Texas Elite Angler Moving to Wackerpedia.com

Howdy anglers!  I will be moving Texas Elite Angler.com to Wackerpedia.com where the site will focus on carp angling exclusively.  As you know most of the content on TXEA was carp related so I’ve decide to narrow the focus on the site and create a wiki style knowledge base for carp anglers.  I hope you’ll join in the conversation over at Wackerpedia.com or at least give us a bookmark so you can follow along as content focused on catching carp and buffalo is added.

If you know a thing or two about carp angling and would like to help Wackerpedia.com spread the word about Common Carp, and elevate the carp from trash fish to sportfish, then drop us a line at ProStaff@wackerpedia.com where we can get you setup as a ProStaff Contributor. 

I appreciate you following along with me on TXEA and hope you come over with me to Wackerpedia.com.

Thanks,

Clayton Lothrop

 

Session Lesson :: Fishing Intelligence

16lbs 6oz colder water common – Denton, TX

Each time I go out fishing I try to learn something new — some take away that will make me a better angler.   I was fishing a social fish-in today with a handful of hardcore carp hunters who chose to brave the freezing weather with me and even though it was purely social that old spirit of competition is always just under the surface.  I had fished the venue many times before and knew my sweet spot so that’s were I setup confident I would put fish on the bank and I did just that.  Ultimately however, I didn’t win the day with the biggest total weight caught.  I knew there was a lesson here if I looked hard enough.

One angler — the guy who caught the greatest weight of fish — did something that I completely passed over.  He paid attention to what I’ll call “Fishing Intelligence”.   Generals overlooking a battle plan need intelligence to make decisions.  If a General has good intel he can plan the fight to win a decisive victory.  A General who ignores intelligence or doesn’t have intelligence is doomed to be defeated.

This one angler did one very important thing to gather his Fishing Intelligence and this is the nugget you want to remember.  He talked to the local fisherman.  The local fisherman knew this pond like the back of his hand because he fishes, literally, every day.  He knew where the fish were most likely to be caught that “day”…not, like me, who was basing my decision off intelligence months old.  So yes, just like the fish you eat, your Fishing Intelligence must be “fresh“.

Lesson learned.

 

Merry Christmas

Tis the season to be joyful and catch lots of fish.  I hope Santa brought all you good boys and girls lots of new fishing gear.  Merry Christmas from Texas Elite Angler.

InFisherman Master Angler 2015

Fellow anglers, it’s not to late to earn your Master Angler patch from InFisherman.  Master Angler is an annual big fish contest by InFisherman Magazine and its easy to participate.  You have to be a subscriber to the magazine (why wouldn’t you — its a fantastic publication) and you have to catch a trophy fish from any of 27 species.  Species and size requirements are set by Region, and there are some additional rules so read the details carefully. Contest ends December 31st so get out there and wet a line.

The Master Angler program promotes selective harvest which protects our fisheries.  The idea is that you harvest fish to eat but do so wisely. Large specimen should be released to sustain good fishing. Only plentiful and small fish should be kept.  I’ve always said, “You can’t catch her again if she’s on your dinner table.”

 

WARNING: P-line CXX not very abrasion resistant

Warning to my friends and fellow anglers regarding P-lines CXX X-Strong line. CXX is a co-polymer line that is more dense than water and sinks — the main reason I purchased it.  I spooled up a new reel with 15lb P-line CXX and fished it over a few sessions.  I noticed a few weeks after re-spooling that the line had  a small frayed spot about 36-inches up from the hook link.  I could see the fibers rolling back and away from the main line.  I cut this piece out and inspected the line another few feet. I chalked it up to normal wear and tear for someone who fishes as much as I do.  I had no trouble the remainder of the session.

Last weekend I was fishing a new lake rumored to hold some lumps.  I had a screaming run and loaded the rod to what felt like a new Personal Best. It’s hard to tell and I never got a look at it, but it felt good.  I could feel this beast had its head down and it was turning slowly.  About halfway in, without warning, SNAP!  the line literally shot back over my shoulder. It snapped somewhere above the swivel and lead.  After a very unflattering temper tantrum I composed myself and reflected.

I felt nothing, no vibration,  on the line as though I had been drug over some submerged timber or rocks.  I’m very conscious of the drag and fish it light — a necessity for carp angling.  To be fair, I suppose it’s possible I hit something that cut the line immediately, or I missed a spot of wear on the line and it just gave up, but I haven’t had this problem with other lines.

After reflecting and going over the brief fight in my head, the line simply gave up on me and I lost a good fish.  When I got home I stripped the line off the spool and slam dunked it in the trash can.

Morale of the Story – use a quality line like 20lb Korda Subline.  Lines like P-line and Berkley Big Game are prone to breaking and should be avoided.

 

 

 

New Personal Best – 40lb Grass Carp

Photo Credit: Kevin Olivier – Summit Design

It’s funny how an innocent social fishing event can turn into an epic moment in time.  That’s exactly what happened last weekend at Lake Austin.  I was attending a Carp Angler’s Group (CAG) social fishing event in Austin, TX with a bunch of my fishing buddies when my hookbait intersected with destiny.  It had been a rough start getting to the park late, squeezing in to a tight fishing spot and trying to establish my swim.  My goal was to catch Common Carp, but I couldn’t be happier with my results.

