh20]

sounds like the day we had yesterday storm and wind.... got wet, be we caught fish good luck to ya we did better on big cut shad

[Gator gar]

We caught 18 fish this weekend. A few less than last weekend, but the ones this weekend were considerably bigger on average. We had 10 fish on this morning, so I'm sure those storms had something to do with our mild catch Friday night. Those winds created some noticeable slack in my lines that I had to re-tighten Saturday night.

All in all another successful trip in the jungle. Looking forward to next time.............

[Gator gar]

a bit bigger than average size fish caught... This picture doesn't really do this fish justice. He was the biggest we caught and the others were not far behind. I apologize for not taking a picture of all of them, but we cleaned them as we caught them this weekend. It's alot easier that way.

[saltyh20]

nice catch we ended up with about that many ourselfs

[Gator gar]

SaltyH2O, where on the lake were ya'll fishing? Was you trotlining or rod and reel?

[saltyh20]

we got ours at lake houston on trotline, shad and perch for bait

[brazman]

Don't let a game warden catch you cleaning fish on a boat. Wouldn't be pretty.

[Gator gar]

What I meant was we fished the whole week-end. We would catch a few, take them home and clean them. Go back get a couple more, then head back and clean them. The next time, a few more and you guessed it,took them home and cleaned them. We didn't save everything all week-end long and then clean them all at one time. We just spaced them out over the week-end. I didn't mean to confuse you or any wardens reading this thread. My outlaw days are long over with.

If you will look real close, you'll notice that my buddy that is holding the fish, is standing in my yard and not in my boat. We were about to clean that one and a few more, again, in my yard. That picture should have given it away, but I don't mind explaining it, to the ones that find it confusing.

Thanks for the warning though.......

Gator Gar

[bueyescowboy]

hey gator.....I am out there on the lake with you somewhere. sounds like your staying in the jungle area....I am futher south generally on the big lake. But y'all got me going. Haven't set up a trotline since before hurricane rita....I had a couple in good area's...but the hurricane took care of them.
So last weekend, I got my gear together and headed out. I ve been eyeing a place for awhile. Got there, and you know it....rough water....I generally quit trying to set up trotlines in rough water...I would end up with a birds nest and not a trotline. After several trips to my spot, the water finally calmed down enough for me to drop the line, but the wind came up, so I didn't get any hooks on the line. Yea next secert, set line, then come back and put on hooks. That way you don't have birds nest with hooks... ha ha. Then finally I got on about 10 hooks but to late to bait them.
I set this line up in about 30 feet of water...in a channel. Its running along a ridge that's 22 feet under the water. So I ran it along the ridge where it drops off to 30 feet. We'll see what happens.
The next one I want to set up is on the trinty river again(that was one that hurricane rita helped me out with)...out in the middle of the lake. Hard to mess with but generally some good catfish come from out there. Thats in about 44 feet of water.
Maybe I ll stop by the store and buy some rope..plenty of rope in 44 feet.
But I will be out there. The weather man said sunshine. And I got a new prop for the boat, and a new wakeboard for me. ( wakeboard while you wait on trotline). If I catch anything I ll let you know. Oh and in my case, I use shad...here lately I ve been throwing the cast net once or twice and coming up with enough shad for several lines....free bait works for me.
And about cold fronts, I think it drops the fishing off. I think it changes the water and does something to the fishing. Not that you won't catch anything...just not as many. (to me this is especailly true for white bass).
gotta run.....

[capn]

Gator, when you go again, leave your perch alive and if you have to use cut bait use something that has more oil, like shad. Gizzard shad cut up is probably the best cut bait, but even carp or buffalo is better, IMO. Button shad will probably get stripped off the hook too easy for a trotline unless you run it pretty frequent to keep rebaiting.

Live perch are a good way to catch a bigger fish though. I'd rather have 3 hooks baited with live perch than 9 baited with cut perch.

[Gator gar]

Guys, I have to sit this week-end out. Let me know if you catch anything cowboy. You are deffinately fishing way deeper than I do.


As far as the bait is concerned, I agree with you whole heartedly about that gizzard shad. It deffinately stays on the hook better than those thread ons do.
I'm going to try my best to get some live perch out to my lines, the next time I go. I know those big cats love them.

Ya'll have a good time this week-end. I'm stuck at the house doing odd jobs , so I don't wind up single. I've got to pressure wash the house and finish my chicken pen.

Monday is a new day though and if the weather permits, I'll be heading out there soon.