Sometimes it's an all-night affair. Yeah, one thing about it, we got plenty of time. Got one working here. It's taking a little... God, that looks like a... That's a good fish. Oh, look at him go. Out here in the water, just a little bit further. Oh, good fish, Toad. You're back. There we are. You're going to have to come out here and get him. Too bad of a fish. Oh, he'll go about 15, 18 pounds. Let's see if I can get a hold of this Joe. I got both hands full here with the flashlight. He'll hold still. All right, right down in here. Oh, you got it. Those are dandy. I just wonder how many of them are in this hole. About seven pounds, wouldn't you say? Yeah, he's at least seven. His head weighs seven. Stay tuned for some more hot cat action. Humminbird, the leader in fish-finding technology, offers the TCR 101, featuring a completely automatic high-resolution screen with digital depth readout and zoom, only $179.99. Also, check out the TCR ID 1. Red dots indicate fish. Optional gauges display surface temperature and trolling speed. Features zoom, fully waterproof construction, backlighting, bottom alarm, and more. Only $289.99. Introducing the Rattlin' Rap. With the sound, no fish can resist. With the sound, no fish can resist. With the sound, no fish can resist. Coast to Coast offers Eagle Claw Gold Eagle Spinning Reels that suit any situation, featuring graphite body and spool, push-button spool release, brass gears, stainless steel ball bearings, and right or left retrieve. Your choice, only $14.99. Black Eagle Series rods give you quality at affordable prices. Choose from Spincast, Spin, and Ultralight models with ceramic guides, taper-fit barrels, and, of course, great Eagle Claw action and balance. Only $12.99 at Coast to Coast. What, 15? Yeah, I would say it's a good 15 or so. Pretty fish. Should we do a turning loose? Uh, yeah, let's... I got that other one for still photos. Boy. Tall skin. Boy, that hook is really buried in that old corner of his mouth. Let's just cut her out. Cut the hook and let her. Okay. He can have a little rod out of there in a day or two. Well, that won't hurt him, will it? No. Here, let him go. Back to the devs. That's a lot of fish. That's a lot of fish for one night, I'll tell you that right now. Oh, terrible folks. You know, Doug, I think a lot of fishermen, cat fishermen make the mistake when they come to a river, they just fish the first hole they come to. Oh, absolutely. You know, we know about a nine-mile section of river here, and this is absolutely the biggest and the baddest, I'm talking the deepest hole in this section. And we've got a five-mile straight section above us, and all the timber from up there is blowing into this big corner here. This is an exceptional hole. It's just not any hole that you might come to. Do you think that these cats are gonna just live in this hole or just gonna stay in this hole, or do you think they're gonna go up or downstream to other holes? Well, when the water's down like this, the fish are gonna get in a big hole like that, they're gonna stay here. Now, if the water comes up, they might move around a little, but for right now, we've got a resident population of catfish almost trapped right in this hole because of the low water. Well, as long as we keep our baits placed just right, it's just a matter of time, then. We should get some action. Absolutely. Pretty good chicken, eh? I don't know. Toad! Toad! That's a flathead catfish. Toad! Oh! Yeah, I got a fish. You got him? Good fish. Let me tell you, this is a stout. Well, pump him in. Yeah, I got him. I got him. Here he comes. Don't hoarse him too bad. Get him in where we can see him. Not just a minute. Not just a minute. Get a little closer over here. You all right with the light? A little bit hogging in there. Oh, they're so tough. Oh, look at that. Don't move. No, don't worry. Oh, they are so kind. Oh! Use the dance. Whoa! Easy as right. I haven't got the drag set, but oh, here he comes now. I'll get in behind him when you get him in the towel. All right, let me get him in here tight before you try to get him. Oh, he's a hog. There he is. Holy smokes! That's a dandy. Wait now. Can you get him by the lip? Oh, I can get him right here. Whoa! Now we're talking flathead catfish, huh? That is a dandy. Oh, that is some fish. Look at there. Boy, look at the head on that fish. We've got to keep him for some still shots later. All right. Well, that fish is 37. I'm guessing 37 inches long. 25, 26, maybe 27 pounds. I don't know. I tell you what, go get me that keepsack there. I want to put him in there. I want to get a few shots with him pretty soon. Okay. That is some kind of critter, huh? Holy smokes! Look at that. Whoa! This head's bigger than yours. No. I tell you what, hand me the keepsack now. Can I get a... Yeah, we'll just slide him in right here first like this. Oh, hey, some kind of fish. Was he going to fit? