1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Rieves 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: my stories and the country skills that will help you 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: beat the system. This Country Life is proudly presented as 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: part of Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: outdoor podcast the airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two to teach you. 10 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: Fishing with nets. There's two types of fishing when you're 11 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: fishing with nets, commercial and recreational. Now I guess there's 12 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: really four if you count catching fish and not catching fish, 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: and we're going to talk a little about both of 14 00:00:53,240 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: them today. But first I'm going to tell you a story. Now, 15 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: this story has absolutely nothing to do with fishing nets, 16 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: only a little bit to do with fishing. But fishing 17 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: was what Tim and I started out doing before the 18 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: incident occurred. It was many years ago, during the middle 19 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: of the week, and we had both found ourselves too 20 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: sick to go to work, but not too sick to fish. 21 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 1: What a coincidence, I know, right, both of us at 22 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: the same time Anyway, we loaded tams boat with our 23 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: fly rods and crickets, which is just about the best 24 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 1: medicine ever invented, and we took off for the Salaine 25 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: River at Mount Elby. I know I've set it on 26 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: here before, but the dot on the map that we 27 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: all called Mount Elby has actually called Mount Elba Elba 28 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: for the folks that like to look up the places 29 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: of where I'm talking about. That was also the name 30 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: of the boat ramp we were putting in at that 31 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: would eventually be renamed in honor of my father, the 32 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: Lloyd Wilton Buddys Mount Elba Access. When I petitioned the 33 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission with a letter of my 34 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: family's legacy in that area and that place on the 35 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: river to rename it after my father, I related how 36 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: we generationally interacted with the land and the river over 37 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,799 Speaker 1: the past nine generations. I didn't include the story I'm 38 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: about to tell you, but that day we backed the 39 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: boat in, parked the truck, and took off. It was 40 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: hot that morning and we caught fish pretty quickly. We 41 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,839 Speaker 1: fished all the way down what we referred to as 42 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: the Stretch, and that's the location on the river about 43 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: three quarters of a mile along where the water deepened 44 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: and the current slowed down in a long straightaway. At 45 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: the end of the stretch is a place we call 46 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: Bug Island. Now. When the river is at normal pool, 47 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: it splits and wraps around the small island of willow trees, say, 48 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: and the river rocks. It's shady and a perfect place 49 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: to stop and cook fish. I've been doing it all 50 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: my life and planning to do so again and in 51 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: their future. We took a fish cooker and everything you 52 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: need and clean and cook the fish right there. They'd 53 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: never touch a cube of ice and go from swimming 54 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: in the river to swimming in the live well, to 55 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: being cleaned in the river and then being released into 56 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: three hundred and fifty degrees of hot peanut oil. If 57 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: you have the means, I highly recommend it. We were 58 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: the only folks on the river that day. Everyone else 59 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: was working, after all, it was the middle of the 60 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: work week, but by the time we hit Bug Island 61 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: it was close to noon in time to eat. It 62 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: was also Africa hot, and the only relief from the 63 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: bowl and sun was in the shade since there was 64 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: no breeze. Still pretty hot under the trees and standing 65 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: over that fire cooking fish didn't do anything towards cooling 66 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: us off. We got done eating, got everything thing cleaned up, 67 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: and was sitting and staring at that running water that 68 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: flowed around the island and sweating. And I told Tim man, 69 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: I'm about to burn up in the shade, sitting here 70 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: like a dummy wearing the bathing suit I was born with. 71 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: And with that we both stood up commenced to peeling 72 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: off our sweat soaked t shirts and overalls until we 73 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: were naked as pick birds, tenderfooting our way across the 74 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: hot sand and rocks, until we waded out deep enough 75 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: to cool off in the muddy water of our river. 