This is what greeted me on my fishing trip to the Garhole Saturday.  I walked and tried to find a place to put in the boat so I could just float into it but nothing would work for sure.  The ditch beside the road was deep enough to float the boat but up where the road starts to be visible again it was choked with bushes. Did not want to get the boat stuck.  I walked down and looked at another bluehole but it almost went dry two years back,  so I decided to go to the Catfish Chute. Finally started fishing at 11:15. Went a long time before a bite but finally caught one right next to the bank.  Most of the water was 52 – 53 degrees but near some springs that were pouring out of the bank it was 56.  The fish were shallow and if you could find some ironwood bushes where you could throw between the trunks and the bank, that is where you would get a bite.  I caught 11 all on a Booyah 1/4 oz spinnerbait and  they were knocking the tar out of it. The FOD was 4 – 4 and most of the others were from 3 to 1 1/2. The FOD I went out on the river today to scout on Indian Point for some turkeys. The water temp in Lake Whittington was 46 and the river was a frigid 41.

This is a picture of Brett Forman with a 6 lb 8 oz bass . Brett is 11 and already a good fisherman. He fishes tournaments with his father Darrell.This one was caught this weekend.  Go ahead Brett ! !

When I saw this Saturday night I was nervous about the dishing trip Sunday morning. In case you can’t tell what it is, it is the full moon rising over my neighbor’s house. Jackson and I went to Lake Monticello, full moon or not Sunday morning. In the first 20 minutes I had a bite on a 5 1/2 inch Bassmagic swimbait.  The fish immediately pulled a lot of drag and hung me up. Powerful fish.  After I retrieved my bait, I tested the drag and it was looser than I would like.  Losing a good fish is not the way to start the day. Jackson and I each had another bite or two but the one I had  just bumped the bait and never inhaled it.  After lunch, Jackson caught one on a small Lucky Craft crankbait that he has worn me out with before. Later I had one hit the swimbait right at the boat. After fighting for a few seconds, it liberated itself, I’m sure because I did not delay setting the hook.  Got a good look at that one, probably 4 pounds. I  finally caught a large white bass on a DT – 4 late in the afternoon.  We could not put together any sort of pattern today.  It seemed the fish were scattered. Even though the sun came out and felt good on my back, the a air was cold all day. My depthfinder is at the factory getting a software update so it will be capable of down imaging as well as side imaging so I’m not sure of the water temps. One fisherman told us it was 50.5 in one spot.  This year is getting a crummy start. That’s about as nice as I can put it.

Another post having nothing to do with fishing but having to do with a lot of fun.  This afternoon, after Bill treated us to lunch at the Blue Levee, Bill Dossett, his son Chapman Dossett, Matt Weissinger, Craig Shackelford, Johnny Laney, his dog Penny and I went  squirrel hunting in some of the Dossett’s woods near Beulah.  Johnny’s 8 year old dog Penny had treed and people had killed 2984 squirrels when the afternoon began.  She only needed 16 more for the landmark 3000 and it was our job to get her there.  Penny did her part and more.  After the first treeing, the action was steady all afternoon. Usually a shaking vine was all it took to move the squirrel. Sometimes a well placed shot. When the squirrel made the mistake to move, the shooting commenced.  On one occasion we shot three squirrels out of one treeing.  After we reached 17, one of which Penny did not tree, the 3000 figure was reached and a celebration and photographs were in order. A pop of Schnapps was passed to commemorate the occasion.In the photo are, from left, Craig, Bill, Chapman, Johnny and Penny, and Matt. Craig swapped photographer duties with me in the second one. As we continued the hunt, things picked up and the action was almost continuous.  We ended up with 30 squirrels of which Penny had claims on 26 or 27.  I’ve never been squirrel hunting with a dog. It’s more fun than a tree full of monkeys. Lots of laughs, plenty of shooting and good conversation in between. Craig found a well placed bucket in the woods and took a rest while waiting for Penny to call us to arms. I was a little jealous of him finding a  seat. Johnny had a GPS that kept track of Penny and also us. I believe it said we walked 5.7 miles this afternoon.  What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!

