# Christmas Eve, Lake Livingston



## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

I wanted to be on the water at daylight this morning, but it didn't happen. Very long story behind all that, but I won't get in to it. Did manage to swing through Livingston this morning, about the time the bottom fell out. I was wondering if I'm doing the right thing or not? Called Dbullard and got some weather reports off of him and he assured me it would clear up the further i went. So I proceeded onward.

Found me a new Marina to launch at and was very please with it's access to the lake. I eased on to my destination, nice and slow as not to knock my lower unit off. I got to my first set of stumps and started catching some nice cats. I was lazy and didn't even throw the cast net. I bought a beef heart at HEB, when I came through town. They seemed to like the heart.

I caught 6 or 8 real quick and it went from warm, to me putting another shirt on. Then the bite slowed way down. I had some old guy that rememered me from fishing up at the Outback and he came over to visit with me and was eyeballing me pretty hard. Everytime he would ask how many fish I caught, I would lie and say a couple. Then the lid would start to kick on my red cooler. He would eyeball me some more and would tell me another lie. He said he spent more time underwater, than most people spent on top of the water.

Well, eventually, I had to cut the conversation short. I had some more fishing to do and he wasn't doing anything more than wasting my hearing on his crazy stories. He said he wasn't going to quit riding his Harley until he couldn't start it any more. Then he said it had an electric start. I guess that was supposed to be funny, but I acted like I didn't get it. After all, he is a potential potlicker, eyeballing me real close.

Finally, he eased on off and I began to fish again. I would pick up one, here and there, but for the most part, the bite was off. I'm glad, cause I would have sat there and continued to catch more than I needed for Fridays fish fry.

I wound up with 16 nice size blue cats that I kept. I caught a few channels, but I through them back. I made it home nice and safe. Overall, it was a wonderful day. Enjoy the pics.


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

nice mess of fish GG!! YOU LEARN QUICK!LOL


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## Rob311 (Aug 20, 2008)

Thanks for the report! Nice haul


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

That's a great bunch of 16 cats, all just right to fry. Bluecats about 3lbs and crappie(scaled and gutted, cooked with the bone) have to be the best eating fish in freshwater. Are you still using a cork?


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## trout01 (Apr 4, 2006)

GG, you always post up a nice mess of fish.Merry Christmas..


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

shadslinger said:


> That's a great bunch of 16 cats, all just right to fry. Bluecats about 3lbs and crappie(scaled and gutted, cooked with the bone) have to be the best eating fish in freshwater. Are you still using a cork?


SS, I use a cork to start off with. I might catch one or two, but I prefer to free float my bait to the bottom. No weight or anything, just bait and a hook. It usually don't take long before it hits bottom and there is a fish on if they are there. Dbullard is the one who catches the fire out of them with a cork. He uses a slip cork that has a rattleling to it when it hits the side of the stump. It don't take long and he'll have one on. Me, I just prefer free floating the bait to them.


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

trout01 said:


> GG, you always post up a nice mess of fish.Merry Christmas..


Trout01, I have evolved over the last 2 or 3 years, into the catfisherman that I am today. Tust me, I couldn't have caught a catfish out of a five gallon bucket a few years ago, if the bucket was full of catfish.

It took alot of time on the water with some guys that new what they were doing and who took the time to show me how to do it. All the credit goes to the likes of Dbullard, Medulla, Crappie Tracker ,Gator ,Piper ,and Ol Bill. There were others that shared their info. with me, but these guys let me tag along and showed me first hand in their boats how to catch a catfish and for that I am really grateful

I just applied what I learned and took off with the knowledge that they gave me. These pictures in the post are the reults. Those are a fine group of guys, that are very unselfish.

Merry Christmas to you too, Trout01.


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## cookie (Oct 26, 2004)

sweet gg thats some nice cats there


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

The slip bobbers I use are the ESB (EVER LASTING SLIP BOBBER)Medulla introduced them to me.You got to order online.I use one and free float another bait.We get doubles alot.