76 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: It might as well have been ours, we were the 77 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: only folks on it. We swam around out in the 78 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: deeper water for a while, then paddled our way back 79 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: up to the shallow shoal that tapered off the bank 80 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: of Bug Island. We were fixing it, get out and 81 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: get dressed and fish our way back to the truck. 82 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: But then Tim scooped up a huge river mussel along 83 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: the way, and we laid there on our stomachs in 84 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: the shallow water admiring that huge fresh water mussel, our 85 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: lily white behind glowing above the surface of the water. 86 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: I heard a noise behind us that sounded oddly like 87 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: a boat paddle bumping the side of a boat. Judging 88 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: from the look of hard that washed over Tim's face, 89 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: he'd heard it too. Then out of the blue, y'all 90 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: catching any fish. We looked back over our shoulders at 91 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: the same time to see an older couple float by 92 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: with fishing poles in their hands and big smiles on 93 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: their faces. I don't know what happened next, or what 94 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: they did. I slid under the surface, backed out into 95 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,559 Speaker 1: deeper water, and only came up to take a peek 96 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: to see when they were gone. When I could no 97 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: longer hold my breath. Tim had done the same. I'm sorry, 98 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: mister and missus whoever you were, but with two teas, 99 00:05:54,960 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: that's just how that happened. Fishing with nets commercial fishermen 100 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: have always intrigued me. There's just something about making a 101 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: living catching fish that appeals to kids, and that's when 102 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: my attraction began. I mentioned Carls one stopping last week's episode. 103 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: It was the bait shop on the edge of town, 104 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: where not only could you buy a bait and tackle, 105 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: but also turkey calls, duck calls, and ammo. You'd also 106 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: see the commercial fishermen in the area, stopping by the 107 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: visit or pickup supplies, or meeting folks that had ordered fish, 108 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: seeing those big hoop nets in the boat, and knowing 109 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: that guy was paying his light bills with fish he'd 110 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: caught from the river. Now, walk could be better than that, 111 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: I dare say nothing. That's got to be the easiest 112 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: job there is. Right now, anyone that's listening that has 113 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 1: ever had even the smallest experience of fishing a hoop 114 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: net knows that I have finally done it. After all 115 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,679 Speaker 1: most a year of telling stories and talking about country 116 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 1: living on this platform, I have finally said the dumbest 117 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: thing I'm ever going to say by suggesting that easy 118 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: is an adjective that describes any portion of commercial fishermen. 119 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: There was a time when I thought being a duck 120 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: guide would be a great idea. Who wouldn't want to 121 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: get paid to go duck hunting? And there's always more 122 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: to the story. Duck hunting, in a way was what 123 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: brought my brother Tim and I to net fishing. We 124 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: talked about it forever. But over twenty five years ago 125 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: we met a man from Louisiana when he came up 126 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: with a group to hunt with us, and his name 127 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: was Jerry Boger. Now, Jerry would later start bringing his son, Zach, 128 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: along with others over the years, and he and his 129 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: family became instant friends of ours, and they have remained 130 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: just like our family ever since. I can go months 131 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: without talking to Jerry and pick up the phone and 132 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: give him a call and it's just like I talked 133 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: to him yesterday. Where am I going with this? Well? 134 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: Jerry Boger is a good fisherman, and most assuredly he's 135 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: the best net fisherman I know. And it was his 136 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: advice and tutelage that inspired my brother Tim to call 137 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: me one day and say, I'm buying some hoop nets 138 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: and we're gonna start fishing them in the Arkansas River. 139 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: You gonna be my help. I don't recall there being 140 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: a question as to whether or not I'd be participating, 141 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: So after checking the Arkansas regulations on fishing nets, Tim 142 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: bought three wire hoop nets and some bait from the 143 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: good folks down at Nets and more. The fish net 144 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: company in Jonesville, los Inna. He brought them back home, 145 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:44,719 Speaker 1: sent me a picture of lane in his yard and 146 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:48,199 Speaker 1: I'd never seen wire nets before, but man, they look cool. 147 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: I was excited. But it was like ordering the Charles 148 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: Atley strong Man course from the back of a comic book, 149 00:08:55,280 --> 00:09:00,040 Speaker 1: and when the mail man delivers it, you realize the 150 