# I'm ready..Getting an early start this season.



## RiverRat1962

Beautiful out there on the river.


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## RiverRat1962

They increased the discharge at the dam.. Birds feeding on shad and fish are biting. Not much luck with the rod & reels but I caught a few on lines. Going back for a few days Asap


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## RiverRat1962

Game tracks everywhere, birds feeding on the shad, coyotes howling, waiting on better weather. Striper season just around the corner. :bounce:


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## RiverRat1962

Heaven.. The only human footprints were mine. :dance:


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## RiverRat1962




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## Flyingvranch

Wow those are great pictures! I love having quiet and simple adventures like that. Looks like you had the perfect companions with you. Here's some green for your good trip and great report!
Bud


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## Jimmy Blue

Nice!

What part of the river is that and who did the cooking you or the dogs?


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## RiverRat1962

I did the cooking. I went to gather some firewood before it got dark and they stole what was left of a danish canned ham from the dollar store.. They didn't get any breakfast. Lol 

South of Romayor.


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## Bass-Tracker

Better to have FOOD stealers than BAIT stealers. :rotfl:
I fished Sabine River last week & did good on the cats.
Just waiting on the Whites to show up good.



.


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## poco jim

Good luck, buddy.


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## RiverRat1962

Funny story. At the local bait shop in Romayor I was there buying hooks, swivels, sinkers, extra lantern mantles and whatnot and some fellows were in there buying some crappie minnows and the lady said she had to sign the receipt so the GW would know where the water in the minnow bucket came from.. I asked what tthe deal on that and evidently they have passed a new law about transporting water from one location to another because it spreads zebra muscles.. 

I overheard the conversation and told them the silly law had nothing to do with zebra muscles and more to do with getting in peoples wallets.. The lady says no, the water from one lake will have eggs that will hatch in another lake.. 

I grinned and told them when I see the GW flying around in helicopters writing citations to pelicans, ducks, water turkeys and such I'll pay my ticket.. otherwise they can KMA.. 

They all got a belly laugh out of that. I told them to find out who was responsible for writing that silly law and make sure and vote for somebody else! Lmao


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## Michael J

Had to come in the shop this morning to get a crew out early to install a sign, and just checked out the board......man those pics of your dogs and the river got to me!
I had a Jack Russell for 15 years, through a divorce and all, and dadgummitt if my girlfriend at the time didn't leave her out unattended while I was at work, and some concrete workers took her (only people around). That was about 3 years ago and I still cant get over it!
Anyway have an old Alumacraft I mess around in, and have always wanted to do just as your pics showed. Looked on the map where you are....where do you put in? This afternoon think Ill make a run down there and paddle around, and wet a line.

AND, what kind of dogs are they? Rat Terriers maybe? Outside chance you or someone up there have any puppies like your black and white?

My guys are driving out and I told them the step on it......gotta get up there.
And once again, would you mind telling me where you're putting your boat in?

Thanks, and maybe see ya later. Me, 18' Alumacraft with double blade kayak paddle.....sometimes stand up with a sup paddle, 'trolling' with a rod or two sticking off the side. 

Thanks in advance for the info.


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## P

Makin me get the itch . Looks real nice . I have 
Fished from hoarseshoe down to 787 and have done pretty 
Good wanting to go further south wich side of the big rock is 
Best to pass on . Tried crossing it once before and the wife gave me watfor 
When we started hittin . Looks like a lot less boat trafic down that way . Oh yea i was told that last year there was eagle nest some where around the rock . Dont stop posting pics looks good .


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## RiverRat1962

The B&W dog is a Jack Russell and the mutt is a Chiuahua yorkie mix.. 

Be advised.. That River is dangerous in a canoe.. I know the area very well and always let folks know where I am and how long I'll be on the river. The current is Very strong and the wind will work against yo as well. Not for anyone and everyone! Please don't go alone unless you're in good shape.. Always paddle upstream and ride the current back. Be super careful! That river drowned many folks! Theres a good place to launch at the SW end of the 105 Bridge but the thieves will plunder your vehicle if you leave it unattended overnight..


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## RiverRat1962

P said:


> Makin me get the itch . Looks real nice . I have
> Fished from hoarseshoe down to 787 and have done pretty
> Good wanting to go further south wich side of the big rock is
> Best to pass on . Tried crossing it once before and the wife gave me watfor
> When we started hittin . Looks like a lot less boat trafic down that way . Oh yea i was told that last year there was eagle nest some where around the rock . Dont stop posting pics looks good .