Today with the water temp starting at 42, the bass did not cooperate.  This morning I fished near a man using shiners who caught nothing, at least while I was watching. That made me feel a little better.  Three kinds of swimbaits, a  DTF – 3, and a Booyah could not even get a bite. I called myself fishing slow too. I went to all the spots where I’ve caught fish in the past this time of year but nothing.   Finally I decided to go back to the first spot of the morning, which I consider the best one. There was another man fishing close enough for me to watch. Before I got my bait in the water he caught one about 3 pounds.  The 5 1/2 inch Bass Magic swimbait was what I was using.  The flurocarbon line was more sensitive than the line I was used to using. By now, I had set the hook on 3 good feeling sticks but when I thought I had a bite I set the hook again, since bites were so scarce. The line started moving, unbelievable! A 3 – 8 saved the day.  The man nearby caught another 3 and when he came close enough to talk said he  had also caught a 6 pounder. He was using a 200  Tennessee shad Bandit and catching the fish in 6 feet of water.  I guess they came up shallow to feed. The water temp by then was 45.  With the fish not jumping in the boat, thank goodness it was such a beautiful day to be out.

I came across something different Friday and thought, although it does not pertain to fishing, it would be of interest.  The mice at Catfish Point have been terrible this winter. It may be due to the large pecan crop in my yard or perhaps the cold weather but it’s a plague. Thank goodness they are all outside. None in the house. A few years back, my friend Curlee Simmons described a mousetrap that he claimed was the best, and since then, I have tried it with good success.  A slick sided bowl, bucket, or even a trash can with steep sides can be used.  Fill it with enough water so the mice can’t touch the bottom and wipe peanut butter on the sides down toward the water. Put a little on the rim too,  just enough to give them a taste. Then place it next to something the mice can climb up to get to the rim and the photo shows you what happens.  It’s a trap that keeps on catching. Usually I just lift them out by the tail but these had been in the trap for a few days so I just poured them out and put some fresh water back in.  This is the third largest number at one time. My record is 10 at one time. My bowl was broken this winter when I tried to “bump” out the ice. It still works however.  Rats as well as mice can be caught in a five gallon bucket or a cut off 30 gallon drum. The water just has to be deeper.  A warming trend is coming and if a 50 degree high is forecast, I’m going fishing. If the forecast stays the same as it is now, it looks like Wednesday and Thursday.           EDIT 2/23/10  I dumped out another 7 today.

In February of 1971, 2, or 3, can’t remember the exact year,  we had a slight warm spell before a cold front. The river had a brisk fall going on, Hal and I were in one boat and I believe Mickey and Mack were in another fishing on Lake Ferguson. Hal and I went to the upper lake and were fishing with about a 15 MPH Southwest wind.  I do mean fishing with the wind as it was blowing us along. All the trolling motor did was steer. The upper lake had some trees that had fallen over and were sticking out more than the rest. We found out you could cast a hot spot across the end of the tree or down the side, let it sink, and then slowly retrieve it, and the bass would bite. We would go down the line then crank up and go back and start over again. The boat was going so fast we couldn’t pick it apart, so each time we went back there were plenty more fish to catch. This was before cellphones so we couldn’t call our buddies to tell them to come help us. You can believe we heard a little  about it too. We ended up with 27 that weighed 87 pounds after weighing each one on a Deliar and adding it up. Here is the photo that was in the Democrat.Obviously this was before catch and release.  Our ears didn’t get cold that day as we had plenty of hair to keep them warm. That night we planned another assault with two boats for the next day. We even carried a fish cooker so we could get out on the bank and cook some of our catch for lunch.  The next day the front had passed, the cold wind was out of the Northwest at 15 MPH, and very few fish were caught. I think we did catch a few to eat but not very many.  If the river falls like it is supposed to and we get the slightest warming spell you will be able to find me up there with a “Hot Spot artificial minnow” as it says in the paper clipping. Wouldn’t it be neat to go back and repeat after almost 40 years? I tried to count the fish in the picture and came up with 25, but upon close inspection, a couple of tight eyes were tucked under the biggies. It was a great day and one of the high points in my fishing career.

