Fishing On Texoma
BY LYNN BURKHEAD
HERALD DEMOCRAT
Mention Lake Texoma in most angling circles and you'll find out that the local body of water enjoys a sterling reputation as one of the nation's premiere spots to catch a freshwater striped bass.
That became apparent on Friday when 27-year old Howe angler Cody Mullennix hooked, battled, and landed a 60-inch long blue catfish weighing 121-pounds, eight-ounces while he fished from the bank on the Texas side of Lake Texoma.
Landed on a 14-foot Shakespeare rod coupled with a Jarvis Walker reel that was spooled with 20-pound test Offshore Angler Tightline monofilament, Mullennix's 20-minute battle produced not only an apparent overall Texas state record for the species, but also a possible International Game Fish Association (IGFA) line-class world record.
Pending final record certification procedures, the blue catfish appears destined to break the current Texas rod-and-reel mark set in March 2000 when Reyes Martinez landed a 100-pound blue cat measuring 54-inches in length.
The Mullennix catfish will also apparently break the Texas unrestricted state record for the species, topping the 59-inch long, 116-pound blue catfish landed from a trotline in April 1985 by C.D. Martindale.
A check of the 2003 IGFA world-record book shows that the Mullennix fish may also be the apparent world record blue cat in the 10 kg (20-pound) line class, topping the 109-pound, four-ounce blue cat caught by George A. Lijewski in March 1991 on South Carolina's Cooper River.
Since that South Carolina blue catfish is also the heaviest weight listed in any of the IGFA's 11-line class categories for the species, it would also appear that the Mullennix catfish is also the largest blue cat ever landed anywhere in the world on a rod-and-reel.
That's when the even bigger world-class catfish took the angler's offering of a three-inch dead shad on an 8/0 Gamakatsu circle hook and made Mullennix's outing a historic day of fishing.
"About 20 to 30 minutes later (after the landing the other big blue catfish), my other rod and reel went down," Mullennix said. "I grabbed it and knew I had another good fight, that I had hooked another good fish."
That was obviously an understatement.
After the 20-minute battle, Mullennix know he needed reinforcements when he finally landed the giant catfish. He quickly summoned his longtime angling buddy Jason Holbrook for some help.
(Editor's note: If that name sounds familiar, it should since Holbrook landed a then state-record rod-and-reel blue catfish in 1993 with he pulled an 82.5 pound blue catfish from Lake Texoma.)
"I was out there by myself and we didn't have any scales beside a 50-pound set," Mullennix said. "Jason brought (out) a 100-pound set of scales. This fish bottomed those scales (out) before we ever even got the fish off the ground."
After taking the fish to the "Tackle Box" to get an accurate weight, a crowd of camera-toting onlookers quickly gathered as news of the fish spread.
That group included TPWD Game Warden Dale Moses, who later quipped "Don't skinny dip in Texoma!"
Later on Friday, a crew from the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens showed up to transport the fish back to the TPWD facility where it will be put on display at the TFFC's popular aquarium.
"It's still alive," Mullennix said on Saturday evening. "I talked to them this morning. They said the fish was doing ok and they thought it would make it. It'll be there on display."
Be sure and look for the complete details on Mullennix's apparent Texoma world record blue catfish in this Friday's "Outdoors Section" of the Herald Democrat.
More info on the fish can be found at Texas parks and wildlife web site.
Fishing
on Lake Texoma is spectacular and beyond what many would call good fishing.
Lake Texoma presents a multitude of variety and diversity for fishing experiences
to allure demanding sporting enthusiasts. Considering the size and the assortment
of species and habitats found at Lake Texoma, jaded anglers would never be in abundance.
Bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, a plethora of sub species,
and many other unique species are plentiful on Lake Texoma. Head and shoulders above the crowd
is the Striped Bass, or "striper" taking center ring in an environment away from their original
home in ocean waters. From the time striper were integrated into Lake Texoma in the late 1960s,
striper fishing has grown to a world-renowned status. If truth be told, only a handful of lakes
in the United States can stand up to Texoma when it comes to quality striper fishing.
The white bass, often called sand bass or "Sandies",
collect a lot of interest in the spring when enormous schools journey to spawn in the creeks
and streams that help supply the lake. An additional trendy time for sand bass is the summer
when they school on the surface of the water.
Lake Texoma is no less renowned for world-class catfish than
striper-especially the blue catfish. Lake Texoma anglers have yielded a high quantity of record
fish-one Texoma "Monster Cat" weighed in at 118.5 pounds.
A Lake Texoma fishing license will permit access to any part of
Lake Texoma. For fishing on the Red River you will need a state license from the state
corresponding to the side of the river you choose to fish from. Most marinas bait and tackle
shops will sell licenses and can help clarify the regulations.
The
simplest solution to guarantee a triumphant fishing trip is to employ a professional fishing guide.
The Lake Texoma Association can put a visitor in touch with a qualified guide (580/564-2334).
Not only can a guide take an experienced angler directly to the finest spots for the particular
season, but also they're great for the novice. They can supply all the best tackle and help with
a little coaching on the appropriate techniques as well.
From fishing off the bank in a quiet cove to angling the open water,
the option is available at Lake Texoma. It is easy to see why fishing is popular on Lake Texoma and why
Lake Texoma is one of the most resourceful fishing spots in the United States.