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I had a... I had a good one before. There we go. I'm going to get him drug out. I'll drag him out. That surprises me. This is a small river. I really didn't think we'd get one that big. Yeah. That's hot there. You know, I think, Doug, once the guys found the place to fish, I think the real key is having good baits. Oh, I agree with you. You know, it's got to be lively. Got to be lively, and it should be big. You know, the stuff that we're using tonight go maybe 6, 7, 8 inches, but if you're talking suckers, I'd go 8, maybe 10 inches. But it's got to be lively. Just, you know, bait suckers, no good. Oh, there goes my stick. Ow. Yeah, yeah, that looks like a... Feels pretty good. Lots of good fish, Toad. Keep his head down. Just keep his head down right there. That's it. Oh, you bet. There he comes. Big fish. That's another 25. Oh, he's coming. Go ahead. So I can get a better grip. Look at the size of that mouth. Oh, yeah. Another good fish. You bet. He's as big as the last one. He's a little skinnier, though. He's not quite as heavy as the big one. He's a dandy. I don't know how many pounds of fish we got out of here tonight, but the whole point is, is that this is just not an average hole. We've been up and down the river looking for fish. It's taken us a couple days, but it's really paid off. Location is half the key, and then, of course, the good live bait. That's a beautiful fish. Should we turn him loose? Well, how big are you guessing first here? Coming up, stream improvements, the wave of the future. Let's face it, except for more time on the water, what can improve your fishing success? Now you can catch more tackle-busting fish like these, and you'll be a more successful fisherman with the IN Fisherman. It's more than a magazine. It's a teaching course that comes to your home packed with the scientific know-how, the charts, graphs, maps, and photographs, and the experience of the world's best anglers. The IN Fisherman is so good, it guarantees you'll catch more and bigger fish or your money back. From panfish to trout, lunker, bass to walleyes, it's all about fishing success. Now you can catch more tackle-busting fish like these, from panfish to trout, lunker, bass to walleyes, in rivers or lakes. The IN Fisherman will show you how, when, and where to catch fish. It's guaranteed. Call 1-800-962-9300 to get the next seven issues of IN Fisherman. Call now and get this exclusive IN Fisherman fillet knife with hard sheath and ceramic sharpener free. Makes cleaning your catch easy. Plus an IN Fisherman decal, and this invaluable secret teachings handbook all for only $19.95. Call toll-free 1-800-962-9300. The waterfront is the scene of the most dramatic interactions between water, wind, and land. The energy to power the movements of air and water comes partly from the heat of the sun, and partly from the gravitational forces of the sun, moon, and earth. Indeed, the entire ecological security of an aquatic environment may hinge upon the delicate relationship of where water meets land. Perhaps the most fragile of all aquatic systems are small, cool water streams. The populations of fish, usually trout, and insects that inhabit these streams have a limited tolerance to siltation, warm water, and other forms of environmental decay or pollution. Although streams may slowly degrade due to natural causes, a process known as aging, rapid degradation often occurs as a result of other things. Beavers create blockages which can cause siltation and flooding. This may create changes in both water temperature and chemistry, which reduces fish populations. Chemical runoff or stream bank degradation from farming is a common cause of small stream destruction. Even relatively small amounts of industrial pollution can cause instant ruin to a stream with a small carrying capacity. The most pervasive problem in terms of habitat degradation in streams is the ultimate erosion that occurs as a result of loss of vegetation. A dead tree that topples and blocks the flow can be a cause. An increase in planted acreage, land clearing for development purposes, increased runoff due to the paving that accompanies urbanization, all subtle but real and insidious problems that directly affect the stream and those who fish it. But thankfully, the most common problems that face small streams can be corrected. As an