Stay close to the east bank to pass by that rock.. Google Earth is excellent for looking at the river..


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## cva34

Really beautiful dogs and Pic and area THX for shareing


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## RiverRat1962

Someone posted this link and its another good tool to keep up with the river level and check the river stage so you know how much water coming downstream and what to expect.. 
http://texasriverdata.com/trinity.html

Keep in mind not to set up camp on a sandbar too close to the water. They increased discharge from 1000 CFS to 3000 CFS and the river level came up 2' overnight when I was there. Cell phone service is no good except Verizon in this area.


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## Sunbeam

Thanks for all the info RR1962. This is a classic example of what 2cool is all about.
People who love the outdoors helping other of the same desires.
Great work. Great Photos and narrative.

Green to ya!


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## Flyingvranch

> Someone posted this link and its another good tool to keep up with the river level and check the river stage so you know how much water coming downstream and what to expect..
> http://texasriverdata.com/trinity.html
> 
> Keep in mind not to set up camp on a sandbar too close to the water. They increased discharge from 1000 CFS to 3000 CFS and the river level came up 2' overnight when I was there. Cell phone service is no good except Verizon in this area.


That's my website that you referenced. Thanks for the mention. I work mighty hard to keep the data up to date and as accurate as possible. I'm glad you use it.
Bud


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## RiverRat1962

Thanks for keeping us posted Bud!

Looks like good weather this week, if I can I'm going back out for a couple days. I'll post more photos later in the week.

Cleveland TX
7 Day Forecast
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...eld1=30.3442&textField2=-95.0787#.VNfWjfnF-Sq


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## RiverRat1962

Went back out yesterday and stayed overnight, caught 5 nice ones, ol' Freddy dog had the coyote radar on high alert. The JR dog 'Jake' didn't want to go, he's mad at me because I scolded him for chasing cows. Gator gars, turtles stole most of my bait but is was beautiful weather outdoors. The river dropped down a couple feet and the current was just right.


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## RiverRat1962

Got home and put them in my basket to keep them alive and get some rest and go again early in the morning.


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## TexasTom

Great pics and reports. Wish I had the boat and the time to get away like that!


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## RiverRat1962

Spent the weekend out on the river. It was cool at night and perfect in daytime hours. Fished a lot but the river dropped about 3 feet and the fish weren't biting except the gator gars and turtles. Worked the cast net for fresh bait with no luck at all maybe a couple dozen shad the whole weekend. Gathered firewood up to my knees in armadillo holes and forgot to take any pain meds, between paddling the canoe, throwing the castnet and stumbling into dillo holes man I coulda used a pocket full of vicodin.. lol. Few pics..


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## RiverRat1962

Paradise.. Saw some fresh wolf tracks.. Game tracks everywhere!


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## RiverRat1962

I tied the mutts up by the campfire after sunrise this am and sneaked up on the bank and took photos of a herd of whitetail deer. They couldn't see me but they could hear the camera. It was like a parade of bucks.. How come that never happens when deer season?!? :rotfl:


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## RiverRat1962

Sunrise this am.. Beautiful.. I set a few lines looking for that ol flathead yellow cat but I havent found one yet.. But I will.


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## Jimmy Blue

Wolf tracks?

Are you sure they're wolfs and not coyotes?

I didn't know we had wolves around here.


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## RiverRat1962

That track was 3'' across.. Wolf. That's my shoe and I wear size 11 wide.. Back in the 80s I worked on a workover rig in the oil patch down in the Brazos river bottoms around Thompson Tx.. We seen wolf packs on a regular basis back then. If that's coyote track its the biggest coyote in the state.. LOL


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## RiverRat1962

Plenty for them to eat, everywhere I've went up on the high bluff bank and scouted around is littered with dead cow bones and such.


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## RiverRat1962

I had a hard time with catching bait as I have to throw the cast net from the bank and avoid snags, impossible to throw it from the canoe. I have a 3 peice fiberglass cane pole and some small hooks I use to catch small perch and whatnot to use for live bait for my limblines. I tried to catch a carp or two to use as cut bait using some of those walmart dough baits (strawberry/vanilla) and nothing bite that mess. I've never fished for carps and the river is full of buffalo carps. What type of bait and rig would be best to fish and catch those?