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: muscles ain't included. What do we do with them? Now? First, 151 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: let's talk about what a hoop net is. Imagine a 152 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 1: dip net that you'd use to boat of fish after 153 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: you caught him with a rod and a rill, but 154 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: instead of having a shallow bottom in it, think about 155 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 1: it being three and a half feet in diameter and 156 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: fourteen feet long. About every two feet is going to 157 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: be a round fiberglass hoop that holds the net in position, 158 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: giving it a cylindrical tube shape when both ends are 159 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: weighted with a head rope and a tail rope and 160 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:39,439 Speaker 1: stretched tightly between the two weights. And there's all kinds 161 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: of different diameters, meshing sizes and links of hoop nets. 162 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: This is just an example, but they all have what's 163 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 1: called a throat inside or flu where a separate mesh 164 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 1: funnel gradually narrows down into an opening that fish can 165 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: easily swim in through, but can't easily swim out of. Now, 166 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: once it gets in there, you got him, unless he's 167 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: small enough to swim out through the mesh of the net, 168 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: which is why there are mesh sized regulations on the 169 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: net so the small fish can get out. Now. These 170 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 1: contraptions are strictly made for rough fish like buffalo and drum. 171 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: And while catfish is a game fish in Arkansas, it's 172 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: the only one that can be harvested using a net 173 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: or a trap. Bring them under four inches can be 174 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: called in a basket trap and used as live bait 175 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: for flathead catfish. And that's a whole other podcast and 176 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: one we're planning on doing lately this year. But this 177 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: hoop net I've talked about, ain't going to catch fish 178 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: until we get it in the water. So where do 179 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: we fish it? Remember Jerry from Louisiana, Well, Jerry will 180 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: tell you that when you're fishing in current and the 181 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: river is inside its banks, that you've got to find 182 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: those eddies to conceal instantly catch fish. A fish can 183 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: obviously swim anywhere it wants to, but they have travel 184 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 1: patterns and tendencies, just like all creatures. They like gathering 185 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 1: in those eddies. What's an eddy? Well, how about I 186 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: tell you what one is. The definition of an eddy 187 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: is a circular movement of water counter to a main current, 188 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: causing a small whirlpool. Now let me describe it to 189 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,559 Speaker 1: you like this. Men, you were sitting in a boat 190 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: facing up river. The river in front of us has 191 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: a curve that bends around to the right and continues 192 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: on the downstream. Side of that curve is where the 193 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: eddy forms. As the current comes around that bend, it 194 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:48,199 Speaker 1: forms a circular motion known as an eddy. Fish congregate 195 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 1: there to catch bait, fish and groceries that get swept 196 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,839 Speaker 1: up it concentrated in the water. It also gets them 197 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: out of the strong curve and allow them to rest 198 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: while they eat. Survival is the name of the game 199 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:07,079 Speaker 1: and in justin calories, while expending the minimal mountain necessary 200 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 1: to do so is priority numero uno. But you can't 201 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: just find an eddie, weight both ends and chunk your 202 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: net in the river. That's no pointo. You're gonna have 203 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 1: to drag and sound check the depth of the water 204 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: to see if there's any obstacles. In there that could 205 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:27,079 Speaker 1: damage or keep your net from laying out properly. And 206 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,440 Speaker 1: I'm sure those garment depth and so on. Our units 207 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: like Claying I had on our big CEA arc boat 208 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: last January would easily do the trick. But if you 209 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: find yourself out of modern technology, a net drag on 210 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: a long rope will do the trick. Most net drags 211 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: that I've seen are around sixteen to eighteen inches long 212 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,839 Speaker 1: and made a solid round inch and a half steal 213 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 1: on the bottom. They'll have four pieces of quarter inch 214 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: rod at even intervals bent in the shape of a U, 215 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: and well that to the shaft that look like a 216 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: grappling hook on the other end as well, that an 217 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,199 Speaker 1: eye to attach a rope, and you'll use it to 218 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: drag across the bottom looking for obstacles like tree tops 219 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,559 Speaker 1: or somebody else's net, or anything that could damage or 220 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: keep your net from fishing properly. You're also