Trotlining 2000
on the Alabama River lakes

 

 Latest Fishing Report 
We've put the lines up for the winter but have a freezer full of fish.  Long live the Big Muddy!


 

An early morning check of the lines in mid-June yielded several blue cats in the 8 to 10 pound range, like this one held by G. Alford.  

 

 


Brad Powe
Turtle Catcher Extraordinaire 

 

No that is NOT Janet Reno that Brad is holding.  It's a large alligator snapping turtle.  These pesky turtles have been stealing our bait and destroying our hooks and lines.  This one got caught red handed.    

Most of the locals call them "loggerheads."  However, they are actually alligator snapping turtles--big ones!

They are prehistoric looking creatures and most folks say they live to be very old, even older than humans.  We estimated this one at 60 to 70 pounds.  It had claws of over 1 1/2 inches and a tail nearly 2 feet long.   

 


Brad Powe (L) and G. Alford (R)
hoist a big cat from the Alabama River. 

 

Big fish make trotlining lots of fun.  This 27 pound blue cat livened up the day when it bit our line.  Some people fish for fun, others fish for food.  We fish for big catfish.....the only real excitement.    


Once again here's the big turtle.  He was a bit sluggish at first as he was under the surface for some time after becoming hung on one of our lines.  He wasn't caught on the mouth but instead on one of his front legs.  He regained his strength a short time later and crawled back into the backwaters of the Alabama River.


An Alabama River sunset

 

 

 

 

Brad Powe & G. Alford blast off to run the lines.  

 

 

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