One got away - one didn't

When I got to the middle weight of the trotline - a big fish almost pulled the line out of my hand - and it turned the boat. It must have been on the first or second hook past the weight - but as I turned to reach the net it made another run - and it kept going i.e. I lost the big boy

As I continued on down the line I figured it just wasn't my day - and I was right - cause on the next to last hook I got a Channel Catfish that just barely made my cut off for cleaning i.e. it was 2 lbs 4 oz (so I'm suppose to clean it - but I'm going to cheat and let it go - unless I see some hungry fishman that wants it - they have until noon then the lucky catfish is going free cause he looks nice and lively i.e. he is going to live to grow up cause I got the hook out clean and put him in my live pen

BTW: I'm not sure what bait got the big catfish that got away but I think it was on the second hook past the weight which used bream bait. The 2 lb channel catfish was on hook using magic bait (yep chicken liver / chicken blood - I now have about 10 packages after having various people pick up bait when they go shopping at Wal Mart.

Magic bait is still catching fish at rate of at least one a night (around my fishing pier) - but on a few nights I don't get one cause the turtles get the bait - so I started using magic bait treble hooks with a spring that helps hold the bait. It helps - for example night before last I got 2 turtles and 3 catfish off my pier - using 4 yoyo's that I rebaited about 10:30PM and 3AM. Two of the catfish were about 1 lb each - and the other catfish was an albino with blue eyes - about 1/2 pound. So all went free

I know the fishing nursery (stock) pond for Lake Conway was raising channel catfish this year so I suspect all these 1 lb catfish are from the nursery i.e. lake must be full of these future lunkers - based on how many I keep catching :)

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