example, in our own backyard at Inn Fisherman, a local Trout Unlimited group teamed up with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to renovate a local stream known as Stony Brook. A beautiful little creek running through miles of woodland, this stream had undergone the effects of beavers, fallen trees, and a gradual widening and silting of much of the channel. These effects, although not visibly damaging the stream to the untrained eye, rendered it very poor habitat for the once common brook trout. The Unlimited and the DNR got together, made an assessment and a plan, and went to work to remove the silt and install structures to restore the original channel and create holding pools for fish. Even without massive stocking, this restoration will allow the native population of brook trout and resident fish from previous stockings to reestablish themselves. The joint efforts between these two groups can be enjoyed by all who fish Stony Brook and have indeed made the world a little better place. But the best news? Thanks to an organization called the Fish America Foundation, there are cooperative projects underway or already completed which are restoring valuable fisheries. From the planting of 40,000 brown trout eggs in Alabama's Thames Ford to the aeration equipment placed in Wisconsin's White Lake, the positive effects are being felt across the nation. The community improvement of the Flaming Gorge and Green River by the Green River Trout Unlimited Chapter, the funding of a small trout and salmon hatchery in conjunction with the Salton High School Fisheries Program in Washington State, the purchase of largemouth bass fingerlings for stocking in the Texas Toledo Bend Reservoir, a stream improvement project with the Seneca Chapter of Trout Unlimited on Skinner Creek in Pennsylvania, funding assistance for artificial reefs offshore from Boca Grande and Cayo Costa, Florida. East, west, north, and south, the world is indeed being made a better place for fish and fishermen with the cooperative efforts of anglers, agencies, and the Fish America Foundation. Do you want to make the world a better place, too? Well, the Fish America Foundation wants to help you do just that. If you know of a fisheries-related problem that needs to be solved, write the Fish America Foundation at this address. Fish America, care of the Sport Fishing Institute, 1010 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Suite 100, Washington, D.C., 20001, or call area code 202-898-0770. Fish America, there to put you in touch with the people who can help you plan and fund your project, get in touch with them, and make the world a better place for everyone who loves to fish. Coming up, weed walleyes and untapped bonanza. This is your last chance. You need to come in now. Where are you? The new snapshot. The firing pin holds the line so you can cast faster and easier. We're coming in. Quantum snapshot casts so fast, the fish are surrounded in no time. Hey, I want to show you the two most exciting remote-control motors ever made. This is the Minn Kota 765 Power Drive bow mount. You start, stop, or turn with the slightest pressure on this micro-touch foot pedal from anywhere in the boat. If you prefer your motor on the back of the boat, this is the new Minn Kota 665. Either one gives you hands-free control and a quiet power that catches fish. Today, more than ever, there is a concern over ticks and mosquitoes. Using an effective insect repellent is a must. The only name in insect repellent is repel. The repel family formula is effective scented protection for the entire family. The repel sportsman formula is unscented, extra strong, extra long protection. The deed ingredient in repel is recommended by the National Lime Borreliosis Foundation. What do two of America's best fishermen have in common? Gary Roach has a bait well. So does Al Linder. Gary's boat has tons of storage. Al's has just as much. Gary's boat is rated for a 75-horsepower tiller. So is Al's. Gary's boat has his name on it. See the Gary Roach Edition 1800 Pro V and check out the tournament-tested features on over 40 models of Lund boats at your local Lund dealer. Oh, man! Come on, baby. Come on. Come on, I. There you go. Look at that puppy. Oh, hold still. I don't want to get... get stuck by you. Come on, come on, come on. Walleye fishing. I tell you what, I love it. You know, some of the best walleye fishing I've ever experienced ever has been in weed beds like I'm fishing here. That's right, weed beds. The fact of the matter is some of the best walleye fishing all across North America exists in weeds. I'll put her back. If you fish a lake that