# Jeff G and John 3:16



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Where are you fellows? I know you are dead of winter cat catchers so it may be too early. 
But just wondering how the big pontoon project turned out . When will we begin to see some of those fantastic photos and video clips?


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## Jeff G (May 18, 2010)

Thanks for asking . I'm going to meet John 3:16 at 11:30 tonight to go play on the lake and drive the smaller jugging boat "the minnow" . We will start putting the pontoon back together next week and getting it ready for the upcoming colder weather . This hot weather has just been miserable for us so we had mutually decided to work on catching up on completing a few projects at home and then we both have gotten much more busier at work so that has been a good thing too . We both are anxious for the cooler weather and we look forward in getting back to doing more drifting and jugging . I appologize for my lack of fishing posts this summer but I just have been taking a break .


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Jeff G said:


> Thanks for asking . I'm going to meet John 3:16 at 11:30 tonight to go play on the lake and drive the smaller jugging boat "the minnow" . We will start putting the pontoon back together next week and getting it ready for the upcoming colder weather . This hot weather has just been miserable for us so we had mutually decided to work on catching up on completing a few projects at home and then we both have gotten much more busier at work so that has been a good thing too . We both are anxious for the cooler weather and we look forward in getting back to doing more drifting and jugging . I appologize for my lack of fishing posts this summer but I just have been taking a break .


 If you can't fish today, second best is having plans for fishing tomorrow. Good luck on your pontoon project, and hope to be hearing those reports, this Fall and Winter!


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Good to hear all is well. Tell John I said hey. Hope y'all sack them up. Tbone has a head start but I know you and John will be on them like a duck on a june bug.


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

Yep, I'm ready for some of the "Peanut butter and jelly boys", post too. Shouldn't be too much longer and the weather will cooperate. I start a month long shutdown on Monday. Gonna take a week or two off the be right back on another one. So, ya'll catch a pile and post some good pics, cause that's about the only way I'll be seeing any fish in the next couple of months.


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## olsteve (Jul 20, 2008)

Now, now Sunbeam, don't poke the wasp's nest with a stick. I:E - ( Get John 3:16 back to "preachin" about releasing fish)


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## olsteve (Jul 20, 2008)

According to a PM I got from a fellow 2cooler I must have offended at least one person. I meant the last post as a joke but hopefully one with the message that some of of us fish for food, not sport!
If I have offended anyone else, I would suggest that you kindly direct your lips to be in direct contact with my rectum.


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## katjim00 (Jan 8, 2009)

LOL....too funny


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## olsteve (Jul 20, 2008)

*Yep, it was Firedog*

I'll bet that doesn't surprise anybody.


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## Jeff G (May 18, 2010)

Don't worry about poking the "wasp' s nest" . If you look back at the posts , I don't think That John3:16 has made any posts or even visited this site since he was called a "hypocrite" by you for "preaching on releasing the big catfish "so as John would say " ... "Just saying !!!" lol 

Anyway , we had a great evening Thursday night . I think the count was 16 big cats released (CPR'd) with the largest at 38 pounds. John has the pics so I'll see if I can copy them next time I see him so I can make a post and report . All cats over 6 pounds were photographed so we can enter them for prizes In the Cajun catfish contest on Lake Conroe . It's a cool contest ! Last year the big cat that won first place was over 70 pounds !


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## olsteve (Jul 20, 2008)

Glad ya'll had a good trip. I hope John has no hard feelings... I don't.
As for me, I would have tried to CPR them with hot oil. LOL
Good to hear from you.


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## Jeff G (May 18, 2010)

No hard feelings . Like John said ... Everyone has the right to voice your opinion and he believes that you have the right to do what you want with a legal size fish . As With opinions some will agree and some will disagree . 

One of The main reasons that we catch and release the larger blues is because the larger ones are the breeders and they are the most fun to catch ! I think they lay like a thousand more eggs per pound that they weigh so the larger females are better . Another thing is that the lake we fish at has an abundance of catfish in the two - eight pound range and they seem to be the easiest to clean , manage and they taste better from what I'm told then the larger blues .


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Right on Jeff. Any catfish you need to hang in a tree to skin is too big to eat. Not that it isn't edible but that fillet off of a two pounder is so much better.
And true the big mamas are the future for any lake. The big females produce the large healthy eggs. The big males are strong enough to protect the nest against all comers.
Even a large carp does not want a 25 pound blue cat chomping down on it's snout.
Plus I am sentimental. It seems a shame to kill a fish that was swimming in the lake before my college student son was born. A kind of "the fish was here first" attitude I guess.
That being said I don't begrudge anyone from keeping any legal fish they catch if they intend to eat or mount it. 
The only thing that brings me to a boil is seeing big gar or sharks left twisting in the wind after all of the pix are taken.