going to 221 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,439 Speaker 1: need that drag to pull your net up when it's 222 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: time to check it and you're looking for a clean 223 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: shelf or a bottom where you can lay your net 224 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: out flat on the bottom like a cardboard paper towel tube. 225 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 1: Here's a little something extra at my house. All my 226 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: kids call those tubes dut does because they could never 227 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: pick an empty one up to play with it without 228 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: sticking it to their mouth and going dut to door. 229 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: Do you alls kids do that or mind? The only 230 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: ones probably just mine. I live in a circus. All right, 231 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 1: let's get this thing in the water. We're going to 232 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: need a heavy anchor and a long length of rope 233 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: rope that's tied to the head and the tail is 234 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 1: dependent upon the depth of the water. Jerry likes to 235 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:11,079 Speaker 1: use five sixteenth hollow braided line for a big hoop net. 236 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 1: He's gonna use about thirty pounds of weight or more. 237 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 1: That's gonna be on the anchor, and that's gonna go 238 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: on the tail end of the net, and it's always 239 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: pointed upstream. Get your weight in the line and then 240 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: the tail end of the net. We start feeding that 241 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: net out, tail in first, and we're gonna float downstream. 242 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: Take all the slack out of that net, and to 243 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: link the rope we've got tied to the head end. 244 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: That rope is attached to a rope that's called a bridle, 245 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: and it goes from one side of the coop to 246 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: the other on the front, kind of like a handle 247 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: of a bucket. The head rope is tied right in 248 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: the middle. Stay with me now, because we're gonna review 249 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: this and get squared away in your brain bucket in 250 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 1: just a minute. Pulling further downstream about thirty to forty feet, 251 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: if not further, We're going to attach a small weight 252 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: around ten pounds, and from that weight we're gonna run 253 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: a twenty foot line with two to three pound weight 254 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 1: with a float tied in the middle. Now, this keeps 255 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: the rope off the bottom and makes it easier to 256 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: catch with a drag. It doesn't take long for salt 257 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: to cover a rope up, and that makes it hard 258 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: to find. The float sure makes it easier. Now, I 259 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: know what you're saying. Why don't you just run a 260 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: float from the weight on the headline to the surface 261 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 1: to be easy to run without even having to worry 262 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: about using the drag. Well, let me tell you why, 263 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: the same reason you like your truck. When you park 264 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: it and walk away, folks will not only covet your 265 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 1: hoop nets, but they will also run them, steal your 266 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: fish and take your nets. All right, erase the blackboard 267 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: and you'll cranium un let's review it. We found an 268 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: eddy that has a clean bottom where we can place 269 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: her hoop net. On the tail end of our net, 270 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: we attached a long length of rope and a big anchor. 271 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: Splash goes the anchor, and now we're slowly motoring or 272 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: floating backwards down the river, letting the net pull out 273 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: of the boat slowly as we hold a little tension, 274 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: so it goes in the water like it's fishing already. 275 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: Letting the head rope out, we dropped a ten pound weight, 276 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: followed by the float and the rest of the rope 277 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: with a small weight. Now it's time to go do 278 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: whatever and be confident that while you're occupied with some 279 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: other activity that you're also fishing. With every tick of 280 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: the clock, I'm on the yard, also fishing, eating supper, 281 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: also fishing, slumbering in the bed, also fishing. The hardest 282 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: part for me in tim was not going back to 283 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: check our nets. You gotta let them fish, and time 284 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 1: is on your side. If you remember, we didn't bait 285 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: this net. We're catching fish that are just out making 286 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 1: a living and doing their thing, swimming upstream. Now they'll 287 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 1: still be snacking grub as it floats downstreaming into the 288 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:12,439 Speaker 1: water column there brought them there in the first place. 289 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: We're just going to have them hemmed up where we're fishing, 290 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 1: and they'll be just as healthy and full of vigor 291 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: when we run the net a minimum five days from 292 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: when we set it. So after a week we're going 293 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: to head back to the river. We're going to chunk 294 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: our drag in to catch a hold of that headline. 