Hot Summer Catfish...

 In 1539 Spanish explorer Hernando Desoto landed in Florida and headed west exploring as he went. He made it to the Mississippi River where he died of a fever. The expedition headed on into Texas, headed up by a man named Moscoso and best accounts have them crossing the Attoyac River in about 1542. Their accounts document the daily life and culture of the Caddo Indians they encountered. Yesterday we crossed over and fished the submerged flats on the west bank of the Attoyac and are able to document that they are well populated with blue and channel catfish.  

Our fishing partners for the day were Nick and Kim. Nick fished with us last trip and we were glad Kim could make it this time. Their daughter is our daughter in law and the 44 catfish we caught will be fried up for our grandson Cullen's first birthday party next weekend. Cullen does not like farm raised catfish instead preferring wild caught just like Moscoso and his expedition probably ate when they passed through the area.  

Cathy helps Kim with a twisting, flopping blue cat. History records that Desoto and Moscoso had 600 men when they arrived in Florida and 300 when the group got back to Mexico. It does not say what the fate of all those people were but we had a bucket full of throw back undersized fish yesterday and those twisters will try their best to fin you as you take them off the hook.   

Nick had a good fish, one of the biggest. 

Kim muscles another one in. We were fishing the spot Cathy named Los Brazos. Last trip the depth was showing 35' but the lake has dropped 3 feet. Catfish had been suspended about 20' and we were pitching the Jpiggs punch bait out and letting it sink to them. Today it was easier to find them if you let to the bottom and reeled up 4 to 10 reel turns. 

Of course we took a couple of swims to cool off a bit and I must say for a Saturday afternoon there seemed to be few at the lake. We saw an occasional boat pulling a tube swing distantly by and one other boat fished nearby but never crowded us.   

Final catch was 44 cats and 10 pounds of fillet meat ready for a fish fry. The old Caddo Indians and Spanish explorers are long gone but there are plenty of catfish.