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## CT (Jun 30, 2009)

What they said...
It may be legal, but if your in my boat be prepared to swim with him back to shore.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

One of the best cat fish men alive is Obewan57, the man knows cat fish! 
Lee and I took a trip with him once and we had a great time, his knowledge and professionalism are an inspiration to me as a guide who includes cat fish as part of the species we go after.

After our trip with him I took away a lot of info and two items that stand are, a blue or channel cat fish is too big to eat when you can't grab him around the head with one hand and lift him.
Two; is to drift a little faster than I had been, both are very good tips and just a little of what I took with me after the trip.

As a guide however sometimes we have a newbie fishermen who never believed they could catch a fish as big as some the cat fish we put them on. 
And it's just not right to tell them to put it back, so we sometimes keep pretty good size cats and really put the knife to them to trim them up to decent table fare.

The bigger the fish the harder I try to persuade the guest to release the fish, and give all of the reasons about them being the best breeders, they don't taste as good, as the small ones, etc...
At the end of the discussion and they want to keep it and it's legal fish and their largest, they will take it home with them.


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## CT (Jun 30, 2009)

SS I have also been inspired by you, Weldon, Capt. Wayne and Jackie to work toward guiding folks someday. I understand and agree if you or any guide has clients aboard it's client's fish to do with as they please under current regulations. We can attempt/suggest they release the catch for all the reasons stated before, but it is a legal catch. My personal rule is the same as Weldon's, although Weldon has a slightly bigger set of paws than me. I encourage folks to release/CPR any healthy catfish over 10 pounds and don't begrudge those who don't. 

However I'm reminded of current TPWD restrictions on some Texas lakes for catfish. Also after making a couple trips this year to Tawakoni and talking to the guides most are saying the trophy catfish size and numbers are decreasing. It is suggested that guided clients are keeping too many of the trophy catfish. I know Livingston and Conroe are not hammered as hard as Tawakoni, but are gaining a reputation as some of the top trophy cat lakes in Texas. My point is we as a group needs to start policing ourselves before TPWD does.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

A little off the subject, but it amazes me how many really big cats the guides pull out of those Metro area lakes on posts I read on TFF, and those lakes are small, but Conroe has been churning out some monsters and is small as well. 
I know a lot of Conroe fishermen and those Metro area guides are big on catch and release over 10#s, a good plan that keeps a lot of big fish in the lake.
The best eating cat fish is for sure about 2#! Those up to 10 to 17 on Livingston eat very well if you take the time to trim the red off of them.

Livingston is the only lake in Texas with a whopping 50 cat fish per day per person limit and for a good reason it is full of cat fish. 
Some days when the bite is hot if I were willing to stick with it I bet I could catch 50 drift fishing, but would then I would have to go pay someone to clean them because I like to do the :walkingsmwhen there are that many cats!

I have had some of the really big monsters on at Livingston, but so far those over that are over 60# have kicked my tail at the boat.

I am gunning for one on the South end that was a rod in the bow and got wrapped up on a 25# fish I was bringing on the stern last winter and broke the line! 77# power pro! I watched it roll up close to the other fish and then swing it's huge head repeatedly until it broke or cut the line. It looked to be a for real 70#, I sure would like to get it aboard and weigh it.


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## olsteve (Jul 20, 2008)

*Could this be the reason?!*

I live in Georgia where there is NOT A LIMIT ON CATFISH!
The reason being that we have WAY TOO MANY and when they over populate, the pan fish population tends to suffer considerably.
I had not factored in that in Georgia catfish are almost a nuisance, nor had it crossed my mind that we are talking about two different states that have very different needs to keep the overall fish population good.
I suspect that some of the good folks in Texas may not have thought about this either. 
A comment made by SS made my think about this.
He must be a pretty smart fella.


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## olsteve (Jul 20, 2008)

P.S. - I still luv ya John 3:16
(Firedog... not so much. lol)


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## Southern Catdaddy (Jan 10, 2011)

I recently sent a email to parks and wildlife and they are considering putting a slot limit into action on blue catfish for certain lakes and a limit on the number of trophy catfish that can be kept. They are already doing it on some lakes testing. I was just asking him about Conroe. So hopefully that will happen sometime.