After 23 hours of fishing and probably less than 2 hours of sleep (I fished through the night because, hey, its Austin) I finally hit the hulking fish lottery with this 40lb chunk.  I had just landed a 25lb grass carp whilst nearly breaking my toe on a large rock under the water.  I was limping back to my pod after casting out and was setting the rod down in the alarm when my reel started peeling line like I had snagged a jet ski.  I stood there confused for a split second before my instincts kicked in and I loaded the rod.  To be perfectly honest, it didn’t feel like much of a fish.  Even when I could see it down in the water, it looked small, but water depth and clarity can be deceiving.  When the net man raised this beast up it quadrupled in size.

It was freaking huge and angry.  This big boy beat me up on the mat splashing water in my face and covering me in a coat of slime. I knew getting him to sit still for a Kodak moment was going to be a bear.

Photographer extraordinaire, Kevin Olivier, managed a fantastic shot despite my quaking arms and rowdy fish. After the fish was safely back in the water I took a victory lap around the park just soaking it in.

My hats off to Chad Woolard, Texas State Chair of CAG and member of the Austin Carp Anglers (ACA), who made this event possible.  I had a awesome time and made a memory.

If you’re interested in carp fishing, or catching a fish of a lifetime (and who isn’t) then I would encourage you to check out CAG and the ACA (See links at right).  Even though carp have gotten a bad rap, they truly are a great sport fish. They get bigger and pull harder than anything else in fresh water — guaranteed.

North American Carp Angler Magazine – Spring 2015

Now available, the 2015 spring edition of the North American Carp Angler Magazine

click here to read it FREE:  http://issuu.com/northamericancarpangler/docs/naca_2015_spring_edition

NACA is published by the Carp Angler’s Group (CAG) – a group of anglers dedicated to catch-and-release carp fishing.

How Fresh Does Fresh Cut Shad Have To Be?

We’ve all heard and have generally accepted that fresh cut shad is better than frozen, but what constitutes fresh? How fresh is fresh? I’ve spent some time pondering this question because, like you, I want to be successful in landing big catfish and I certainly don’t want to stunt my chances by using bait that is less attractive to my target species.

How long are shad considered fresh?

You’ll probably get a different answer depending on who you ask, but within 24 hours of being caught is the consensus from my sources. I do believe catching them right at the spot you’re fishing and putting them right on the hook is obviously a better option, but sometimes that’s just not possible.  Anything over 24 hours starts to drift into the “not-so-fresh” category.

What can you do to keep shad fresh?

It’s important to put the shad on ice quickly after you’ve caught them, unless you’re planning to fish live shad. This can be a challenge in itself because shad die pretty quickly in a bait bucket or cooler.  In a square container they’ll nose in to a corner and suffocate themselves.  In a bait buck there is simply not enough oxygen in the water to keep them alive.  A good aerator and a larger cooler would be necessary if you want to keep them alive.  There are also shad additives that you can add to the water to improve their chances of survival.

Should I Even Try Frozen Shad?

In the dead of winter, when shad are hard to get, it may be your best bet.  If you ever have the option though, fresh shad is best — hands down.

Slip Sinker vs Santee Rig for Big Blue Catfish

You’re familiar with the rigs, the Slip Sinker holds the bottom and the Santee adds a float to raise the bait off the bottom. When fishing for blue catfish, particularly the big’guns, which rig is more likely to hook up?   Allow me to answer that question with a story.

I was fishing Lake Lewisville today and as I was enjoying an absolutely mild, first-of-fall day this older gentleman who had been casting for bass starts picking his way down the bank toward me.  I always love the opportunity to talk fishing with someone so I got up and greeted him as he got near enough to exchange pleasantries.  Turns out he lives in the neighborhood up the road and fishes the area each morning.  As usual he starts checking out my setup. I use banksticks and bite alarms (euro-fishing gear) and it always draws a few interested anglers.

After a quick demonstration of my gizmos, he asked what rig I use for catfish.  Of course I answer with the question, which kind?  It’s important to distinguish between the three common species (channel, blue, flathead) because while they’re all catfish, you target them in different ways.   I saw the sparkle in his eye when he said, “The big blues.”

While the Slip Sinker rig is a killer rig for catfish, and I’m sure it’s caught its fair share of blue catfish, the Slip Sinker really lends itself better to catching Channel Cat.  The reason being, Channel Cats simple don’t get as big as Blue Catfish, maxing out at about 30 lbs.  So why does that matter?  In the case of rig selection when targeting “Big” Blue Catfish, size does matter.

The bigger the catfish is, the more difficult it is for it to pick up food items that are laying flat on the bottom. 30+ pound Blue Catfish will prefer a bait that is suspended off the bottom because it can more easily get it into his mouth.  This is where the Santee Rig shines.  By adding the float and suspending your bait off the bottom you raise the chance of a good hook up with a trophy blue.  Don’t worry, those smaller catfish don’t mind suspending to eat your bait.

One last thing to be sure of is to match your float size to your bait offering.  A big chunk of shad will need a good 3″ float to pop it up.  It’s a good idea to drop your rig shallow and test to see if your float can suspend your bait before casting out.  If your selected float doesn’t have the muscle, switch it out for a bigger float.   Catfish aren’t float shy, so don’t worry about a big’ole orange float close your the bait.

Texas Fishing Licenses Expire Tomorrow

Texas anglers, don’t get caught without your fishing license.  Fishing licenses expire tomorrow so be sure to re-up for another year of fishing and know that you’re contributing to the conservation of our state’s fisheries.

CLICKY> http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/licenses/online_sales/