has a good population of walleyes, big flats that have weeds on them, I can guarantee you there's walleyes in the weeds a lot of times. In fact, on a lot of bodies of water, it's the best pattern there is. This is where you look first. On a contour map, the best weed walleye areas are expensive flats that go from 8 feet deep to the outer edge of the weeds. It could be 10, 12, 15 feet of water. You want to concentrate in areas that have large living spaces where the fish can penetrate the weeds. Quick drop-offs with a narrow band of weeds, rarely hold any amount of walleyes. Okay, now that you know what to look for when you're hunting walleyes in weeds, let me show you three main presentations. This happens to be a rattle bait or a crank bait. I got a little wire striker on this. What this is for is to cut the weeds for me. That last walleye that I took out of there, you're just casting up on top of these weed flats like this, reeling down, and every time you grab those cabbage weeds with that, you just snap it like this. If it grabs, you snap it. And many times, most of the time, after you break free of those weeds, that's when you get the strike on a walleye. These crank baits are for walleyes that are fairly active. Low-light conditions like I'm faced with today, early in the day, late in the day, windswept situations, or prefrontal conditions, walleyes in weeds will go on a crank. They're active fish. When you're fishing a neutral fish, a fish that isn't quite that aggressive, and they're not high in the weeds or out on the edges chasing real good, another presentation comes into play. I like to anchor for this presentation. Hey, I'll tell you what. Working from an anchor position like this is something most of you don't do enough of when you're walleye fishing, especially when you're hitting high-percentage spots. I just anchored up off of a little pocket in the weed line, a little pocket that comes out here, and it comes out on a point. Slow tapering drop-off with scattered weeds. The key to an anchor position is either on the point or in the pocket. A little wind blowing into it is a necessity in most cases when you're fishing weedline fish. And in an anchor position in the weeds, I prefer to fish with a jig. You could go in there with a nitro or a leech, but the panfish will drive you absolutely bonkers, man. So a jig is the best. But take a look at this particular jig. This is a foxy jig, but look at the shape of the head. It's scooped down the eye right on the nose of it. When it lays into those weeds, I can just slip it right on through. All year long, when I'm fishing weed walleyes with a jig, I prefer to fish in minnow. In this case, I got a little rainbow, just tipped on normally the way you would fish it. But the shape of the jig head is critical for these weeds. That's the most important. The key to catching walleyes out of the weeds from an anchor position like this is the anchor position, obviously. This little pocket comes out on a slow taper. It's not a real sharp drop-off. And when those active walleyes come out of those weeds, they come out to this edge, and the weed bed is scattered. It's sparse weed. So I don't have a problem fishing it with a jig. Naturally, you don't take a jig like this and go into these heavy, heavy mats of weeds. You can't fish it through them. You want to get on the sparser, scattered edges. Throw her up, short cast. You don't have to make a long cast. I like to be only about 30 feet from the edge of the weed line. Your contact point is usually about a 10-foot area. I fish it about halfway back. As soon as I break out of the weeds, I fish it about two ways back. Rarely will I fish it all the way back unless I got a big school of fish working. Most of the time, they're right in that first transition where the weed edge ends. Cast it out, you leave it sinking into the weeds. I just felt it lay on top of the cabbage stalk. You just kind of pop it free like that. And as soon as you pop it free, you always let the jig fall back. That's when you're going to get back. They're down right in the middle. Oh, good! Oh! That's a good eye. Stay tuned. More of Al and the Weed Walleye when we return. It's Monday morning in Ford County. That full-size Chevy pickup sure has a more advanced design than Ford. Now that you mention it, the lines do remind me of modern neoclassic sculpture. I see a lot of Bauhaus influx. The understated simplicity even contributes to greater fuel efficiency. Form follows function. High fuel efficiency. No wonder people from Ford prefer Chevy trucks. Nobody's winning like the heartbeat of America. Today's truck is Chevrolet. Cajun. Built