Ron Venerable and his Record Striper

The #1 Bass: a record for the State of Texas, weighing in at a whopping 52.90 pounds and measuring 48 inches, was caught just below the Morris Sheppard Dam by Ron Venerable of Arlington,  Texas on May 27, 1999.
FYI:  A Titan Spinning Reel and Shimano Shakespeare Ugly Stick with 50lb. test braided fishing line and perch were used.
Congratulations Ron!

Photo courtesy of Nash Guide Service

Scott Tongate with "Pricilla"

This beautiful Largemouth Bass was caught by Scott Tongate on October 13, 1989 in the Hog Bend Area of Possum Kingdom Lake.
"Pricilla" weighed in at 16.02 lbs.
Cheers to Scott!

Photo courtesy of Scott Tongate
and The Lake Country Sun

A Trotline Tail

    Back in the late 60's,  Joe Williams and his Dad Edwin Williams were running a trotline one late afternoon not too far from Bailey's Camp at Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas. They where gently lifting the line to check for a catch when Joe broke the quite and said to his dad, "I think we are going to need a bigger hook." There in the water was the biggest catfish Joe had ever seen.  The trotline hook was barely holding the enormous fish by a thin slip of skin at the edge of the big fish's lip.
    Dad Edwin peered over the edge of the boat and down in the water. "Yep.  Need a real big hook."  There was no way they were going to be able to lift that fish into the boat without loosing him if the didn't have something to grapple it with.  Joe gently lowered the trotline and they eased away so as not to disturb the fish  which was caught by a thin piece of skin on it's lip, and one thrash of it's mighty tail would free it from the tiny hook holding it.
    It was getting late so they hightailed it back to Bailey's Camp.   Joe ran into the Camp store and asked Mrs. Bailey for a big hook to bring in the big catfish he and his dad had on their trotline.  The only hook she had was a huge joke hook that hung on the wall.  Joe told her he'd take it; that it "might be big enough" and ran back to the boat, leaving behind a laughing crowd.
    Back out to the trotline they went.  Joe and his dad gently raised the catfish up far enough out of the water to "hook" it with that big joke hook and then literally wrestled the giant fish into the boat.
    Back at Bailey's camp the laughter subsided when Joe and his dad hauled that huge fish to shore.  They hung it from an oar for all to see.  It's length was from their shoulders to a curve of the tail on the ground.  People around concurred that a fish that big was not going to be good eating... well, they were wrong.   A little more than 40lbs of catfish steaks and filets were had off that big fish.
    And what did Joe say about the fish?  "It sure was good eatin'."

If you have any good Possum Kingdom Lake fishin' tales, we'd love to hear about them and maybe post them on this page.