I decided to get a castnet to take advantage of the abundance of threadfin shad that we have on Lake Guntersville. I can obviously use them crappie fishing. I can also catch shad to use for catfish. I got the net a week or so ago and had been practicing in the yard. I got good enough with it that I knew I could catch bait. When I went fishing yesterday afternoon I ran to two bridges because normally at this time of year, threadfins are schooling around the bridges by the gazillions. I didn't see a single bait ball close to the surface at either bridge. We went and shot docks at a marina for a little bit. When we got up closer to the shallow end I saw a ripple on the surface and a couple baits flip out of the water.

I jumped up, grabbed the net, loaded it, turned the live scope towards the last place I saw them. There was a big blob close to the surface. I rare back and let her rip. I hit right where I was aiming. I start pulling the net up but it's really heavy. Really, really heavy. I'm thinking I have the mother lode on my first throw. I finally got it up off the bottom and when I can finally see, there's a whole lot of green in the net. There's also silt running out around the sides. I tried to grab the horn and dump my load of millfoil back in the lake but no dice. It's got the braille lines so clogged up that they won't release. I had thrown a "syrup tub" in the boat for a makeshift bait well and I'm glad I did. A syrup tub is what we call a mineral lick for the cows. The come in a plastic tub probably around 30 gallons in size. I picked the whole mess up, with the help of my fishing partner and dumped it in the tub. We start pulling out the lead line a little at the time and dumping millfoil back in the water. We finally got the worst of it and sifted out 4 threadin shad from the mess and kept them. LOL I spent 30 minutes this afternoon picking that mess out of the net just to get it back usable. I may never get all of it out of the net.

SO, if you've got vegetation in your lake, don't throw your brand new cast net up amongst it.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14