# Gators, gators, and more gators



## bearintex (Feb 7, 2006)

Actually, probably just one big SOB.

I fish a private company reservoir, about 1700 acres. Full of trees and stumps and such. Average depth is 4-6 feet at full pool. LOTS of good catfish in it. Also, LOTS and LOTS of alligators. I can't begin to tell you how many hooks, stagings, lines, etc., I've lost to the bassturds. Just this past weekend I had two, twenty five hook lines set. When my son and I picked up the lines yesterday afternoon, I only put about 20 stagings back in the bucket to be used again later. The rest were either gone, straightened hooks, bent up clips or something else to make then unusable. Frustrating to say the least. Also dropped half of a 10# blue back in the lake.

I know there is nothing I can do about it other than sit on the lines and run them every time a fish gets on, but dayum this is frustrating.

Vent for the day.

On the bright side, we did clean over 150 pounds of fish for the weekend.


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## bearintex (Feb 7, 2006)

Are there any trotline clips that clip to the line loosely enough to spin freely? I'm looking for ways to reduce the amount of hardware.


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## JWS.HOOKEM (Jun 24, 2008)

*???*

Just wondering....was that the old "Harris Reservoir" used to be owned by DOW?
Fished and hunted there lots in the late 60's.


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## bearintex (Feb 7, 2006)

JWS.HOOKEM said:


> Just wondering....was that the old "Harris Reservoir" used to be owned by DOW?
> Fished and hunted there lots in the late 60's.


Dat's the one!


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## Category6 (Nov 21, 2007)

REAL big flatheads in there if you can get some live bullhead or big bream. Tie off single drops to the stumps along the old creek channel with a big circle hook and a couple ounce weight on heavy tarred twine. I know of some 60# fish on a scale.


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## Beaux (Oct 11, 2012)

It's still Harris lol. Grew up hunting and fishing out there, used to go out there couple times a week. No telling what's in there now after the river flooded it. Man we had some times out there. Lost some ducks to them gators a time or 2 as well. Been a minute since I've been there. Not much has changed though, I know that.


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## bearintex (Feb 7, 2006)

Beaux said:


> It's still Harris lol. Grew up hunting and fishing out there, used to go out there couple times a week. No telling what's in there now after the river flooded it. Man we had some times out there. Lost some ducks to them gators a time or 2 as well. Been a minute since I've been there. Not much has changed though, I know that.


Brazos flood never topped the levee. Lacked several feet.


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## Beaux (Oct 11, 2012)

Well everything around it was surely under water. I have several friends that live off CR34, it got a little wet.

On your rigs, I don't know how you have them set up, but I use large swivels on my main lines and clip on to those.


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## Postman (Oct 11, 2015)

bearintex said:


> Are there any trotline clips that clip to the line loosely enough to spin freely? I'm looking for ways to reduce the amount of hardware.


Maybe tie a knot in your main line , with a barrel swivel above the knot. Use a big enough swivel with eye that will turn freely but not so big it will slip over the knot. Clip your trotline clip to the other end of the swivel. Just a thought might work.


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

you do know it is a felony to kill a gator if not licensed, just fyi


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## bearintex (Feb 7, 2006)

Seriously?


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## Michael J (Jan 25, 2012)

Dadgumm JWS.HOOKEM......I can't believe this!!!!! I was just thinking about asking if anyone remembers from years past the old Dow Reservoir.....then for some reason I clicked on this thread.

My Dad, his customers and I fished there in the 60's....I was just a kid....
Stayed at the little cabins on the lake, and the managers wife made a really fine breakfast in the mornings.

Black bass heaven, and lots of gators. Just to the right of the dock as you were getting on the lake was an old rotted out tree trunk with a big hole in it. I remember casting right in there with a black chugger one morning and catching the biggest bass of my life....that is burned into my memory! Leaving the dock on those foggy mornings heading out through the trees......heaven.

Going to dig up my dad's old pics and post.


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## Category6 (Nov 21, 2007)

^^^^ Dow reservoir you're talking about is most likely the one upstream of Buffalo camp bayou at 332 and 521. Definitely some big bass, crappie and catfish in that one!


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