295 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: We put it out tail then first, so we're going 296 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 1: to do just the opposite to run it. And when 297 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: you throw your drag out, you're aiming for the head 298 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: rope that's the end with the little float holding the 299 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 1: line off the bottom, so it wouldn't get sealted in. 300 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: Now you don't have to do that it, So don't 301 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: be hollering at me about this is wrong and it 302 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:53,360 Speaker 1: ain't the way your grandpa did it. While I'm interested 303 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: in hearing how you did it, I ain't about to 304 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: listen to anything I've described here is wrong because it ain't. 305 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 1: Now how do I know it ain't well, Jerry's son, Zach, 306 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,479 Speaker 1: owns one of the best restaurants in Louisiana, and I 307 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,920 Speaker 1: understand that's a bold statement because there are a lot 308 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: of great places deed down there. But they run fish 309 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: through that restaurant faster than grass runs through a goose. 310 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 1: And Jerry provides a large portion of the fish, and 311 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: this is how he catches them, and they feed a 312 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: lot of folks. It's called Big Zach's Place at Logusport, Louisiana. 313 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: Y'all check it out and tell them I sent you. 314 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,880 Speaker 1: But guess what, we ain't done yet. Me and Tim 315 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: don't even fish the county nets that I just described 316 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: we're going to, But right now we're fishing that big 317 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 1: nets little brother, which works the same way, but it's 318 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 1: a lot easier to handle, and we use bait. The 319 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 1: wire nets we fish are eighteen inches in diameter and 320 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 1: four feet long. They're the same as regular hoop nets, 321 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: except there's no hoops. The net mesh is held in 322 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: place by wire on the inside, which is concer great 323 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: reinforcement wire. You just bend it into a loop. You 324 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 1: can fish them several ways, one of which is how 325 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: I just described with a big hoop net. Another way 326 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: is to suspend it vertically beneath the water with a 327 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 1: throat facing down above the bottom. Fish will feed upwards 328 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: drawn it into the net by the bait, and you 329 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 1: can also just bait it up and chunk it overboard 330 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:25,679 Speaker 1: in a good spot you've already picked out. Now, the 331 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: bait we use is usually soy beans and cheese mashed 332 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: them into a big old block, and we put it 333 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,199 Speaker 1: in a mesh bag and throw it inside and it 334 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: slowly dissolves. It leaves a scent trail of food downstream, 335 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: and as the fish feed upstream they follow it into 336 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: the net. Tim and I fish ours and current, always 337 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 1: with a mouth facing downstream and anchor tie off the tail. 338 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: That's pretty simple, in a very effective way to catch fish. 339 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: It's also a lot of fun and we have a 340 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:02,120 Speaker 1: great time doing it. I be interested in do it. 341 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,959 Speaker 1: Check your regulations where you live. Hit the folks up 342 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: down there in Jones, Louisiana, and you will get you 343 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:17,679 Speaker 1: a net that you can fish. Hey, I hope you 344 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: all enjoyed the Squirrels and coons in Arkansas film Clay 345 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: Bow and I did over on the Made Eater YouTube channel. 346 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 1: If you haven't seen it, hop on over and check 347 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: it out. Clay's Alaska Wolf episode dropped this week too. Man, 348 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: it's good. We got two more loaded and ready to 349 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 1: fly and they'll be dropping over the next two weeks 350 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: on Tuesdays. We'll also be at the Black Beary Bananza 351 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 1: in Bentonville, Arkansas, on March the ninth. Tickets are available 352 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: on their website. You just search Black Bearry Bonanza and 353 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: you'll see the link. It's gonna be a lot of fun. 354 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 1: There's gonna be some great demonstrations. We're gonna record a podcast. 355 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 1: I'll be MCing the al Hooton contest and get ready 356 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,679 Speaker 1: for this Case Knives will have a booth there, and 357 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:09,640 Speaker 1: my friend John Pantusso and my fellow ar Kansen Chris 358 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,399 Speaker 1: Taylor will be there too. Chris is a knife maker 359 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: and has designed to build three skin and knives for case. 360 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: I got all three of man something special. Rince the 361 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: youngins off, help Grandpa find his teeth, and y'all come 362 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: see us. It's going to be a good time until 363 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: next week. This is Bret Reeves signing off. Y'all be careful.