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## johnmyjohn (Aug 6, 2006)

I was going to just read but couldn't stand it, free country right? 
I know SS a little and me agreeing with with what he say's has nothing to do with it. The comment he made is common sense and the most factual mentioned on most the CPR and keep for food threads so far. As for writing to TPW it is everyones' right to do so but keep in mind they are a gov. service too. What I've experienced the squeaky wheel gets the grease. A hand full of people with ''I really feel'','' I strongly believe'' and the most dangerous ''I know for a fact'' start writing in they will listen. And possibly do something just on a little pressure rather than facts and science. We all want to change the world because we know better and that includes for everyone else too since they don't have a clue. Our limits and laws are for the most part ok on fishing. But take in the red snapper thing and shark laws and you can see where that's going. Snapper are like flies offshore and the sharks are thicker than hard heads, you see I have an observation too. But TPW surveys say different and that's why things are the way they are but at least they have some sort of gauge. I've said this before and the best thing to do is let the professionals set the limits and watch over their shoulder rather than try to lead them by the nose where they shouldn't be. I have friends that CPR all big fish and a big high five to them. Then I know people who claim to be sportsman who CPR almost all their catch but after talking to them not only are they too lazy to clean fish but don't eat them either. I'm not pointing a finger at anybody here but that's who I find doing a lot of talking. We know how we feel about some issues but lets help in factual matters as they are not on guesses and here say. We don't want to kill all our fish but we also don't want to cheat ourselves from keeping them either. I will end this with I hope I didn't step on any toes and my words were not meant to do so.


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## olsteve (Jul 20, 2008)

Seems like I'm not the only one with a pretty high opinion of SS. You should hand out some bussiness cards!
As for you Sunbeam, 
I want you to take the stick that poked the wasp's nest and please do the following:
1- Break it in half
2- Break the halves into halves and continue to do so until it isn't possible to be done again
3-Dig a hole 50 feet deep and deposit all pieces of said stick.
4- Pour the hole full of of 10,000 PSI Concrete 
5- Bolt a 2 inch thick stainless steel plate onto the concrete.. (Just in case.)


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## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

johnmyjohn said:


> I was going to just read but couldn't stand it, free country right?
> I know SS a little and me agreeing with with what he say's has nothing to do with it. The comment he made is common sense and the most factual mentioned on most the CPR and keep for food threads so far. As for writing to TPW it is everyones' right to do so but keep in mind they are a gov. service too. What I've experienced the squeaky wheel gets the grease. A hand full of people with ''I really feel'','' I strongly believe'' and the most dangerous ''I know for a fact'' start writing in they will listen. And possibly do something just on a little pressure rather than facts and science. We all want to change the world because we know better and that includes for everyone else too since they don't have a clue. Our limits and laws are for the most part ok on fishing. But take in the red snapper thing and shark laws and you can see where that's going. Snapper are like flies offshore and the sharks are thicker than hard heads, you see I have an observation too. But TPW surveys say different and that's why things are the way they are but at least they have some sort of gauge. I've said this before and the best thing to do is let the professionals set the limits and watch over their shoulder rather than try to lead them by the nose where they shouldn't be. I have friends that CPR all big fish and a big high five to them. Then I know people who claim to be sportsman who CPR almost all their catch but after talking to them not only are they too lazy to clean fish but don't eat them either. I'm not pointing a finger at anybody here but that's who I find doing a lot of talking. We know how we feel about some issues but lets help in factual matters as they are not on guesses and here say. We don't want to kill all our fish but we also don't want to cheat ourselves from keeping them either. I will end this with I hope I didn't step on any toes and my words were not meant to do so.


Good thoughts johnmyjohn.
I fish (trotline) for some tablefare and some fun. The fun thing is...I get to do it. I sell some to friends at "cut throat prices" (i have my commercial license for myself and vessel). They appreciate it, and I enjoy it. These are my friends and friends only. I get to help them out with some FRESH or non farm raised fish, and am compensated only for my fuel and a little maintenance. I enjoy fishing , and this gives me a reason to wake the 5 year old and put him in the boat for a beautiful early morning sunrise and ride. 
As far as size, I let most everything over 8 go. It's not a matter of taste, but texture. Their meat gets awfully stringy at and above 8.


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## olsteve (Jul 20, 2008)

spurgersalty said:


> Good thoughts johnmyjohn.
> I fish (trotline) for some tablefare and some fun. The fun thing is...I get to do it. I sell some to friends at "cut throat prices" (i have my commercial license for myself and vessel). They appreciate it, and I enjoy it. These are my friends and friends only. I get to help them out with some FRESH or non farm raised fish, and am compensated only for my fuel and a little maintenance. I enjoy fishing , and this gives me a reason to wake the 5 year old and put him in the boat for a beautiful early morning sunrise and ride.
> As far as size, I let most everything over 8 go. It's not a matter of taste, but texture. Their meat gets awfully stringy at and above 8.


Great post!
If you want to try this recipe it does well on catfish way beyond the 8 pound range.

Filet the fish (boneless)
Gash the sinue side both ways in 1/2" increments
Heat a cast iron skillet to smoking hot.
Dip filets in butter then squeeze off the excess butter
Put a liberal coating of "Blackening Seasoning" (I use the Kroger brand) 
Cook filets about 3 minutes per side

It's GOOD !


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