Great Night Fishing

14 lb Channel on cut creek chub under a Katbobber.



Me: Shelby Thad and I hit the water last night. It was a little chilly but really beautiful. I ended up with 3 channels 7, 10 and 14 pounds and last I heard Thad had a 6 lber. I also heard after I left Shelby got a new pb flat. ON CIRCLE HOOKS NO LESS LMAO! I am sure when he crawls out of bed he will have pics and a story up.

Shelby's new pb flat 39 lbs.

   Shelby: Well as Matt stated earlier We hit the water last night about 8:30pm or so with all the rain it was bound to be a good night so we baited up and started fishing about 8:30 or so Matt had a fish the 10lb channel about 9:30 matt caught a 7lber or so (No Pic) then about quarter to midnight Matt caught a 14lb channel that fought like a 20lber man them channel can be tough.

Then about 30mins or so later after the moon went down Thad shows up so I moved my bottom pole over by where Matt is fshing to make room for Thad.

We had a few bites but not much happening like the channels left because the flats moved in or something. About 2:45am or so Thad gets a 6lb Channel (No Pic) and then about 3:00am or so I get a 12lb flat so if was a successful trip we got what we were after. I was happy I baited my Circle hook (Thats for you Ray Buncle) with about a 4" live bluegill and thru him back out I was debating on moving him back were the other flat was caught but never did as it went a little farther to the right then before. So I went and sat back down in the chair. Then about 4:45 in the morning I got up to run to my pole and my boots are covered in mud and I slip and fall and have to crawl to my pole Thad is asking if I am ok and all I am worried about is how big this flat is because the pole is bent over almost touching the water and it was almost straight up an down with the drag backed off a little and the clicker on so he had to be big to be ripping drag and the clicker screaming. I fought him for a little bit don't know how long maybe 10-15mins he was swimming up in the weed beds. Thad finnally got the grips on him and he was saying he is 40lbs I was like he looks big but I don't know I knew he was a New Pb.




12 lb Flat.



39 lb flat



We got him on the scale and he read 39lbs 4ozs so in exactly a week I got two PB flat what else could you ask for.

Thank to Matt and Thad for going fishing I had alot of fun and we need to do it again soon before the bite turns for the winter.

Thanks for coming out guys!  I had a blast!  Congrats on the pb Shelby and thanks for the story and pics!

Old Skool Catfishing

This was on the front page of The Hutchinson News when I was 15.

Well, this was 20+ years ago so Ill do my best to get all the details right.  I remember sittin in the house with grandpa, bored out of my mind, watching tv.  I told him we should go fishing despite the heat, so we packed up and hit the bait shop.  Since we were just going to a local park pond, all we picked up was a few dozen worms.

We got to the lake, baited up and started throwing out lines.  No sooner than I set my rod in the holder it buckled over nice and slow, so I grabbed the pole, set the hook, and it was off to the races!

At first, I really didnt even think it was a fish.  It was almost like dragging dead weight through the muddy bottom.  I just assumed it must be a big ass turtle, until I got him close enough to see it was the biggest fish Id ever had on the end of my line. 

This lake had been plagued with severe moss around the entire bank so, I was worried about how I could drag this pig up to the bank on 14 pound line.  Out of nowhere, grandpa jumped in the lake and waded out past the moss, waist deep.  The whole time he was screaming "Keep that som-bitch outta the moss!"  After about a 30 minute battle grandpa grabbed his bottom lip and dragged him up on the bank.  I was amazed!

We roped him up to a nearby tree and placed him in the water.  "What do you wanna do?  You wanna fish or do you wanna take him to the bait shop and get him weighed?"  I couldnt wait. "Lets go now!"  So we put him in the back of the truck and a sat there the entire way to the bait shop pouring water over the fish.  We get to the bait shop and I carry the fish in and place it in his livewell and proceeded to tell him my story.  He could hardly believe where I caught it and that it bit on worms.  He told me it was 42 pounds.  (I know now, after my 42 I got in May, it was more like 32 pounds)  It was the biggest fish to be caught in that park in 20-30 years so he called the newspaper and they came out to do this story.

About a month later, I get a knock on the front door and it is our local game warden.  "Uh oh.  He was there to inform me that selling a live game fish in Kansas was illegal.  The bait shop owner should have known better.  He was cool though and wanted to know all about how and where I caught it.  I did not end up in any trouble.  He said that next time I got a monster not to sell it or not tell the paper I did.  I will never forget my first flathead catfish.

Personal Best Channel Cat

20+lb channel cat caught
8-29-2010 on cut carp.

Last night was a beautiful night!  My wife and I made a spur of the moment decision to hit the local fishing lake for a few hours.  We made it to the lake at about 9:30 pm and got all of our poles in the water.  It was especially quiet on the lake for a Saturday night.  Usually it is busy with bank fishermen and  groups of loud, inconsiderate pleasure boaters but, it was almost vacant, which was nice for a change. Where we were this night there is a large cable running along the waters edge about 3 feet high.  It makes a very convenient rod holder, so as usual our poles were spread out across it. We had been fishing for a couple of hours and one of my bobbers takes off...only a little guy about 3 lbs.  After turning him loose, I was retying my wife's pole since she broke off in a snag  and woosh!  My bobber takes off again!  So, I head quickly down to grab it and the fish pulls my rod until it is just hanging against the cable by the reel!  Now I am rushing as fast as I can and just as I am ready to grab it, over the cable it bounces.  I made a desperate reach over the cable, almost going face first in the lake, and manage to grab the very end of the butt of the rod between my thumb and index finger.  I collect myself quickly and reel down on him and he instantly takes a good run.  I said "Holy shit! This is a big fish!"  He gave a short but impressive battle and I pulled him up and put the fish grips on him.  I couldnt believe it, I just caught the biggest channel cat I had ever seen.  I start clamoring for my scale but its not in my tackle bag!  Luckily, there was a couple of guys out in a boat that saw the mayhem so I hollered to them to see if they had a scale, and they did.  They even pulled all their poles in, pulled anchor and brought it to me.  He was  22.25 lbs with the fish grippers, so I am guessing just a bit over 20 pounds.  I had my wife snap a few photos and I briefly admired the catch so I could get him back in the water.  Fish grippers removed, I placed him back in the water and began to gently pull him back and forth in the water to revive him.  I rubbed his sides a few times and watched him swim away.  An amazing night for sure!