Fished at lake Tawakoni yesterday from 5:30 until 1:00 from the bank and we only managed to catch 2 fish. I caught fresh bait when I got there which consisted of shad and perch or brim, the shad where pretty good size and had to be used as cut bait as were most of the brim but I did have a few smaller one that I used whole. We also had chicken livers and Danny Kings punch bait in original and blood. Tawakoni has been kicking my but since late spring and I just can't figure out what the heck is going on. I brought some of my larger rods to where I could reach deeper water, hoping for a bigger bite but it just didn't pan out.

Have to admit the bite this year has been slower than last and way slower than year before last. Guessing a bit later in the summer the bite will pick up. The odd rainfalls and high waters I think are to blame.

Tawakoni just humbles me every time I go out there.

Well you could try a different spot. Where are you fishing? For me I have better luck fishing where the wind is blowing toward me, The two mile bridge has been good for me as has the White point causeway. I just pick the one the wind is blowing into. And where there are rocks. That said yes Tawakoni can be fickle.

Have you tried my fishing calendar? Look for the thread- "Lynn's Catfish Calendar". YellowCats, BlueCats, Gator Gars, and possibly ChannelCats

Also, be sure to see the KEY, for tips & such. You may have to back up a month or so, as I do not post it in every month's posting (calendar).

There can also be as much as a 12 hour bleedover either way. There is no exact gate or door, like TPWD does as to a day (Midnight to Midnight).

I have fished in several different spot and I still suck . Lol

Catfish are either easy to catch or impossible. On the same day on Eagle Mountain, I caught them in water less than 2’ deep fishing for bluegill for cut bait and later, in water 18’ deep but nowhere in between. A cat fisherman once told me that catfish are like cattle. They travel in herds so a whole lot of the pasture is empty. I believe that to be true just from the numerous occasions where I was catching nothing, then catching them rapid fire, then back to nothing again.

I was not able to witness this till I got a boat.
During the hot summer months, a thermocline sets up on lakes, depending on the lake it might be around 15-30 feet, below the thermocline there are little to no fish because the water is oxygen poor.
Fish during the hottest months are surprisingly much shallower than you might think.

I look for 2 things on my sonar…bait balls and thermocline. You’ll catch rough fish like carp and buffalo below the thermocline but not much else. As I posted previously, I caught a channel cat in less than 2’ of water the other day. Here on Eagle Mountain, the thermocline moves around. Right now, it’s usually around 18’-20’ but out in the deep part of the lake, it’s 40’ deep with no thermocline showing on my electronics and tons of bait hugging the bottom. When I’m drifting now, all my catches are in 16’-20’ of water. They’re on the edges and bottoms of drops. Fishing from the bank can be difficult at times…you can’t see all this so I would say not to stay on an unproductive spot too long. Move around, look for something on the bank that indicates what the bottom may be doing. Pay attention to how long it takes your bait to hit bottom. That may not tell you how deep it is but it will tell you what depth you catch one. 99% of my catfishing is done with my bait suspend 6-12 inches off the bottom. You can use a slip float from the bank and do the same…it will just take a few minutes to figure out where to set the knot. Fish usually hit it harder without a bunch of nibbling at it. If it’s a windy day, you can drift fish from the bank with a slip float. You cover more water and they hit a moving bait at full speed usually. Anyway, these are things that work for me on my home lake. All, some, or none may work for you but they’re worth a shot. Good luck!

Story of my life.

The last couple of years I have fished the big lake on a week's vacation targeting those big trophy blues in my boat while staying at the State Park. The first trip back in 2022 was a complete dud, and if it weren't but for good bud joining me one day and catching a 30 pounder I would have skunked. Last year I fished for 6 full days, every single day, with good fresh bait and still only caught one fish at around 40 pounds and a handful of dinks.

I have decided to give it another go this September, and am going to give it everything I got!

(maybe I should bring some dynamite...)

Humbling for sure.

The fishing was a little better yesterday, we caught about 7 or 8 but the biggest fish was about 3 pounds and we only had 3 keepers. I think the wind blowing into and across the spot that we were on help a bit.

Try & try again

Have you tried drifting for them using a slip float? A bait drifting above the bottom with the “jigging” motion of the waves is sometimes the trick. One day I was wearing them out in 12’ of water and they were 4’ of the bottom. WTH? When in doubt, get creative.

I can tell you this, back in the 70s & first year of 1980, it was slim pickins' for me. I run lines. So when you go back & get one or two out of multiple hooks, it just ain't cuittin' it.

I finally ran with a YellowCat teacher/co-worker in 1980. I had run with a another YellowCat teacher in 1979, they with me. Both taught me well with what they knew & had learned.

But still later in 1980, it was still for pennies on the dollar, be it Blues (BC), Yellows (YC), or Channels (CC) In other words, my fishing basket catches was still light, same as usual.

But that changed in 1981. I was working for Western Company starting in late March. I was in the oil well cementing division. Our days off had a certain pattern. It was 7 on, 2 off; 7 on, 2 off: 7 on, 3 off, and off then repeat. It was Tues/Wed off; Thurs/Fri off; and Sat/Sun/Mon off; then repeat. I was starting to catch a few more than my normal slim pickins'.

And then in August 1981, it began, I started catching YCs. In fact, one set of days off, I caught a 27 #er. The next week, I and a friend's dad, spent a night camping on the same river near my main trotline. What do you know? I caught 5 YCs, largest was a 15#er. Hmm, I realized into the Fall that I may have discovered some sort of pattern, at least for YCs.

