Catfishing Masterclass with Catfish Tim.

After enjoying a few seasons of bass fishing, from the bank and from a kayak, I decided I wanted to pursue the fish with whiskers and get into catfishing, with the hope of catching some monsters of the deep.

I captured my first exploits in the n00by thread I posted, and after getting a lot of great advice from various TXFF members (El Gato and others - thanks guys) I had some success in my new to me boat. After landing my personal best to date of 8 pounds, I really wanted to try and break the 10 pound barrier.

Catfish Tim lives local to me, and kindly offered to take me on his boat to give me some coaching and guidance on Lake Lavon, so at 5am this morning we met for the first time at the boat ramp.

Tim has a really cool Deep V boat, and after loading up we set off in the dark.



We go get some bait first with Tim's HUGE cast net, and after securing some bait head off across the lake.

Tim has a serious set up, no less than 6 rod rests, 'slime green' lighting, and a boat 100% focussed on catching big catfish.



As the wind is blowing from the east, we head off to the windward shore and bait up some rigs with roller boards.

How did the fishing go??

Wait for it...

We drift for a bit but no joy. The water is warm (88F) and it's going to be a scorcher, so we know the bite may be tough.

We head for some timbers with bait showing, and tie up to a tree and put the rods out.



We wait for a bit and BOOM!



A beautiful big blue cat, 9.75 pounds, and a personal best for me.

WOOT!

Tim thinks we should go put the planer boards out on a shallow shelf besides some timbers, he shows me the fish on the finder, and he sets up our trolling motor for 0.5 mph.

We sit and wait...

My rod bends double and Tim instructs me to lift the rod and lean into it.

BOOOOOOOMM!!!

This one feels bigger, but then it swims towards the boat and I'm thinking maybe an enthusiastic dink, and then KAPOWWW! it sees the boat and it's off, the drag is screaming and I'm holding that rod bent double with all my might!

Just look at that smile...

Boom! Big Tim is a catfishin machine!

LAKE MONSTERS WITH CATFISH TIM!!!





That is a 28 pound catfish!! Holy moly!!!!

I'm jumping up and down like a little kid, and Tim is laughing his head off.

Make ya feel like a kid again and now you’ll never want to go bass fishing the rest of your life! Way to go Bob and Tim

What a fantastic day!!

I'm 6 feet tall and Tim makes me look like a midget.



Don't piss him off.



Just the best day ever.



Tim is the real deal.

Not only a great day with big fish, but Tim took the time to give me a ton of advice. Fish patterns, rigging, bait.

Catfish Tim, thank you for making this my best day ever.

Respect.

.

Hahaha... Watching you battle that fish was a real treat Bob. The fact that we tripled your previous PB was what made my day. I love sharing this sport with people and I especially enjoyed having you in the boat this morning. I still think that 28 will be back up to about a 35 or more when he gets out from under the results of the spawn. His head is bigger than a 28 pounder. Now, take what you learned and get out and get a toad on your own and you can start sharing and teaching others too!

Can't wait to do it again!

The outtakes.



Slimed!

That’s what you call SUCCESS !

One AWESOME post! Thanks for sharing.

He will never wash that shirt again!

SLIME IS A GOOD THING!

Great work Tim, and glad you guys had a good trip! Life long memories and a lot of education.

Enjoy!

Ken

That’s too cool . Way to go Texas Brit and what a guy Tim that is just freaking awesome !!!

Just waking up and realizing just what a special day that was.


Hah! That's the truth right there, Chris.

I'm hooked/addicted now, that's for sure.

My lovely wife commented she doubts she will see much of me now - lol!


Yes he is.

As well as moving to the right spots, Tim would talk me through the rationale on why we were moving to that particular spot and how we were going to fish it.

Planer boards (how cool are these?), floats and how to position them, bait size and how to hook the bait.

I am sure that at least 80% of the knowledge Tim shared with me was all new, and even if we hadn't caught anything (which I sort of expected given the conditions), I still learned so much it was invaluable.

Tim and I were talking up a storm during the trip.

Of course we chatted about fishing, this awesome forum, Covid, and everything in between, and we both agreed that fishing early mornings on these beautiful lakes was such a blessing. We are lucky to enjoy such amazing fishing and such God given beauty right here in Texas.

I mentioned to Tim about my old Dad back in the UK who died way too young when I was a young man living back there. He used to take me bank fishing as a young kid on the river Thames, and while I would frantically swish my rod back and forth ten times a minute, he would sit there 'legering' (bottom fishing) with a big bait waiting for that big fish, while smoking his pipe.

He didn't catch many but when he did they were always good fish.

This is a treasured pic I have of my old man with a big Barbel he caught on the River Thames.



A Barbel has whiskers and is from the Carp family.

I realize I am slowly turning into my old man! (I even smoke a pipe - hah!).

For those of you with kids and grandkids, treasure those moments as those kids surely will, and be sure to take lots of pictures!

Awesome post Texas Brit!!! I have never been out there with Tim but I can tell right away that he is pretty dang knowledgeable on how he fishes and catches fish congratulations Mr. Brit

Good times fellas! Catching big fish is a blessing! God is great!!

Yes he is Chris. I hope he blesses you and your family with a safe trip and some good memories. I can't wait to see that Texas Tornado of yours tangle with a shark!

Great time!!
And thanks for the report

I have no interest in being a fishing guide. I don't want the pressure of having to produce everyday to take the fun out of it for me. But... I have to say I think I got a taste of the satisfaction y'all must feel when you put your clients on fish and they have a great time. Texas Brit is the prefect client. We had a blast and really became great friends over the few hours we spent together.

I don't mean to sound like a broken record but I love sharing this sport and seeing the thrill in someone who experiences it for the first time. Thanks be to God for the opportunity to enjoy His creation and to share it with friends...

Everybody be safe out there this weekend. The waters will be busy.

God Bless and Tight Lines...

Bob,

I love that picture of your dad. I laughed out loud when I saw how dressed up he was. That was a different time for sure! I don't think my wife would appreciate me getting slime all over a sweater vest, a nice white shirt and tie! Haha. I don't think I have a single picture of my dad when we were fishing. Maybe that's why I take so many now. I can see him clearly in my memory though and I cherish those memories more than I can say.

Thanks again for a great time Bob. Cheers...

Great post

Reflecting on the best days fishing ever, and realizing just what a special day it was...

My sincere thanks to Catfish Tim for information and knowledge overload, especially on the fish/bait patterns and what to look for and how to target them…..invaluable.

Of course this has put my pursuit of the fish with whiskers into overdrive!!

Purchased this week:
Two more rods, taking them up to 4 now, both Whisker Seekers.
Two more reels, both Daiwa Seagates.
Two more Scotty rod rests for my boat
Two planer boards, one port and one starboard (start small).
A bunch of various size round ‘shark hooks’.

My wife asked me how many rods I need???

I told her the correct number is N + 1, where N is the number I currently have. Hah!!

I know it’s gunna be tough not having Tim coach me through the day, but I also know that time on the water and patience will pay off. Eventually.