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Last Call for Monticello
#12556831
12/30/17 04:52 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,769
TxDanFishMan
OP
Extreme Angler
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OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,769 |
My buddy Jim and I made the trip to Lake Monticello yesterday hoping to get one more trip on the lake with the power plant cranking out some warm water. Unfortunately my brother the Scoundrel could not join us like he has on so many past trips. Another buddy of mine and his son joined us as first-timers but I dont think they got a real taste of how good it could be/was. When we arrived at first light the Plant was all lit up like Christmas but the big stacks had no smoke and final shutdown appears to be already underway by the electric company. We made the best of trip despite some cold weather trying the usual spots. Water temps ranged from 55-62 but was dropping during the day and with weather coming in for next week it should really drop fast. Struggled to put 8 decent fish in the boat and late in the afternoon one of our old holes produced a bunch of little fish. We did not fish the outlet but could see water was still flowing but no fog so I assume it was just cool runoff from the plant. Throughout the day I kept looking back at the stacks hoping I would see smoke billowing out but only memories from so many past trips. We made one last stop on the way out and almost on script I caught my biggest fish of the day. It was a very old fish, way past its prime, just like the lake. Winter fishing will never be the same there with the power plant shutdown but its been a heck of a long and productive run. I expect fishing in the future will still be good there during the other seasons but only time will tell, and time marches on.
Slide right, coming in .... Fish On!
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: TxDanFishMan]
#12556847
12/30/17 05:14 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 7,258
Scoundrel
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 7,258 |
Nice work.
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: TxDanFishMan]
#12556867
12/30/17 05:34 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,522
Ken A.
Groovy
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Groovy
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,522 |
You are right it wont be the same without Monticello fishin in the winter. Some of my fondest memories are from that lake catching bass on a topwater plug while it was snowing.
Good times for sure!!
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: TxDanFishMan]
#12556880
12/30/17 05:54 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,522
Ken A.
Groovy
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Groovy
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,522 |
I started fishing the lake Winter of 1974. I recall that year very well because my best friend bought a brand new GMC truck on his birthday in Nov of 1974 and we headed to Monty with a 14' Jonboat in the back. We called the 9.9 hp Sea King outboard Old Wheezer because thats how it sounded hen it was running. It wheezed & coughed & smoked a LOT!
The next year I bought my very first bass rig from a neighbor. It was a 15' Duckhawk, probably a '68 year model, with a 55 Chrysler. It had stick steering and a 28# thrust foot controlled MG troll motor. We thought we had died and gone to Heaven in that rig! We terrorized the bass for two years on Hubbard, Lavon, T-wok & Monty in that rig.
About two years later I moved up the the "big time" and bought a 4 year old 16' Ranger TR-10 with a Johnson 135. The boat was rated for 85 hp and my quest for a faster bass rig began. That rig would do a blistering 48 mph and lit a spark in me to go fast in a boat.
Lake Fork had opened by then and we started heading there on a regular basis. Many days we would start on Monty before daybreak then finish at Fork which put us 40 miles closer to home at the end of the day.
Unless my calculations are way off I have logged 972 trips to Monty over the years.
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: TxDanFishMan]
#12556884
12/30/17 05:57 PM
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,637
Allen Bass Fisher
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,637 |
Great report! I remember the good old days on Monticello. Sleeting, guides freezing up and dipping them in the water to thaw them out. Catching a fish and warming your hands on it.
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: TxDanFishMan]
#12556891
12/30/17 06:12 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 7,618
361V
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 7,618 |
Wonder why the coal train would still be running if the plant is shut down. Hauling it to other coal plants?
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: Ken A.]
#12556894
12/30/17 06:16 PM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 22,544
lconn4
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 22,544 |
I started fishing the lake Winter of 1974. I recall that year very well because my best friend bought a brand new GMC truck on his birthday in Nov of 1974 and we headed to Monty with a 14' Jonboat in the back. We called the 9.9 hp Sea King outboard Old Wheezer because thats how it sounded hen it was running. It wheezed & coughed & smoked a LOT!
