The Great Christmas Day Catfish Round Up 2018...

It seems that the custom of Christmas Day has been going on forever for us. If I review these blog entries like a diary to recall the past events it really has been only a couple of years that we made it out exactly on the day. Seems there is a pretty good record of outdoor activity this week but that might just be because of time off and family togetherness causing us to do what we like to do.  

This year's great catfish round up started out lost in the fog. The lake is very high closing both ramps at Hank's Creek and I would imagine Monterrey Par. WE headed on the Cassels Boykin, an Angelina County run park with a steep ramp and launched there. 

I don't know if this has anything to do with the government shut down but since the Corps of Engineer ramps on the lake were flooded and our government permit is no good at the county ramp we had to shell out $3. Only thing was there were no pay envelops as there usually are. I found an old envelop in the truck, put license number and date on it and paid. Maybe some QANON types can tell me what kind of conspiracy this is. 

Lost in the fog. We launched across the lake and were soon lost. We tied up and fished around an island till things cleared so we could make out a land mark. 

The deep water spot we usually fish, we name them, called the Dog Walker is a log skinny stick up that is usually taller than a man standing in the boat. With the high water it stuck up three feet. No bites so we check a shallow water spot and there they were.  

Matt with a bent rod. 

You see we were slip corking in 8' of water. We call this Tim's spot as he caught a 4 pound fish here one time. 

All big fat channel cats. 

Final count was only 22 fish but then we wasted time lost in the fog. Good fish though. They were 8 pounds of fillets when cleaned.