Damit Billy! What are you trying to do? Create a mad rush to Monti? All the young Tubers on here are gonna see that pic from 1980 and start making their way to Monti. The fishing is not that good right now, but I'm sure there will be more traffic this weekend just from this nostalgia post of yours. And Sinkey I am with.....knew without a doubt Ken, Fouz and Billy would light this thread up.

We're not old. We just have long memories.

Wasn't even born yet.

There ya go Chris.....proves you 3 are old. I am not young but I know I am younger than the 3 of you!

And don't forget Jerry Dean who also guided during that time. That experience helped him start Honey Hole.

Tommy your memory is impeccable..
Jerry Dean was there almost every time I was there.
Ya know, to have seen the fish that were in Monti and Murval.. Was an absolute privilege.. I really like that I'm not alone in remembering that time period. I ain't that dang old yet you 2 Chris's. Sinkey&Gilroy...

Never. Met him at the ramp one night about midnight. Pea-soup fog as always in the winter. Our first time on the lake so we asked if we could follow him. Jerry said sure, I'll wait for y'all to launch. We did, he took off and we TRIED to follow for about 30 seconds until ol' Jerry went out of sight. We idled 'til we found the woods, tied up and fished there until daylight. Just after we untied, a guy near us caught a 10+ on a purple jig with a black Big Daddy pork frog trailer. Can see it in my mind's eye like it was yesterday.

We were at Monticello that day. Didnt know about the fish until we stopped at the Country Corner and heard about it.
I figured that my friend Bob Garcia would catch the state record from there. He was the king of the 10 plus fish at Monticello.

I remember that,,, man how fast time goes

I fished little Rebel CB's, and spinnerbaits a lot on monti.. Shoot, usually get up early, fish Winnsboro, till 10-11 then run over to monti and finish the day... That dang corner store had about 2 tons of bass pictures last time I saw it...

Good times

They're all gone now Billy. The prior Husband of the couple that owned it died several years back and she sold the place. Very nice foreign guy bought it and has really done a great job with the place from a fresh cooked to order food, groceries and misc supplies stand point, but all those pictures were taken down when they remodeled. I will say this....on your next trip to Monti stop in and have them make you a philly cheese steak....you WILL be surprised. I was. I always stop in and get a breakfast sandwich on my way to the lake.

Meanwhile, I was at Toledo Bend chasing 4-5 lb schooling bass around with Red Fins, Hot Spots, 1/4 oz maribou jigs, and clear near nuthins in my old Quachita.
Those were good old days.

It was too far for me to fish regularly, but I'd make a couple of trips up there every winter. Stayed at a friend's place in Winsboro. Had to wear rain gear most mornings or you'd get soaked just from the fog. Made a fool of myself one morning when I hooked into one on a jig. I was hollering for the net and had everyone looking thinking it was the next record. When it came up it was a 4 pounder with another hook in it's mouth and about 20 yards of big mono hanging out that was wrapped around something under the water. I never did catch one over 9 out of there.

The thing that sticks out the most back then was the wall of shame.