# Fish wrasslin' 101



## Quackrstackr (Jun 22, 2008)

We took a film crew out today shoot a show on hand grabbing catfish. The day started off pretty slow. 3 of our money holes didn't have a single fish in them. I was starting to see shades of last year. These same guys came to film a show last year and after the entire day was over, we had 3 dink fish to show for it. Talk about humiliating.

We finally started getting into a few small fish. 6-10 lb stuff. My hopes perked up because I knew the big fish holes were still to be checked. As we pulled up to the first big fish hole, my trolling motor came loose again. #-o :evil: I will be having another talk with the dealership on Monday. I had to run back to the truck to take off the motor before I lost it in the lake. My buddy yanked a 30# fish from the hole for the camera while I was gone. #-o 

Next stop yielded a 40# fish.

We finally pulled up to the last hole of the day and I was greeted with a warm welcome from the Kraken within. I grabbed him on my second dive and that fish absolutely wore me out. I weigh 250# and it shook me like a rag doll. When it rolled, it flipped me on my back and I had to let go. He got shy on us on the next attempt so my buddy lended a hand and poked him with the trusty broom handle (kept for just such an occasion). I managed to get him with both hands as he turned his attention to me after attacking the broom handle. I wasn't letting go this time. It was either him or me. I got my feet underneath me and was able to haul him out. I have no idea what the thing weighed but it was definitely over 50 lbs.

They got some fantastic footage of that one kicking my tail. He was definitely the strongest fish that I have ever laid hands on.

I will have to post pics tomorrow after I get them from my buddy's camera. I've been working on my trolling motor all night trying to fix it myself. I have no faith in the dealership being able to accomplish the task without cutting a 10" diameter hole in my deck... not happening.


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## Jim (Jun 22, 2008)

Wow man impressive! Looking forward to seeing the pics. I still think you guys sticking our hands in holes under the water are crazy. :mrgreen:


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## BassAddict (Jun 22, 2008)

These are flatheads your grabbing i assume? Man you are more of a man than me!!!!! There is no way in




im reaching my hand into some dark underwater hole and wondering if a catfish, a snake or a turtle is in there. Then if its a flathead you still got to worry if that mean



is gonna try to drown you.... Thankyou but no sir!! im sticking with rod and reel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 22, 2008)

Flatheads, channels and blue cats. I had rather grab a 50 lb flathead than a 20 lb blue cat. Those things are some ill tempered creatures.

I am supposed to be getting the pictures this evening after the outing with the Canadians.

Grabbing these fish is something that everybody wants to go do but when the moment of truth arrives, 95% of them have a sudden change of heart. They act as though it's unnerving to have a 50 lb fish swallow their arm up to the elbow and then shake like a dog killing a snake. :lol:


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## Waterwings (Jun 22, 2008)

> ...They act as though it's unnerving to have a 50 lb fish swallow their arm up to the elbow and then shake like a dog killing a snake.



Ain't happening in my lifetime! [-X :shock: 

Looking fwd to the pics, and hope you get your tm fixed. Why would they cut a 10" hole in your deck to fix the tm?


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## Zum (Jun 22, 2008)

Sounds like you had an awesome day,be nice to see them pictures.The people that were filming...was it for T.V. or can we watch it here or on You Tube?I've only seen it done once before on TV,think on the show"Dirty Jobs".


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 22, 2008)

Waterwings said:


> Looking fwd to the pics, and hope you get your tm fixed. Why would they cut a 10" hole in your deck to fix the tm?



For access to put nuts on the inside of the hull. It came from Triton with swaged aluminum sleeves that were threaded. Those sleeves stretched out under the overhung weight of the motor. I took it back to the dealer and they wanted to cut an enormous hole in the deck so that they could reach the bolts and cover it back with a big, round plastic plate. My boat is 100% all aluminum. I didn't want a flimsy plastic cover the size of a dinner plate on the deck that I would have to stand on every time I was in the boat. We used some of those Motor Guide rubber T nuts instead. They lasted two trips before the collars broke. :roll: They probably work really well in some situations but trying to grip on 1/8" of aluminum isn't one of them. I was able to get two nuts on the back two bolts by going through the tm plug hole, used two steel hollow wall anchors in the next two stress points and went back with the rubber T nuts on the 2 bolts with the least stress. That's about all I can do before an access hole has to be cut.  

I love the boat but that area is a very, very poor design access wise on Triton's part. It has so much structural support in the front that there is no good way to mount a trolling motor.


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 22, 2008)

Zum said:


> Sounds like you had an awesome day,be nice to see them pictures.The people that were filming...was it for T.V. or can we watch it here or on You Tube?I've only seen it done once before on TV,think on the show"Dirty Jobs".



It was for TV. They have the show on their web site for several weeks around air time. I will put a link here whenever they do.


