# Richland Chambers Catfishing Trip



## Catfish_addiction (Jul 19, 2006)

Well Boys here's the story,

For about the last 10 years we've had Trot-lines in Richland Chambers Res. My Uncle and I take the family down every year and bait and run lines for about a week every spring. For the last 2x years the lake has been to low to run our lines, we actually were pretty sure they wouldn't even be there when we finally got the chance to go back for them.

Well, the lake is back to full pool, I mailed Uncle Butch a new trot-line and he went down to put out a couple of new lines. To our amazement the old lines were not only still there one had a 70lb yella on it. Butch baited out the lines a few times and caught a few fish, 1 in the 60's and a few in the 20's and 30's.

This year we bought a new to us Suburban and don't have the money to make the week long trip. So, When Butch found out we was coming down for Mothers day and wanted to make a run to the lines he went out and baited them up.

This morn we went out and ran our lines, and we had a few fish on. We had a half a dozen small blues from 1#-4#s and a couple of nice Yella's one went 40lbs and the other went 75lbs.

We didn't take pics of the small fish but here are a few of the other pics we took.

Enjoy.......

This is me getting ready to run lines.









Here is the bigger Yella in the boat.








Both Fish in the boat.









Here are both fish in a garden trailer.








Big Boy, 75lbs..








This fish was as big as a child.


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## Fish Aholic (May 13, 2005)

WOW! That thing is big!


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## spawningbedassassin (Jul 11, 2006)

I second that statement!


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## McBuck (Mar 24, 2006)

Way to go, Michael!!!

Thanks for your help on Saturday. I am ready to go to Choke when you are!


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## Catfish_addiction (Jul 19, 2006)

You guys are right, these are some big fish, and trust me I respect the fact that some Catfishermen will never even get the chance to see a Yella that big much less put one in the boat.
Thanks for the kind words guys, these are memories that my Son, my Uncle and I will never forget.
No Problem Matt, any time, I'll be there Fri, Sat, and Sun maybe Mon this coming weekend. Let me know next time you head that way.
You guys be safe.


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## yim11 (Feb 5, 2007)

Holy ****!!! A catfish with a cell phone and another with 10 bucks on his head!! That's the kind of fish I need to be catching!!!

Seriously though - GREAT fish!!


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## Catfish_addiction (Jul 19, 2006)

Thanks yim11, 
Thats the same fish though, We used that cell phone to call him up, JK we caught him on a trotline in about 10' of water and on a perch about 4" long.


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

Catfish_addiction said:


> To our amazement the old lines were not only still there one had a 70lb yella on it.


I'm just curious and figure others have to be, so I thought I'd clarify. Are you guys actually leaving hooks on your lines when they are not being used, or was someone else using the line? Just wondering how there was an op on it when the old line was found.

Congrats on the big ops, they are the most fun catfish to chase, IMO. A 75 pounder is a darn good un!


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## Catfish_addiction (Jul 19, 2006)

CAPN,
Normally when the lines are not in use the hooks are removed and stored away until the lines are put back into use, I.E. middle of Summer or Winter. But what happen is, in the middle of the last fishing season that the lines were used my Uncle had to have emergency heart surgery, so the lines were left as is. when he was well enough to mess with them again the lake was to low to return to the area were they were put out. The lake had been down for 2 years, before they got enough rain to bring the lake back to full pool, which happened in all of 2 weeks. As soon as the lake was back up he headed down to check, repair and or replace the lines, that is when he found the yella on the line. We still don't know if some one may have baited the line or if a smaller fish got hung up and the larger one might of had him for a snack. So the answer is yes, under normal conditions we always remove the hooks when the lines are not being used. We would never want a fish to die on an inattended Trot-line.

Thanks Capn.


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

Cool, I figured there had to be an explanation for it! I've seen plenty of fish hit bare hooks on trotlines, so no surprise. A little glint of sunlight or moonlight on the hook as the fish passes is all it takes.

Congrats again, bet there was some awesome belly meat on the 75...


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## Fish-a-mon (May 21, 2004)

I don't know much about Catfish there but we Hippy Slapped the Whites there Monday.


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## butch (May 1, 2007)

I went to RC saturday 5/26 and put out jug lines biated with live pearch along the 309 flats. Went back a few hours later and half of my jugs were gone. I set them out in 6 feet of water with 3lb. weights I looked for about 3 hours never found them. what did I do wrong. Any advise would be appreciated


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

butch, live perch must have been an invite for a big bruiser Op, who most likely hung those rigs up on a snag and ripped the hook out. That would leave the jug hung underwater.
Those are great Ops in the report, those big boys generate a lot of excitment!


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

Or somebody took em. If there's lots of brush/stumps, they could be wrapped up and under water.


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## choupique (Apr 3, 2006)

butch said:


> I went to RC saturday 5/26 and put out jug lines biated with live pearch along the 309 flats. Went back a few hours later and half of my jugs were gone. I set them out in 6 feet of water with 3lb. weights I looked for about 3 hours never found them. what did I do wrong. Any advise would be appreciated


Sounds to me like someone may have have stolen a few of them. It's happened to me before. People will drive by, see the jugs moving, and run them to take the fish off. I guess it's easier for them to take the whole jug line than to just steal the fish. I HATE freaking theives!!!!!!  I would LOVE to catch someone running my lines!!! Not saying that's for sure what happened but it's a possibility.


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