so tough, it's bullet tested. So tough, Cajun is the only tournament fast boat with a lifetime transom warranty and more patented features than any other boat on the market. Check out the new Cajun Esprit. Cajun Esprit is a key and fish versatility without compromise in performance. You owe it to yourself to check out a Cajun. Call 1-800-873-BOAT for a free catalog. Get a free in Fisherman magazine when you visit your local Cajun dealer. The nice thing about a Mariner Outboard is that it starts when you need it. And it lasts for years. Decades. Which is more than you can say for some things you own. Mariner Outboards. Better in the long run. It teases. It torments. Until finally someone loses his temper. The foxy jig. Just begging for trouble. That's what they're living in. Look at that. Cabbage weeds. Oh, nice weed walleye, huh? Oh, baby. Got her just where you want to hook them. The jig works the best for walleyes like this when they're in a neutral mood. The active fish in a crankbait, day in and day out the jig and minnow is the answer. Put this puppy back. Okay, we talked about the active fish on crankbaits. The neutral fish on a jig and minnow anchor position along the weed line. Now I want to talk about those negative fish. Maybe not really negative, but when those fish aren't chasing or really not real active, but they're still tight on the weed line, particularly real sharp drop-offs, and that's the key. Real sharp drop-offs. Okay, what we're fishing here is a real tight drop-off where the weed line is the drop-off. It goes to about 15 feet, and at 15 it just keeps going right down to 30 feet. An area like this inside a tight weed line, it's a waste of time to cast up high. The fish aren't that high. The drop-off is too tight. You can't fish a real effective wooded jig. The object to be in a strike zone the majority of the time is to fish parallel to the weed line, staying right on that edge, and the best way I know how to do it is with a live bait rig. Bullet-shaped slip-sinkers so you can slide through the weeds. Short-snell. I got a little weedless hook, a little piece of marabou attractor on here, and again, day in and day out, I prefer in the weeds a minnow, mainly because you don't get bit all up by perch and bluegills and everything else, and you get a few bonus bass, smallmouth, largemouth, northern, but short-snell, minnow, weedless hook, and the object, the whole thing is boat control. Just flip a line out here, watch your depth finder, and you're hugging parallel to the weed line. You're parallel to it. Leave your bale open. You have no dead casts. Every wallet that's on that weed line, you're going to get a bait to. If you're casting up or down on those tight weed lines like that too many times, the fish has never seen a lure. You can do it in a controlled drift. You can back-troll it. The whole point is keep it parallel. See how she's running? Ooh, that fish, that's a good one. Look at, ooh, that's a gem. That's a gem. Whoa. Got one of them big good fish. Ooh, there she is. I got a flash. Whoo. Look at that puppy. Huh? Oh, man. Huh? Look at that beauty. Eh? That fish is hooked so good, I'd have never lost her. Coming up, a saltwater extravaganza. Introducing the Dolphin, the revolutionary patented hydrofoil. Does your boat run like a barge? No need to upgrade. Simply dolphinize. Add the Dolphin and you'll think you own a new boat. Your boat will plane quickly with less power, and you can save up to 50% on fuel costs. The Dolphin improves performance from powerful bass boats to small low-powered inflatables. What kind of ride do you prefer? The Dolphin hydrofoil will improve performance, save fuel, and enhance safety. The Dolphin. Ask for it by name. Daredevil, all it takes is one. Pick one up at all fine tackle and sporting goods stores. No knobs to turn, no instructions to learn. You just pick them up and look. That's all. New Instafocus binoculars from Taxco are always in perfect focus. They'll change the way you view the world. Only $69.99 at Coast to Coast. The heat solution self-generating pocket heater does something no other heater can do. Gives you safe, non-electric, reusable heat again and again and again. Free reusable heat packs only $9.95. Saltwater fish was as power and speed that is legendary among anglers. Obviously, huge fish like sails, tuna, and tarpon are tough. But even smaller saltwater fish are many times faster and stronger than their freshwater counterparts. It's almost as though the salinity of the ocean makes them atomic-powered. Does this mean only the heartiest and most experienced freshwater anglers are sufficiently skilled to