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## Zum (Jun 22, 2008)

Thanks man that be great.Sorry to hear about your trolling motor problems,why couldn't they weld the aluminum back after they remove it and why such a big hole.


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 22, 2008)

The interior of my boat is spray lined. No way to weld the piece back in without stripping and refinishing the entire inside of the boat. Also, if the tm ever conks out there would be no way to remove the bracket.

I was wondering "why such a large hole" myself. I guess because of where it would have to be made. It would have to be put at arm's length of all of the bolts to get on a flat surface. I think a smaller square one could be used closer to the motor but I suppose they were just going to use what they had. I'm glad I was there when they brought that thing out where I could put a stop to it. If I had dropped the boat off and came back to find a 12" plastic plate right where my feet normally are, I would have been more than just a little ticked off.


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## Waterwings (Jun 22, 2008)

Can't blame you for not wanting a 10" hole with a plastic cover on the deck. Not knowing off-hand the configuration of your bow, and if you can get the tm removed without damaging something, what if you [hate to say it] welded a bracket made from aluminum channel on the bow, then mount the tm to that? Here's a real rough sketch:


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 22, 2008)

Those are the best way to do it and why Triton didn't do something like that to begin with, I have no idea.

It's hard to tell in the pic but the spray liner in my boat goes all the way up over the gunnels and over the bow as well. There can't be any welding without a major tear up and redo of the spray liner. The dealership isn't equipped to do spray lining but it would have to be sent back to the factory for everything to match up right anyway.

I don't really have a good place to mount one of the stock t-m channels with the rake of my boat.






There are both horizontal and vertical support members in that area underneath the t-m and in front of the deck. If I knew someone that was about 2 feet tall, they could go in through the lid in the front deck and hold the wrench while they were tightened. :lol: 

The boat is only 3 months old. I won't be doing any sort of non-factory modifications to it until the warranty expires.


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## Zum (Jun 22, 2008)

I don't blame you for not wanting to do any mods.I made something like WW explained but my rail is alittle different than yours ,not as wide.Theres no way of getting up there through the hatch(tall real skinny guy)?or is there supports or foam in the way?Darn shame they made it like that should of been thicker aluminum there for the well nuts to hold.


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## Waterwings (Jun 22, 2008)

Dang, now that I see how your bow is configured I understand better. I sure hope there's a way to fix the problem without damaging the spray liner or anything structural.

Afterthought: I keep thinking of long extension ratchets, but I'm sure you've tried that approach and the horizontal/vertical bracing underneath is probably in the way. When the tm is removed I'd tried to get a doubler plate (even if it's only 1/8" thick) made and put underneath the deck before putting anymore nuts on, but I'm sure with the rake of the bow there's not a lot of room for long bolts in the front.


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## Zum (Jun 22, 2008)

Have you thought about these https://www.spaenaur.com/pdf/sectionC/C147.pdf
not sure but they might work


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 22, 2008)

Those welnuts are the type of thing that came loose yesterday. It originally came with rivnuts (the aluminum version of those).

I tried everything that I could think of last night. There's just no getting a nut on the backside to 4 out of the 6 without cutting some sort of hole to get below the bracing.

It would take somebody the size of my 3 year old to go through the hatch on the deck and hold a wrench. She's not mechanically astute enough for the task. Don't think that I didn't think about it. 

Now.. on to the more important stuff. The fish!

Ever seen a stringer with nearly 90 lbs of fish? (man, my hair looks fabulous :lol: )






Couple of action photos of my buddies
















Me slinging a little one






The group photo of the big boy that I grabbed yesterday






The show host showing him off. This photo has probably hit a thousand inboxes already with a story of how he caught this fish. 






I don't guess they got any pics of me wresting the beast from his lair. Either that or my buddy has them earmarked for publication. He's an outdoor writer and is also penning a book about our travels and catching these fish.


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## BassAddict (Jun 22, 2008)

=D> =D> =D> Very Impressive, I must change my position and say that looks like a ton of fun!!! I wouldnt go as far as to do any of the grabbing myself, but i would sit on the dock, drink beer and watch yall!!


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## Captain Ahab (Jun 22, 2008)

You are a sick man


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## Waterwings (Jun 23, 2008)

:shock: Those are some big dang cats! Nice job on the noodling! 8) 

(Thought that might have been your rig behind you in the one pic until I saw the WarEagle logo).


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 23, 2008)

The War Eagle is my buddy's boat. Mine is the good looking one. :lol: 

The Canadian film crew was trying to figure out where to put all of their gear yesterday when the camera man said "I don't care where the gear goes but I'm riding in the cool boat". :mrgreen:


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## EagleBaseball (Jun 23, 2008)

... I am going to have to agree with everyone who has the opinion of noodleing is CRAZY!