I went to the Garhole again today, but before arriving there, I saw the water crossing the dam of Catfish Chute due to a fast rising river. I was tempted to stop there and fish in the running water but it’s usually not good fishing when the water is as cold as it is now. I continued. It was 11:45 when fishing started and the water temperature was 47 degrees. I started on the sunny North bank with a DTF-3.  After an hour and a half, a fish finally bit, but only one of those “courtesy bites”. It really didn’t want to eat whatever it struck at.  It was right where I got one of the same kind of bites the other day. At what I consider the good spot, another light bite or two but no hangers on.  Finally on a shakey head I got a skunk saver into the boat.The water had warmed to 49 to 50 by now.  I managed to catch two more on a DTF-3 in completely different spots, including the FOD 2  3/4. Then I returned to the “courtesy biter” to give it another opportunity. It took the opportunity and scolded me again. By the way, my DTF-3 has the Rapala “sure set hooks” on it that are supposed to catch the light biters. I have no clue what the fish are doing or how to get them to bite consistently. I went back and looked at my log from last year and saw that the water temperatures were higher then.  There is also a full moon.

The water in the Garhole had warmed to 44 when I started at 10:30 today and warmed even more to 48 by 3:30.  Things are indeed warming up. As I came around a corner today a 10 foot alligator slid from the bank into the water.  I started fishing with the shakey head that worked so well the other day. Nothing doing. Then a DTF – 3 got the call because it will almost suspend when stopped.  I’ve had luck with it in the past. Got a bite after about 10 casts and caught the OFOD a few casts later (OFOD = only fish of the day).  3 1/2 pounds.  Did not get another bite for the rest of the day, even in the good spots where I can usually always get one to bite.  I got pretty disgusted and quit about 3:30. Also the landing was pretty muddy and I was a little worried about having to maybe winch out.  That’s a cheap excuse however because if they were biting I’d probably still be there.

The garhole water was cold at 39 degrees when I started fishing today at 11:30. Eventually it warmed to 45, in places where the wind blew the sun warmed surface water. I started fishing in the open after reading all the articles about jerkbaits in cold clear water.  The water was so clear I could stick my 7 foot rod into the water until only 18 inches were above the surface and I could still see the bait on the end of it. After an hour of nothing except once pulling the bait over some kind of fish, I quit that and went to something slow.  I used a shakey head with a tiny brush hog. Caught the first bass of the year in 8 or 10 casts. Since the water is so clear the markings on the bass are especially vivid. The line of black spots down the side were very dark and seemed to stand out more that normal. It was 18 inches long and weighed an even 2 1/2 pounds.  I caught it on the new 17 pound test Basspro  flurocarbon line I just put on. A first for me along with the first bass for the year. I tried for another first, catching a fish on a dropshot rig, but that did not work.  The new line surprised me in that I thought it may be more difficult to cast.  On the contrary, it cast very well even though it was very cold. As advertised, it did sink, and again as advertised it was sensitive. The sensitivity was needed today because the fish barely bit. They were very sluggish.  Nine fish in all, most in the 15 to 18 inch range. Since it was so cold, I considered it a very good trip to start the year.The sidefinder feature on my depthfinder had quit working last fall. It went back to Humminbird and it came back with a new transducer and updated software. It worked perfectly which was a relief.  I did not troll around and look for fish but if it doesn’t rain tomorrow I’m going to make a pass  around the Garhole looking for some new spots before I start to fish.