The next year I bought my very first bass rig from a neighbor. It was a 15' Duckhawk, probably a '68 year model, with a 55 Chrysler. It had stick steering and a 28# thrust foot controlled MG troll motor. We thought we had died and gone to Heaven in that rig! We terrorized the bass for two years on Hubbard, Lavon, T-wok & Monty in that rig.
About two years later I moved up the the "big time" and bought a 4 year old 16' Ranger TR-10 with a Johnson 135. The boat was rated for 85 hp and my quest for a faster bass rig began. That rig would do a blistering 48 mph and lit a spark in me to go fast in a boat.
Lake Fork had opened by then and we started heading there on a regular basis. Many days we would start on Monty before daybreak then finish at Fork which put us 40 miles closer to home at the end of the day.
Unless my calculations are way off I have logged 972 trips to Monty over the years. WOW on the 972!
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: TxDanFishMan]
#12556895
12/30/17 06:18 PM
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 7,737
GIG'EM AGGIES
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 7,737 |
My buddy Jim and I made the trip to Lake Monticello yesterday hoping to get one more trip on the lake with the power plant cranking out some warm water. Unfortunately my brother the Scoundrel could not join us like he has on so many past trips. Another buddy of mine and his son joined us as first-timers but I dont think they got a real taste of how good it could be/was. When we arrived at first light the Plant was all lit up like Christmas but the big stacks had no smoke and final shutdown appears to be already underway by the electric company. We made the best of trip despite some cold weather trying the usual spots. Water temps ranged from 55-62 but was dropping during the day and with weather coming in for next week it should really drop fast. Struggled to put 8 decent fish in the boat and late in the afternoon one of our old holes produced a bunch of little fish. We did not fish the outlet but could see water was still flowing but no fog so I assume it was just cool runoff from the plant. Throughout the day I kept looking back at the stacks hoping I would see smoke billowing out but only memories from so many past trips. We made one last stop on the way out and almost on script I caught my biggest fish of the day. It was a very old fish, way past its prime, just like the lake. Winter fishing will never be the same there with the power plant shutdown but its been a heck of a long and productive run. I expect fishing in the future will still be good there during the other seasons but only time will tell, and time marches on. Good last trip and thanks for the pictures. Save them and show them to your grand children with all the stories that go with them.
I am a Senager. (Senior teenager) I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 50 years later. I get an allowance every month. I have PU truck and a bass boat, I am blessed. Conscience never acquits, it either accuses or excuses.
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: 361V]
#12556900
12/30/17 06:20 PM
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 7,737
GIG'EM AGGIES
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 7,737 |
Wonder why the coal train would still be running if the plant is shut down. Hauling it to other coal plants? Hauling it to Washington D.C. to build a fire under the Congressmen and Senators a$$ to get something done, lol.
I am a Senager. (Senior teenager) I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 50 years later. I get an allowance every month. I have PU truck and a bass boat, I am blessed. Conscience never acquits, it either accuses or excuses.
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: GIG'EM AGGIES]
#12556908
12/30/17 06:27 PM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 22,544
lconn4
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 22,544 |
Wonder why the coal train would still be running if the plant is shut down. Hauling it to other coal plants? Hauling it to Washington D.C. to build a fire under the Congressmen and Senators a$$ to get something done, lol. The train is parked on the bridge, hasn't budged in at least a week.
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: Ken A.]
#12556912
12/30/17 06:28 PM
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 7,737
GIG'EM AGGIES
TFF Celebrity
|
TFF Celebrity
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 7,737 |
I started fishing the lake Winter of 1974. I recall that year very well because my best friend bought a brand new GMC truck on his birthday in Nov of 1974 and we headed to Monty with a 14' Jonboat in the back. We called the 9.9 hp Sea King outboard Old Wheezer because thats how it sounded hen it was running. It wheezed & coughed & smoked a LOT!