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## TexasTom

Tiny hooks and canned corn. Just enough weight to keep it on the bottom. Try a number 10 or number 8 hook at biggest. Toss some corn out to chum. Next step up would be to add some vanilla or koolaid (dark cherry is my favorite) to the corn. Lots of folks swear by mixture of Big Red soda and cereal (corn flakes I think) but I've never tried it.


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## RiverRat1962

Thanks Tom I'll try the corn and koolaid


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## RiverRat1962

Jimmy Blue said:


> Wolf tracks?
> 
> Are you sure they're wolfs and not coyotes?
> 
> I didn't know we had wolves around here.


I was curious and done a little research. This was interesting.. 
Excerpt:


> A 1970 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department survey of red wolves, using a hand-cranked air-raid siren on the back of a pickup to elicit howls, found at least 100 wolves, mainly in Jefferson, ChamÂ­bers and Liberty counties.


LAST STAND OF THE RED WOLF
ï»¿ï»¿ï»¿ï»¿ï»¿ï»¿ï»¿ï»¿ï»¿Americaâ€™s â€˜other wolfâ€™ was reintroduced to the wild after a last-ditch roundup in Texas.
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2012/dec/LLL_redwolf/


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## WGA1

I recall hearing wolves howl at night in Liberty County in the late '70s. After about 1980 all you could hear were coyotes.


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## RiverRat1962

Lots of howling going on here in north Liberty county. Could be local dogs, healthy population of those out here. But who knows. The article stated they mixed with the coyote population. Hybrids.. Coyote on steroids.


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## P

When we run trot lines when you have those 2 or 3 hooks that is left alone leave the bait on and when it gets pretty rotten and stinky the buffalo will get it once we get started we usualy get 1 a day


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## roadhammer

i would love to spend weekend on river.i have a alum with a 40 hp..is there a spot where yall congregate at nite.(i would not wanna be there all nite alone till i was comfortable with river and area


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## RiverRat1962

P said:


> When we run trot lines when you have those 2 or 3 hooks that is left alone leave the bait on and when it gets pretty rotten and stinky the buffalo will get it once we get started we usualy get 1 a day


The gator gars an turtles steal everything, checking lines I get mostly naked 5/0 circle hooks back with the occasional blue or channel cat on one or two. Leave them out too long in the daytime and you'll only find catfish heads on the line after the cormorants make a pass or two..


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## RiverRat1962

roadhammer said:


> i would love to spend weekend on river.i have a alum with a 40 hp..is there a spot where yall congregate at nite.(i would not wanna be there all nite alone till i was comfortable with river and area


I'm alone and there are no people, that's part of what I like about my river time. I only see a low flying airplane or a few folks fishing in john boat putt through once a day or so. Very isolated out here. Just the way I like it.  I set up a camp and fish all season weather permitting. I take my son now and then or a close friend.


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## RiverRat1962

$4.50 dz for those overgrown crappie minnows and working my tail off trapping small perch and keeping them alive is a lot of trouble, the birds and gars are robbing me blind.. A few nice channels and blues on stink bait and frozen shad. Throwed my shoulders out of the sockets with the cast net and no luck.. Live shad hard to come by. 

I tried the corn and kool aid carp bait and no bites. A small blue cat was the only thing so far that tried that bait. Lol 

Other than that it sure is beautiful in that river bottom this time of year.


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## RiverRat1962

Peaceful.


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## RiverRat1962

!


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## RiverRat1962

Found a nice Iphone in an otter box face down in the sand..


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## RiverRat1962

Critter tracks


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## RiverRat1962

!


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## dan_wrider

Awesome thread RR. I hope you update it often. I will be checking back in to see.


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## RiverRat1962

Working on a replacement for that flimsy canoe. It serves its purpose but I'm getting too old to paddle upstream .. Plus I can haul firewood and maybe catch bait with the cast net and run a line without getting stuck with a hook or going for a swim.. This should make things a little easier LOL


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## RiverRat1962

Its getting kinda deep around here.. Lot of water coming out of that lake headed downstream Bank full and rising.. hwell:


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## Red3Fish

That 15 Johnson/Evenrude is on of my most favoritist motors of all time. They all looked alike from about 80 to 92 and most parts are interchangeable in those years. Just run the fuel out of it, if sitting for a while.

Great pics. I saw a red wolf somewhere in the 70's while driving to Smith Point at night. It was somewhere around the Handkamer (Sp?) cut off of I-10.

Later
R3F


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