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## Waterwings (Jun 23, 2008)

When I was looking to buy a jon I saw a couple of used WarEagles at the dealership (Tyler Boats, Inc., Rockport, IN. Good folks there!) where I bought my Lowe rig. Both of the WarEagles had the camo treatment.



Quackrstackr said:


> The Canadian film crew was trying to figure out where to put all of their gear yesterday when the camera man said "I don't care where the gear goes but I'm riding in the cool boat". :mrgreen:


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## Zum (Jun 23, 2008)

I think one of those big ones would take me under,I'll stay on the bank with BA and watch.Do you ever step on those things,thought they had like a barb or something on their back.


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 23, 2008)

Both the dorsal and pectoral fins are like spikes. The big ones are blunted so you don't have anything to fear there.

These fish live in holes under submerged objects so there is no danger of stepping on one of them.


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## FishingBuds (Jun 23, 2008)

Quackrstackr your one brave man, But thats the KY in ya


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 23, 2008)

Brave, crazy, insane, slightly imbalanced... we've been called a little bit of everything.

I had a guy tell me last year that we all clanked when we walked. :lol:


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## slim357 (Jun 24, 2008)

Nice cats. Ever reach in a hole and find something other than a catfish?


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## jkbirocz (Jun 24, 2008)

I would have to be too drunk to stand, before I would do that. Those are some nice cats though, they make a nice fish fry I bet =D>


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## Derek777 (Jun 25, 2008)

War Eagle --> 8) 
nice fish!


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## Jim (Jun 25, 2008)

Great pics! :beer:


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 25, 2008)

slim357 said:


> Nice cats. Ever reach in a hole and find something other than a catfish?



We found a small slider on the edge of a hole about 3 weeks ago. First turtle that we have ever encountered. He gave my buddy a quick nip on the finger. :mrgreen: 

Derek, my buddy's War Eagle is a nice boat but even he will tell you that it's not anywhere near my Triton. He drove mine last weekend and I nearly had to pry him out of the seat. :lol: His has a much wetter ride. You stay as dry as a bone in mine unless there is a heavy cross wind and chop. His just seems like it sprays water from everywhere for some reason.


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## Codeman (Jun 27, 2008)

Did you get the TM problem fixed? Could you use something like these toggle anchors?
https://www.mcmaster.com/ctlg/DisplCtlgPage.aspx?ReqTyp=CATALOG&CtlgPgNbr=3240&RelatedCtlgPgs=3106,3240&term=Toggle%20Bolts&sesnextrep=495537168538967&ScreenWidth=1024 Scroll down for the stud style. 

As far as you method for catching those cats, no friggin' way, you are either crazy or you do clank when you walk. :mrgreen:


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 27, 2008)

I'll find out tonight.

I thought about toggle bolts but haven't found any in SS. Those require a pretty good sized hole and I'm not ready to pass the point of no return yet.


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## Pinball (Jun 27, 2008)

Quack, Those catfish are just freekin amazing! When you are feeling around for them are you trying to find their mouths or are they just trying to bite your hands and you just hang on? Can't wait to see the film. Thanks for sharing!


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## FishinsMyLife (Jun 27, 2008)

I think I would be one of those people who said that they would do it until they got into the boat and got to the spot. :shock: 

Nice noodlin!


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 28, 2008)

Pinball said:


> Quack, Those catfish are just freekin amazing! When you are feeling around for them are you trying to find their mouths or are they just trying to bite your hands and you just hang on? Can't wait to see the film. Thanks for sharing!



When they are nesting, 99% of them will let you know they are in there as soon as you stick your arm in the hole. That biggest one swallowed my arm halfway up to my elbow and shook like a dog. You try to grab them by the jaw before they let go.

We've had them swallow our feet up to the ankles while feeling along for holes. 

After they get finished nesting, most of them will just sort of lay there. Then you have to feel around and try to get their mouth open to grab a hold.


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## b1gluke56 (Jul 2, 2008)

what lake did you go to?


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## Quackrstackr (Jul 2, 2008)

Kentucky and Barkley


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## Waterwings (Jul 2, 2008)

> ...We've had them swallow our feet up to the ankles while feeling along for holes.



:shock: If that happened to me everyone would have to get out of the water, because I'd probably



my pants! lol


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## Quackrstackr (Sep 26, 2008)

One of the television shows that we filmed over the summer is now online: https://www.huntinghome.com/

The fish get larger as the day progresses. :wink:


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## Victor Coar (Sep 26, 2008)

thats effin incredible!!


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## Loggerhead Mike (Sep 26, 2008)

awsome show


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## Waterwings (Sep 26, 2008)

Cool show! 8)


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## slim357 (Sep 26, 2008)

Thanks for postin the link, was a good watch, dont think ill ever be givin it a try tho.


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## Zum (Sep 26, 2008)

Great show.Really entertaining.


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## BassAddict (Sep 26, 2008)

=D> Simply Awsome Man!!! =D>


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