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50 years of catfishing #11600871 05/13/16 01:57 PM
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Big Zee Offline OP
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I was looking through my Catfish Connection catalog last night and realized it's been 50 years ago that I caught my first catfish. Three years old fishing with my dad on the Yegua Creek with a cane pole, cork and worm for bait.

Over the years I learned a lot from my dad and grandpa. My grandpa was actually a commercial catfisherman. I remember seeing all those big blues and yellow cats he would catch. Some of them were bigger then me!. Papa's boat stayed on the river year around. Had a chain hooked to a tree so when the river came up, the boat rose with it.

Got my first rod and reel when I was 18. We always fished by trotlines, limb lines, or juglines. Always had fish in the freezer. Also at 18, got my first flat bottom boat. 12' Lowe, she was a great boat, run the river with no problems. After many years of service, I sold her and bought a 14' flat bottom Alumincraft with a 15 hp Nissan. First cat I ever caught in that boat was a 25# blue. Now days, fishing a 17' tracker.

Over the years, seen a lot of good products come around. I really think the circle hook was the biggest thing in my tackle box to come along. Went from making your own stink bait to some real good products now days. All the new rods and reels. Cat guys and gals got a lot of choices out there now days. Use to mostly be Zebco 33 for me. That was a good reel for myself for a long time.

My wife of over 30 years has been great through it all. Never said nothing when we would leave catfish in the bath tube to go run our lines on the river. Our when some of my fishing buddies and myself were making our own stink bait and the jars exploded in the kitchen. The 50 gallon cans of sour maize in the backyard that you would smell when the wind was from the south. Times has changed around here, now we use ice chest to keep the cats in before we clean them. The 50 gallon of sour maize had changed to two 5 gallon buckets and I buy either CJ's or Sure Shot stink bait.

I hope each and ever one of you guys and gals have many years of wonderful memories to come. I've been blessed by the good Lord with some good times and some tough times while fishing. Seen a lot of good cat men come and go. Been blessed over the years with some big cats 78# yellow the biggest. May God bless each of ya'll with full stringers and safe trips.


Hebrews 11:1
Wet Rooster Jigs Fishing Super Store
Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11600944 05/13/16 02:39 PM
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Fresh bait. Offline
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GREAT POST!!

Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11601129 05/13/16 04:09 PM
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DataHawk Offline
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thumb Great post


My personal best is still swimming out there just getting bigger. One of these days I will quit feeding it.
Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11601686 05/13/16 09:10 PM
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Jerod Pontello Offline
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Great Post!

Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11601835 05/13/16 11:01 PM
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LEONRIVER Offline
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Good story glad for you.

Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11601850 05/13/16 11:14 PM
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Joe Slab Offline
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Excellent post sir. Brings back memories of my grandpa and me on the creek banks. thumb

Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11601853 05/13/16 11:16 PM
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mjmetro0719 Offline
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Another vote for a great post


Mike
Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11602192 05/14/16 03:03 AM
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jmh004 Offline
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Good read

Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11602245 05/14/16 04:00 AM
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huntfishsleep5 Offline
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Awesome thumb

Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11602980 05/14/16 08:20 PM
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BankAngler50 Offline
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+1 on great post and good read story. Thank you for sharing your catfishing story with us, Yegua Cat. And congrats to you and your blessed family. Fishing in general is a blessing in many ways, it's a great way to get out and enjoy the great outdoors, rejuvenating exercise, and a way to fulfill man's instinctive urge to "hunt" to provide food for his family, etc. Not to mention the delicious taste of fried fresh fish fillet that are free of antibiotics and artificial growth homones, those things that you find in most meat at the super market are very bad for children and the community as a whole.

You and I are about the same age, but you caught your first fish at 3, I caught mine at 10. But you're certainly more blessed than I am because my fishing 40 years had lots of years in between where I lived in big city such as Manhattan NY, and now just moved to Austin and I hadn't wet a line for two months now. I dream of fishing, enjoy the fishing memories and hope to pick up where I left off when work load ease off a bit. A country boy will always be a country boy, lol. Thanks again Yegua Cat, really enjoyed it, your post reads like a letter from a good friend that I have not seen in years. thumb


Why do I go fishing? To catch a box of fish and/or some quality time under the sun. Thank Heaven I never fail fishing in Texas, catching box fish or plenty of sunburn.
Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11603654 05/15/16 06:16 AM
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Ledeez Offline
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Nice read.. Thanks for sharing


Teamgetsome$$$
Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: mjmetro0719] #11605457 05/16/16 02:45 PM
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Originally Posted By: mjmetro0719
Another vote for a great post






Yes Sir! Awesome post! cheers


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Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11605854 05/16/16 05:34 PM
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acbrown1977 Offline
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made my day! got me thinking of fishing trips with my dad hahahhaha! still remember him pulling a saltwater cat up at a pier and then catching a pelican as he reeled the cat up.... that was the day I learned to take care of the waters and animals where you fish... Dad took forever trying to get other hooks outta that bird before releasing it with the cat he caught... said it was the pelicans treat for not biting him lol

Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11606081 05/16/16 06:58 PM
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Andrew Taylor Offline
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Enjoy reading post like this

Re: 50 years of catfishing [Re: Big Zee] #11608199 05/17/16 05:27 PM
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TX0303 Offline
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Great story. Reminded me of the time my wife came home and I had an alligator in the bath tub. She wasn't so understanding.

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