(12-pounder from Caney Creek, 2022)
It’s on!
I’m gonna need six or seven gallons of catfish fillets frozen by July 12. That’s when the Caney Creek Gang (CCG) plays Pickin’ on the Porch at The Monroe Homeplace again.
If I’m not mistaken, 2025 will mark the 5th summer we’ve played Pickin’ on the Porch. Here’s an especially memorable photo.
(2022 Pickin’ on the Porch)
Why is this one special? They’re all special, but this one stands out because Keith Jackson is playing guitar with us. He passed in ‘23 and is dearly missed.
Keith was Chairman of The Bill Monroe Foundation. He worked his butt off for the festival and the Ridge in general. Keith would later become the regular bass player for CCG.
Also, that was a particularly memorable lineup: Bluegrass Boy Mike Feagan on fiddle, former Owensboro Bluegrass Museum Director Chris Joslin on banjo, and Kristy Whiteside, the bass virtuoso.
Of course, Kenneth Newell is on mandolin, and I’m on guitar.
For several years now, I’ve been supplying Caney Creek catfish to fry and sell at Pickin’ on the Porch to raise funds for the Jerusalem Ridge Festival.
So I’ll be fishing Caney Creek as often as I can between now and then. The weather hasn’t cooperated so far this year, keeping the creek too high and swift for my fishing methods.
I love jug fishing! It’s labor intensive, but it affords you a chance to catch fish in greater numbers. In one night you might catch enough to fill three or four gallon bags with fillets.
For those unfamiliar with jug fishing, I’ll explain. You basically tie a line to something that floats, put a baited hook on the line, and go out at night in a boat and throw the jug in the water, hoping a catfish takes the bait.
The next morning you go back out in your boat and gather your jugs and whatever you have caught.
You’ll definitely know beforehand whether a fish is on. And you’ll know roughly how big the fish is by how far underwater the fish is able to pull the “jug” and how long it can hold it under.
It’s common these days to use pool noodles as your “jug,” but it was most likely in years gone by for people to use plastic milk jugs. I still use a few! Some folks use two-liter soda bottles.
(from Google Images)
Kentucky fishing regulations maintain that each person may use no more than 50 jugs.
Now, the last several years I’ve used jugs because I need lots of fillets for Pickin’ on the Porch, but make no mistake, I’m also doing it for the sport. There’s nothing like chasing down a jug with a big flathead catfish on.
Just when you draw up on the jug and reach for it, the fish dives, and the jug disappears, sometimes for several minutes if it’s a huge fish.
Imagine circling in a boat waiting for the jug to pop up! Kinda like in Jaws. It’s a rush!
Adding to the excitement is the unknown. What kind of fish is tugging on that jug? You hope it’s a desirable fish, none more so than a big ol’ flathead.
Unfortunately, you catch plenty of undesirables like gars, grinnels (aka bowfin) and turtles.
Of course, one man’s undesirable is another man’s treasure. Grinnel eggs are also known as “Bowfin Caviar” and are sold as a cheap alternative to the extravagant stuff.
My Uncle WD (Wavey Dewey) once cooked a mess of gar and served it at a family reunion without telling anyone it wasn’t catfish.
I don’t recall much of a fuss over it, but I was only ten or twelve at the time. At that age, you’re not too concerned with food at family reunions.
It’s all about playing football, volleyball, and basketball, and pitching horse shoes and washers—and shenanigans!
Maybe one of these days I’ll write about some of the more memorable mischief we cousins could get into back in the day, but for now I’ll stick to catfish.
The largest flathead my family has ever caught on a jug was a 31-pounder. My dad Kenny and son Tanner caught that one in 2021.
(Tanner with 31-pounder; Dad with a 12)
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to participate that summer; I had neck surgery in June, the prime month for flathead fishing in Caney Creek.
The next summer I was back at it, but if you look at the photo back at the beginning of this post, you’ll notice my right bicep and shoulder were still atrophied a year after the operation—a small price to pay to avoid losing the complete use of my right arm.
I have gained back most of my muscle and strength, but it will never be 100% again.
No doubt it’s strong enough to fish!
I also use the traditional rod-n-reel technique. Historically, I haven’t had much luck with this method in Caney Creek, but the last few years that’s changed for the better.
This night of rod-fishing from the bank, May 4, 2023 (may the fourth be with you!) my cousin Jimmy Casteel and I had the largest haul ever when counting pounds.
Jimmy caught a twenty-pounder and a fifteen-pounder. I caught a ten-pounder. Needless to say, the fillets filled up several ziplock gallon bags.
Today, I’m anxiously waiting for Caney to drop down to the preferred fishing level.
I have been one night this year, caught two small ones, maybe a half-gallon of fillets. So, I’m gonna need several, productive nights of fishing still.
Hope you can make it July 12 to Pickin’ on the Porch. The catfish dinner will be served at 5pm. The Caney Creek Gang plays 6-8pm.
Oh, and there will be a 30-minute open mic segment around 7pm. Bring an instrument!
The only other things you’ll need are a chair to sit in and an empty stomach to fill with the best catfish dinner ever.
Ya’ll come!