contend with saltwater fish? We'll see. As in, fishermen producer Larry Dahlberg and Captain J.C. Wells give a group of inexperienced freshwater anglers their first taste of salt. We got on one of J.C.'s favorite wrecks. He's got over 400 of them that he works. Hooked up some crabs and tossed them out. Honestly, this is the truth. I kept track of my watch, and it was only taking from 7 to 15 seconds before someone would get hooked up on a permit. We're talking action. Is he going to break the line if I pull it up? Ooh! Everybody got bit, and everybody caught a permit. Lots and lots of them. Oh! I'm scared! Let's see him hold on. Oh, wow! Oh, my goodness! In fact, J.C. turned my son Aaron into an absolute confirmed saltwater angler. He's a great angler. He's a great angler. In fact, J.C. turned my son Aaron into an absolute confirmed saltwater angler, and at the same time, coached him as he caught the biggest fish of his life. And that is some permit. And anybody who's fished for him knows he's a mighty tough. I'd like to pick him up so we get a little white water out of him, but he's totally, totally uncooperative. I could take a 30-pound muskie after this length of time, and with this tackle right here, he'd flop all over the surface, and we could show him to America full of him white water. Not like that. He's coming up again, though. You about got him here. All the way down. Now, ease him up. He's under the boat right now. I can see him down there. Mine? Mine. Let me get this. Oh, my God. Holy man. Oh, my God. We got him. We released him. Hey, Mel. Come on, hurry up. I hate this fish. That's it. Oh, he's a good shape. He's probably a better shape than you are. Probably. My arm feels like it's gonna fall off. Melanie released her fish. I flipped out a fly, and guess what? It took about 10 seconds. And by the way, catching a permanent on a fly is supposed to be the accomplishment of a lifetime. But nobody in our boat was too impressed because Marilyn had already hooked a Colby. I'm ready to fall. Oh! Holy hoot! Whoo! Mary! Boy! Marilyn was mighty proud of her Colby all right, and Shane was proud of the permadeat battle took for an hour on 8-pound test line. But that battle ended quickly when a 10-foot hammerhead entered the scene. Shane immediately got rigged up with a shark pole as the rest of us continued to fish. About a minute went by, and Shane had something tugging on his line. Something big. Engines! Engines! Engines! Get her down! Tip down! Tip down! Tip down! How'd you get him out of the water? You're a big boy! This big shark was about all Shane wanted to handle, and J.C. was just glad to get the thing out of his favorite permit hole. Here we go! Everybody back. What a great day. Permit, Colbia, even sharks. But believe it or not, this is a typical day with J.C. Wells. I swear, if you cut that man open, salt water would run out. Are you going to come with us or not? Oh, I've had enough for one night. It was Colbia and stuff. What do you think now? Disneyland or fishing the wrecks with J.C.? Compared to the wrecks, Disneyland is Mickey Mouse. Wreck fishing with J.C. is a great first taste of salt water for the whole family, regardless of experience level. Call J.C. and get some salt water pumped into your veins. Hi, I'm Curt Gowdy, and if you love fishing as much as I do, then the new Bass Pro Shop Spring Fever Sale Catalog is a must. It puts you right in the middle of the largest selection of name-brand fishing and sporting goods at the lowest prices anywhere, including Bass Pro exclusives and tracker boats. What's new? What's hot? It's all here. Just call 1-800-BASS-PRO and get your money saving copy absolutely free. And you don't even have to get out of your easy chair. The best anglers of greed. Sparkle Scales. The championship fish formula. Presenting Mustad's new ultra-smells. Where? A walleye's thoughts exactly. Invisible smelled hooks with extra fine longer leader and flathead eyeless hooks. You'll never know what hit him. A place for everything and everything in its place. Big things, small things, short things, long things stored safe, dry, clean, and at your fingertips. Plano, choice of the pros, cause they're the toughest best designed tackle boxes ever made. Hey folks, remember versatility definitely is one of the keys to consistently catching fish from all of us at the end fishermen. Have a good fishing season and we'll see you next week. On next week's In Fisherman Special how to pick a good bass lake. Summertime trolling for pipe. Understanding weeds. Jigging spoons for walleye. Spring crappie. Steelhead techniques. And reef busting. Be there. you you you you