Gator gar said:


> SS, I use a cork to start off with. I might catch one or two, but I prefer to free float my bait to the bottom. No weight or anything, just bait and a hook. It usually don't take long before it hits bottom and there is a fish on if they are there. Dbullard is the one who catches the fire out of them with a cork. He uses a slip cork that has a rattleling to it when it hits the side of the stump. It don't take long and he'll have one on. Me, I just prefer free floating the bait to them.


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## grandpa cracker (Apr 7, 2006)

dbullard said:


> The slip bobbers I use are the ESB (EVER LASTING SLIP BOBBER)Medulla introduced them to me.You got to order online.I use one and free float another bait.We get doubles alot.


 Guess who intoduced the slip bobbers to Medulla . I used them for catching huge Redear
on a lake close to my house and turned Joe onto them . So , what do I get , a cookie ?
lol.


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## Hill Country Fishin (Mar 6, 2007)

Good mess of fish and too much fun!


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

2 cookies and a moon pie!!!lol 


grandpa cracker said:


> Guess who intoduced the slip bobbers to Medulla . I used them for catching huge Redear
> on a lake close to my house and turned Joe onto them . So , what do I get , a cookie ?
> lol.


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## RAYSOR (Apr 26, 2007)

Thanks GG for the report and pics, I always look foward to your reports and comments, Really nice mess of catfish, sometime give us a hint when cleaning how to get all the red off.


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## cookie (Oct 26, 2004)

grandpa cracker said:


> Guess who intoduced the slip bobbers to Medulla . I used them for catching huge Redear
> on a lake close to my house and turned Joe onto them . So , what do I get , a cookie ?
> lol.


okay you get me but im a big guy and eat alot


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

*NICE CATCH*

Great report. Keep em comin. Where is this other launch. Private???


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## texan52 (Sep 7, 2004)

Dude,
I'm glad to see you've upgraded your fishing from gar to cats!!! Have you ever gotten shocked with that secret device you use? J/K!!! Nice haul but you could share some of dem nice clean fillets.......


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## fin&feather (Jun 24, 2008)

I've caught a few but never kept up with cats so take it easy.. Can't help but notice the fins are red, this is normally the sign of spawn right.. now I've never known of a spawning season for cats, so now I'm just curious do they have a spawning season?


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

The cats on Livingston normally spawn between March and July.We catch one here and there with eggs this time of the year but not many.Mid March you will start seeing more eggs.


fin&feather said:


> I've caught a few but never kept up with cats so take it easy.. Can't help but notice the fins are red, this is normally the sign of spawn right.. now I've never known of a spawning season for cats, so now I'm just curious do they have a spawning season?


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## fin&feather (Jun 24, 2008)

_The cats on Livingston normally spawn between March and July.We catch one here and there with eggs this time of the year but not many.Mid March you will start seeing more eggs._

ok thanks


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

fin&feather said:


> I've caught a few but never kept up with cats so take it easy.. Can't help but notice the fins are red, this is normally the sign of spawn right.. now I've never known of a spawning season for cats, so now I'm just curious do they have a spawning season?


Fins become red for different reasons. Too long in a live well or a fish box at the docks will get them red. Spawning will get them red too, I guess. If you catch them in a hoop net, their lips will be blood red too. Just ask a Game Warden how he/she can tell, if they came out of a trap.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Soon, the next good rain, the shad will make a run upstream followed by crappie, whites, and blue catfish. Even some black bass make the charge upstream, gar will do it, gasper guo, you name it. Late winter, early spring rains that swell the creeks bring them all on way upstream, untill they start running into shoals that stop them. They all seem to have to have that spawning run desire to swim upstream as far as they can.
It takes a real good rain up in North Texas to get the Trinity up, and it takes allot of local rain to put the feeder creeks up. But the next time either one happens their will be some good fishing to follow.
Don't dbullard look captinish driving the boat today?


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## Titus Bass (Dec 26, 2008)

dbullard said:


> The slip bobbers I use are the ESB (EVER LASTING SLIP BOBBER)Medulla introduced them to me.You got to order online.I use one and free float another bait.We get doubles alot.


 I ordered me some of them slip bobbers. They look sturdy. Thank you guys for all the info. I am going to try and get up toward E Tx and get me some of them blues.


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