The Catfish Hole
It's Spring Again!!!
By Dennis Rice

www.catfishangler.com

We made it through the long cold winter months and now spring

is here at last. With spring time comes some of the best fishing you will ever endure, the water is warming up and the spawn is right around the corner. The March winds have blown in the April showers and with all the fresh water the feeding frenzy is on. Once again it's time to put new line on your reel, clean it up add a little lube to it, replace any eyes on your rod which may have been smashed under the hunting equipment and get ready to head to the lake. But before you do don't over look the things on the boat which are in need of repair, there is nothing that can ruin a day on the lake faster than a motor that won't start or a trolling motor which doesn't turn on or depth finder which no long works because the transducer is broken off.

As we get ready for fishing season (to me it never ends) let's focus on a few of the basics which are so easy to over look especially the safety items. With spring time comes the spring time rains. This year like last we have had more than enough rain, way more than enough, causing the lakes and rivers to raise causing things to start floating and drifting around. With the high and fast moving waters you will see just about everything under the sun floating by you, from old pallets to refrigerators to propane takes. What really concerns' me isn't the things we can see but the things we don't see. Have you ever been going across the lake or river and hit something you didn't see? I know you have and so have I; do you remember how it grabbed your attention in a real fast way?

I can remember it like it was yesterday, I was going into a cove still on plane and just as I started to power down and the back of the boat started settling I hit something, and this was a place I knew, I had been in there a thousand times and never hit anything. My first thought was the motor didn't die so it couldn't be that bad, after all the motor is still running. Usually the first thing we think is it hit the prop or the lower unit and knocked it off, I wish it was that minor. I went on up into the cove anchored out and started throwing out my lines, as I was getting ready to throw the last one I looked back at the back of the boat and noticed water coming in at an alarming rate, a real alarming rate!!! The first thing that came to my mind was I knocked the plug out and the boat was filling up, no problem I had an extra plug; again I wish it would have been that easy. I reeled everything in pulled up the anchors and started my journey back to the ramp, I felt like I was making an episode of Gilligan's Island, I had this sinking feeling coming on. As I took off it was almost impossible to get the boat on plane because of the amount of water in it, with the bulge pumps running and using a couple of 5 gallon buckets we finally managed to get enough water out of the boat to plane out, the water started running out the back and everything was fine, right? Not a chance, as fast as the water ran out it was coming back in, now here we are on the lake water coming in the boat the sun going down and 10 miles from the ramp, how exciting can things get. To make a long story short, we made it back to the ramp and by some miracle we were able to get the boat on the trailer, it took almost 20 minutes for all the water to run out so I could see what kind of damage there was, to my amazement there was a crack 44 inches long and ½ inch wide and believe me a lot of water will come through a crack like that. After it was all said and done, I had a very expensive hole to fix, my boat was out of service for a couple of weeks, my fishing partner was afraid to go fishing with me again and we won't mention I was embarrassed, alive but embarrassed. Here's an experienced boater, one who has been in a boat almost his whole life had just wrecked his boat, not a good feeling but thank God we were alive. Had this taken place on the river with a strong current because of the rains, things would have been a lot different, I would have most likely lost my boat and maybe my life as well as my partners life. Bottom line is to be extremely careful even in areas you have been in several times, things do and will change with the flood waters.

Another thing you want to do is make sure all your lifejackets are in the good shape and in the boat; they do you no good in your garage. Also when on the water make sure you have access to them, if they are crammed into a storage compartment with tons of other stuff they will go down with your boat leaving you helpless and most likely dead. I know that's hard to think of but it always happens to those who thought it wouldn't. Do you have your throw device, fire extinguisher and all other safety equipment required by law? Check to make sure your batteries are in good shape and charged, is your plug in the boat? Do all your lights and horn work? Make sure your tag is current; this one seems to get a lot of people a nice fine the first day back on the lake. Check the air pressure in your trailer tires and while your there check to see if they are dry rotted, if they are go ahead and replace them, it's better to do it now than when you're in the middle of nowhere and one blows, don't forget to check the spare.

Okay, we've checked everything out, the boat, your equipment and you are ready to do some serious fishing, after all you haven't shown them who's boss in several months now so it's time to remind them. This time of year I like to fish in the back waters of the floods, I look for stumps and areas where there is a slight current or I fish the banks where the wind is blowing into it. While we're here fishing the banks let me a myth to rest, I have heard almost all my life the reason the fish are at the wind blown bank is because the wind has blown the shad against the bank causing the bigger fish to come in and feed. This is partially right, the catfish and other predators are there because the shad are there but the wind didn't blow them against the bank. Shad are strong swimmers and can over come the strongest currents much less the small movement of water caused by the wind blowing. Now here's why they are there, Shad eat plankton, with the winds and waves the plankton are moved into the bank, the Shad follow their meal tickets and in turn so does Mr. and Mrs. Whiskers. Fishing a wind blown bank is almost a sure bet, don't be afraid to try floating your bait into it with a bobber as well as placing some directly on the bottom. For bait try using fresh shad either cut or whole, remember the fish are there because the bait fish are there so use what they are feeding on, if that doesn't work try some punch bait or any other manufactured bait and don't forget to try your secret family recipe (I'm still waiting for you to send me the secret recipe too).

DON'T BE A STATISTIC BE SAFE and ENJOY YOUR SPRING TIME FISHING. Until next month God Bless.