Posted By: Catfish Lynn
Catfish Tales/Tails: "The Giant" - 07/31/18 04:57 AM
top portion Posted over on Cameron's "Some Fork Flathead" thread-
G Love noted ...
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Originally Posted By: Catfish Lynn
Forgot to add that you would be amazed as to how many use the calendar since I got on TFF. July calendar currently has over 500 hits.
Currently, I too am trying to catch one I nicknamed "The Giant", a big Yellow I estimated at about 115#. However, after my encounter with it on Saturday late afternoon May 5th (Cico de Mayo), 2018, I might need to amend that somewhere between 115 to 150#. While I have never seen it, one of my students is the only one who has.
Since I do not have the 14' MonArk up & running, I may have to rig up the new Alumacraft 12 footer with a side pontoon to make sure "The Giant" does not roll the boat over. Had it not broke the leader, I might have found out if it could turn the boat over. If I can get the rig set up, and Lake Limestone does not get too low before I get back, I just may catch it before the Fall.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you got the lead on a 100+ Flathead, I'll bring my Bluewave just so you can catch it. He won't roll that.
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Some of you have heard my Tale (Tail) of "The Giant", a really big YellowCat (Op). I decided to start a thread and share as I can & update you on the Quest.
Some of you may not know, but I discovered a pattern of YellowCats which led to my Catfish Calendar. I post the monthly calendar every month. Sometimes, I get time to put together a printed version. By using the Calendar, I first encountered "Big 'Un" (of which I felt was a big Op) from that foggy Friday morning in August 1983 with Jimmy (my first Father-in-law), of which almost took me down under on the Trinity River (some 25+ bends down from the TX 21 bridge). By using the calendar, I stayed after it & it looked like it was definitely a big Yellow, as to its feeding pattern. I finally pulled it in almost 2 years later- early July 1985, with my 5 year old daughter (Kristina) who was camping & fishing with me.
Anyway, another has caught my interest over the past few years- "The Giant" in Lake Limestone based out of Running Branmch Marina (as to Phase 2 of the Catfish Calendar research. Naturally, I habve been delayed due to life & its twist & turns, such as
The only one that has seen it, was James S. I think that was between 2008 & 2010. That night as they were running their trotline, it's head bobbed up. James said there was nothing but head in the spotlight. I never asked him to try & define just how big that might be. Guessing with a tape measure right now, I am going to estimate that it could be about 18" or more. He yelled for his Dad (Jeff) to throw him the dipnet. Naturally Jeff replied asking what they had. James told him to hurry. By the time James got the net, it headed down under. But its tail came up out of the water (as if to wave goodbye). James said the tailspan was at least It took the leader, hook, and I forget if it broke the swivel. They were using either Eagle Claw 9/0 offset bronzed J hooks or Mustad 9/0 SS Triple strength short J shank stump hooks. They had hooked two weighing in at 62 pounds each there. Within maybe 100 yards from there, one lady caught an 82 pounder on her lines. The opposite direction within 30 to 50 yards, the biggest I pulled in has been a 57 pounder.
I've had it on my lines quite a few times but never got it to the surface to see it. What it does, is get caught, and just "hangs" around. If you arouse it, it just heads off like a tractor in low gear, until the hook gets yanked out of it, or it spits it out.
On May 5th (2018), I felt a tug on the main line & thought something akin to 10+ pounds as I had just started on one end of the line. But as I went farther (closer), it was apparent that I had a 25 to 30 pound Op. But within two leaders, that changed as it was really starting to pull, I figured we are looking at a 50 to 60 pounder. As I arrived to the leader that had it, it had already brushed the bottom of my new 12 footer. When it dove that last time, it clicked & I knew- Uh-Oh! It's the Giant. Then my leader popped. The hook was gone. But it did not break my Crane 4/0 SS barrel swivel. I was thinking I had size 36 green solid braid cord, but it revealed it had a core & was not solid braid. I have not had a chance to track back as to where I got it. Anyway, I am setting up 3 strand twist green size 60 for leaders for it in ther future. Sadly I do not know what hook was on it. Obviously, it did not tear out or get spit out. I was using an assortment.
What's ironic, is that I had looked at the line & where I placed it, thinking I did not have it in its normal path. But after the encounter, I took another look & realized it hit where I hung it one other time. My uncle was with me. Of course, we were in the 14 footer back then.
Current record in Lake Limestone was 107# YellowCat from a throwline. I think the state record YellowCat is from Lake Livingston for about 113#. It has been awhile since I checked.
Also, on My 6th, Sunday, I and some other YellowCat fishermen were told by Nancy at Running Branch Marina that the biggest Catfish she had seen, was in 2002 (I did not start fishing there until July 4th Trp in 2002. She said a little old man had caught one in the lake. She said he was carrying it around in the back of his pickup, showing it to people. Not sure what the size of his pickup was. The big Yellow was bent aound, in order to fit in the bed of the pickup. Nancy said she did not find out how he caught it, much less how he was able to get it in a boat by himself.