The next year I bought my very first bass rig from a neighbor. It was a 15' Duckhawk, probably a '68 year model, with a 55 Chrysler. It had stick steering and a 28# thrust foot controlled MG troll motor. We thought we had died and gone to Heaven in that rig! We terrorized the bass for two years on Hubbard, Lavon, T-wok & Monty in that rig.
About two years later I moved up the the "big time" and bought a 4 year old 16' Ranger TR-10 with a Johnson 135. The boat was rated for 85 hp and my quest for a faster bass rig began. That rig would do a blistering 48 mph and lit a spark in me to go fast in a boat.
Lake Fork had opened by then and we started heading there on a regular basis. Many days we would start on Monty before daybreak then finish at Fork which put us 40 miles closer to home at the end of the day.
Unless my calculations are way off I have logged 972 trips to Monty over the years. You ain't that old Ken. If you went once a week for 52 weeks that means you fished Monti for a total of over 18 years. You added in your head didn't you, lol.
Last edited by GIG'EM AGGIES; 12/30/17 09:21 PM.
I am a Senager. (Senior teenager) I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 50 years later. I get an allowance every month. I have PU truck and a bass boat, I am blessed. Conscience never acquits, it either accuses or excuses.
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: TxDanFishMan]
#12556913
12/30/17 06:28 PM
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 861
Rog
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 861 |
TX Dan great memories at Monticello in Dec. Made my last 2017 trip and last hot water Monticello trip yesterday also and yesterday didnt let me down. After throwing a bearing buddy that I didnt notice until about to launch at 9, I finally got it fixed and got on the water around 11 with low expectations. Headed straight to the railroad creek with the water temps 50-58 back there. After getting broke off by a giant in the pad stems things started looking up. Moved out to the middle and ended up catching fish from noon until 3:30 almost nonstop. Found large school of prespawn fish stacked in the grass and lost count around 30 fish but guess I had at least 50 or so in the 3-8 lb range Key was yo-yo ing /ripping a white chatterbait off the bottom out of the grass. Was one of those phenomenal days and great way to cap off the end of an era.
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: GIG'EM AGGIES]
#12557028
12/30/17 08:27 PM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 22,544
lconn4
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 22,544 |
I started fishing the lake Winter of 1974.
Unless my calculations are way off I have logged 972 trips to Monty over the years. You ain't that old Ken. If you went once a week for 52 weeks that means you fished Monti for a total of over 18 years. You added in your head didn't you.
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: TxDanFishMan]
#12557065
12/30/17 09:10 PM
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,746
Douglas J
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 20,746 |
We were blessed to have a lot of fun lakes to fish "back in the day" before the population exploded. My first trip to Monticello was in January 1977, I was 8 years old and I will never forget it!
My last "good" trip when they were really generating was a couple years ago, man those were some fun days!!!
Just like those who never got to fish Fork, Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend or even most recently Falcon when they were "really good", it's really hard to explain just how good fishing used to be in Texas.
#MFGA
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Re: Last Call for Monticello
[Re: Rog]
#12557080
12/30/17 09:25 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,769
TxDanFishMan
OP
Extreme Angler
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OP
Extreme Angler
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,769 |
TX Dan great memories at Monticello in Dec. Made my last 2017 trip and last hot water Monticello trip yesterday also and yesterday didnt let me down. After throwing a bearing buddy that I didnt notice until about to launch at 9, I finally got it fixed and got on the water around 11 with low expectations. Headed straight to the railroad creek with the water temps 50-58 back there. After getting broke off by a giant in the pad stems things started looking up. Moved out to the middle and ended up catching fish from noon until 3:30 almost nonstop. Found large school of prespawn fish stacked in the grass and lost count around 30 fish but guess I had at least 50 or so in the 3-8 lb range Key was yo-yo ing /ripping a white chatterbait off the bottom out of the grass. Was one of those phenomenal days and great way to cap off the end of an era. Sounds like you made the best of bad start and really whacked'em good, there is definitely lots of good fish still out there but I'll be headed someplace warmer next time
Slide right, coming in .... Fish On!
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