Catfishing at Lake Murray

This past weekend we took our annual pilgrimage to Lake Murray in central South Carolina. My father-in-law owns a small house there and when we have the opportunity we go. While there I always spend the evenings and nights fishing from his dock for catfish. While Lake Murray is not known for its catfish, I have always had pretty good luck fishing for them. On several occasions I have landed fish over 10 lbs. This past weekend was the exception. While we did catch some fish, we lost quite a few big fish.

On the first night, using dead blue back herrings for bait, the ambassador 5500 started singing, it was not the tell tell nibbling typically know for catfish, no, this was different. The rod went from being limp to bent double with the drag singing. As I grabbed the rod to set the hook, I felt a big fish for all of two seconds before the 25lb leader broke.

Two nights later, my oldest son using his Zebco 33 was fishing in a similar spot from the dock and we heard the drag ripping from his rod, he set the hook and the fight was on. This rod only had 8lb test on it, but it did have the 25lb leader. He made a valiant fight, but after over 4 minutes of fighting the hook pulled and it too got away. Not fifteen minutes later, his zebco again screamed, this time when he grabbed the rod to set the hook, he also grabbed the line and it shattered the line, popping like a small .22 rimfire when the line broke.

We know there are really big fish in this cove, and while we were unable to land them, it kept the excitement alive. We were able to land 5 cats, with the smallest being about 1.5 pounds and several in the 3-4 lb range.

Mostly though it was a great time, sitting with my boys on the dock, watching them and talking with them about fishing, stars, making faces out of the clouds, and admiring the sunsets.

This is what fishing is all about, spending the time with your kids, or friends, and knowing that it is times like this that memories are made, it is moments like this they will remember when I am gone. It is creating stories for their files they will tell their kids. Times of fishing with dad, of the big ones that got away, and of their times well spent.