G Love noted ...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Originally Posted By: Catfish Lynn
Forgot to add that you would be amazed as to how many use the calendar since I got on TFF. July calendar currently has over 500 hits.
Currently, I too am trying to catch one I nicknamed "The Giant", a big Yellow I estimated at about 115#. However, after my encounter with it on Saturday late afternoon May 5th (Cico de Mayo), 2018, I might need to amend that somewhere between 115 to 150#. While I have never seen it, one of my students is the only one who has.
Since I do not have the 14' MonArk up & running, I may have to rig up the new Alumacraft 12 footer with a side pontoon to make sure "The Giant" does not roll the boat over. Had it not broke the leader, I might have found out if it could turn the boat over. If I can get the rig set up, and Lake Limestone does not get too low before I get back, I just may catch it before the Fall.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you got the lead on a 100+ Flathead, I'll bring my Bluewave just so you can catch it. He won't roll that.
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
Some of you have heard my Tale (Tail) of "The Giant", a really big YellowCat (Op). I decided to start a thread and share as I can & update you on the Quest.
Some of you may not know, but I discovered a pattern of YellowCats which led to my Catfish Calendar. I post the monthly calendar every month. Sometimes, I get time to put together a printed version. By using the Calendar, I first encountered "Big 'Un" (of which I felt was a big Op) from that foggy Friday morning in August 1983 with Jimmy (my first Father-in-law), of which almost took me down under on the Trinity River (some 25+ bends down from the TX 21 bridge). By using the calendar, I stayed after it & it looked like it was definitely a big Yellow, as to its feeding pattern. I finally pulled it in almost 2 years later- early July 1985, with my 5 year old daughter (Kristina) who was camping & fishing with me.
Anyway, another has caught my interest over the past few years- "The Giant" in Lake Limestone based out of Running Branmch Marina (as to Phase 2 of the Catfish Calendar research. Naturally, I habve been delayed due to life & its twist & turns, such as
The only one that has seen it, was James S. I think that was between 2008 & 2010. That night as they were running their trotline, it's head bobbed up. James said there was nothing but head in the spotlight. I never asked him to try & define just how big that might be. Guessing with a tape measure right now, I am going to estimate that it could be about 18" or more. He yelled for his Dad (Jeff) to throw him the dipnet. Naturally Jeff replied asking what they had. James told him to hurry. By the time James got the net, it headed down under. But its tail came up out of the water (as if to wave goodbye). James said the tailspan was at least It took the leader, hook, and I forget if it broke the swivel. They were using either Eagle Claw 9/0 offset bronzed J hooks or Mustad 9/0 SS Triple strength short J shank stump hooks. They had hooked two weighing in at 62 pounds each there. Within maybe 100 yards from there, one lady caught an 82 pounder on her lines. The opposite direction within 30 to 50 yards, the biggest I pulled in has been a 57 pounder.
I've had it on my lines quite a few times but never got it to the surface to see it. What it does, is get caught, and just "hangs" around. If you arouse it, it just heads off like a tractor in low gear, until the hook gets yanked out of it, or it spits it out.
On May 5th (2018), I felt a tug on the main line & thought something akin to 10+ pounds as I had just started on one end of the line. But as I went farther (closer), it was apparent that I had a 25 to 30 pound Op. But within two leaders, that changed as it was really starting to pull, I figured we are looking at a 50 to 60 pounder. As I arrived to the leader that had it, it had already brushed the bottom of my new 12 footer. When it dove that last time, it clicked & I knew- Uh-Oh! It's the Giant. Then my leader popped. The hook was gone. But it did not break my Crane 4/0 SS barrel swivel. I was thinking I had size 36 green solid braid cord, but it revealed it had a core & was not solid braid. I have not had a chance to track back as to where I got it. Anyway, I am setting up 3 strand twist green size 60 for leaders for it in ther future. Sadly I do not know what hook was on it. Obviously, it did not tear out or get spit out. I was using an assortment.
What's ironic, is that I had looked at the line & where I placed it, thinking I did not have it in its normal path. But after the encounter, I took another look & realized it hit where I hung it one other time. My uncle was with me. Of course, we were in the 14 footer back then.
Current record in Lake Limestone was 107# YellowCat from a throwline. I think the state record YellowCat is from Lake Livingston for about 113#. It has been awhile since I checked.
Also, on My 6th, Sunday, I and some other YellowCat fishermen were told by Nancy at Running Branch Marina that the biggest Catfish she had seen, was in 2002 (I did not start fishing there until July 4th Trp in 2002. She said a little old man had caught one in the lake. She said he was carrying it around in the back of his pickup, showing it to people. Not sure what the size of his pickup was. The big Yellow was bent aound, in order to fit in the bed of the pickup. Nancy said she did not find out how he caught it, much less how he was able to get it in a boat by himself.