So, I sat down, mapped out a plan in 1982 to fix up my Dad's boat (a 12' sears Elgin flat bottom including welding up patches & bracing the back end, plus painting it), getting a 15 HP Sea King (Chrysler) motor, and setting up a plan of attack. All this was done in 1982. The plan of attack was to try this pattern & days off (even though I left Western Company to see if there was a definite pattern I had come across.

1983 thru 1985 were to be the test years. Testing area was the Trinity River below TX 21 about 25 to 28 or so bends down, if you get a Madison county map to follow the river downstream. Actually it ran thru mid 1986. YES, I was correct. I found not only a pattern on Yellows, but a more erratic one on Blues. And come to find out, the YC pattern also was one for Gator Gars. Those 3 years showed I had a hold of a true pattern. Towards the last year or so, I chose a week of vacation for a mix of BCs & YCs, so I could capitalize on a mix.

In 1983, I almost was taken out of the boat in August 1983 with my father-in-law up in the front, by one I nicknamed "Big 'Un". Never saw it or knew what it was. But I stayed on it & almost got it in June 1984. I & my daughter (5 year old daughter) finally pulled "her" in July 1985 almost 2 years later. I figured it was a big Yellow. So I had tried for it according to my calendar, as to the YC pattern. I was correct. We weighed it a day later at the Madisonville Meat Locker Plant. They brought the sliding scales out to my pickup. With the tail dragging the bottom, it came in at 59 #s. However, because it was not fully suspended, I was told it should weigh in at least 65 pounds. So, not to stretch it, I just called it at 60 pounds. The sports editor in Bryan, for The Eagle newspaper decided to not only post the picture, but tell the "tale" of "Big 'Un" including that I kept daily fishing logs, and my calendar. A pic was also featured in the Madisonville Meteor newspaper. And the sports editor of the yearly Pictorial Press Sports Edition (special edition of a weekly Bryan newspaper) featured another pic of "Big 'Un" & a write-up on it.

I had to taper off fishing, only to get sporadic, after a divorce. That is, until after my brother-in-law passed away. My sister got me back into it. This time Phase 2 was trying the calendar on a lake. It was successful in 3 different rivers- Brazos, Navasota, and Trinity. The new testing grounds were out of Running Branch Marina on Lake Limestone (upstream on the Navasota River)

Definitely lake proven too, from 2002-2011 (when the lake dropped 10 feet due to drought). And me having heart problems in late 2011/early 2012. Even the owner of RB Marina got to go out 4 times, taking me during my 4 day Turkey Trip in 2003 (as my motor went out (water in electronics). Running them those 4 days, only once a day, brought in 269 #s worth. It was a little windy, cool, and rough. First day of Turkey Day Trip 2005 brought in over 100#s, Would have been an extra 40 #s, but I had a jugline on the "No Man;s Land" side of the "Do Not Cross" line before the dam. I was told later, it had a 40# Blue on it which one of them was allowed to keep. They also told me, I could call the Lake Ranger & get permission to cross & retrieve my line & fish next time.

During this time, many knew I had some sort of information or system that obviously worked. Some claimed that when Lynn came in from running lines- the lake level dropped. They started calling me "Catfish". Even though I would sometimes fry up for family there, I invited other campers over to get a bite. I had 3 who finally decided to listen to what I shared on Yellows & my "Lynn's Catfish Calendar". These 3 were my prize students. In 30 days, they caught their 3rd YellowCat, a whopping 62.4# Op (spotted YC). Sadly, one got medical problems & had to drop out of fishing. But the other 2 (Father & Son) kept after it, and assisted on tweaking my calendar & tips. Remember, it is always best to share, as you can do more with 3, than just one. Sadly, one was brutally murdered in September 2011. But his son got married & finally was able to get back into it in 2012 later. He learned well.


And that is what it is all about. Utilizing tools to up your catch.

For those that have never tried the calendar for a few months or a year, will never know the successes they can get. As you know, sometimes there are outstanding things that may put a "glitch" here & there, but the calendar is like having a key to the "Matrix".

One such Calendar student, years ago I shared some side tips with him. He sets out juglines. And learned how to maximize the calendar. His neighbors started nicknaming him "Catfish". Once, they had to use a ramp, to slide down the ice chest full of catfish fillets, as it was too heavy to get off the tailgate.

I even post the calendar up for free here on the TFF. Bass Fishermen even come over to the Catfishing section just to get it, as they like catching big Yellows as well.

My next quest is to finally catch "The Giant", which seems to be a male well over 100#s. I caught him last on May 5th, 2018. But as I yanked up, he dove hard & snapped my size 36 leader, something that has never occurred. I now have size 96 & 72 well prepared for our next encounter. Our last trip- May 2023 was a flop- both motors went down, as well as a dose of too low of BP, and rain & lightning missed an encounter that round. I hope to get another shot later this Fall before going to Egypt the first of 2025, and possibly late spring 2025 after I return. I might add that back around 2004 to 2006, one lady caught a 90 # YC in the area. Jeff & James caught two 62 pounders James (the son), is the only one who has gotten to see the head & tail of "The Giant". He said, nothing but head in the spotlight that first encounter. Then the tail came up, (at least a foot in spread). Then it was gone.

There are bigguns in there.