OUTDOOR LIFE
This past week, I had the opportunity to take a step back in time to Wind Point at Lake Tawakoni. Over four decades ago, I remember fishing here from the bank near the end of the point with a buddy and catching a bunch of catfish. Back in those days the park was pretty much just a place to catch fish, nothing like the manicured 180 acre park it is today. Wind Point has long been known for good fishing because of the topography, the point runs out into the lake and attracts baitfish and lots and lots of catfish. For many years, fishermen have timed their fishing trips here to coincide with a couple days of steady wind that pushes baitfish up close to shore where catfish and white bass follow to chow down on the easy pickings.
I was greeted at the park headquarters by Ryan Fergus, the head honcho who operates the park. Ryan gave me a tour of all the cabins, RV sites, swimming beach, Marina, boat ramps and what I was most interested in, the long T shaped fishing pier situated at the very end of the park. He also introduced me to one of the most interesting gentlemen that I’ve met in some time, Mr. Charles Glasscock eighty-seven years young and a veteran of more than fifty years catching fish at Wind Point. Charles, Ryan and I set at a picnic table near the fishing pier had a great visit and yes, I took notes! Ten years ago, the park began a major facelift with lots of improvements that transformed it into first class outdoor destination it is today.
The park offers long term and short term RV camping. Ryan says a lot of RV owners that have spent a few years towing their RV’s around the country or spent their weekends keeping up lake lots enjoy being able to drive up to their ‘camp’ and enjoy the amenities of the park without the work necessary to keep up a lake lot nor the challenge of pulling a big RV through today’s traffic. During the tour, I noted there were lakeside spots that offered fishing a few yards outside the campers. But not all guests at the park are fishermen, many come to enjoy the swimming beach, boating and just being in the great outdoors in gated setting that is safe and relaxing. I counted more than 40 whitetail deer during our tour, including a couple of bucks still in velvet that I plan to photograph this fall when the antlers are fully developed, Ryan says during deer surveys, he has counted more than 200 deer in the park. Many of the guests feed the deer with a blend of grains available at the park store. In addition to everything else, the park is a ‘drive through’ deer viewing park as well. Golf carts are available for rent which make getting up close and personal to the deer easier. They don’t seem to be spooked by the approach of the carts.
ON TO THE FISHING Mr. Glasscock (Charles) says wind is the key to really good fishing, a steady south wind pushes the bait up against the rocks on the south side of the point and in the fall and winter, the north side is often more productive with a prevailing north wind. A stand of hardwoods is situated in the water out near the end of the T shaped fishing pier. A few years ago, Glasscock depended upon his long homemade rod, “Big Yellow” to cast baits far from the pier out to the edge of the timber and he convinced Fergus that the pier needed to be extended a bit which gives better access to deeper water where the big blue catfish often hang out. At the end of the pier a section is cut out to facilitate fishing straight down. The spot has a covered roof to provide shade which is a big plus during the summer months. I am planning to chum a spot with cattle range cubes later this week and see if I can collect enough catfish for a lakeside fish fry. I’ve fished such areas from a boat this time of year and loaded up on channel catfish. The pier has everything a catfish/cat fisherman could ask for, cover and shallower water close to deep. Even when fishing with chicken livers or nightcrawlers under slip corks around the shoreline, he always keeps “Big Yellow” rigged with shad or pieces of cut bait and targets the big blue catfish the lake is known for. Charles occasionally catches a big blue during the summer months but says come October, and cooler weather the action really picks up. To date, his biggest blue catfish tipped the scales at 64 pounds. “Big Yellow” obviously proved her worth that chilly day and the fight lasted several minutes, according to Charles. It’s one thing to land a giant catfish when fishing from a boat in open water but skill is required to catch one from the bank. One doesn’t simply ‘reel in’ a catfish of this size and Charles said this one make several strong runs which required moving along the bank as the fish moved out to deeper water.
Charles fishes for catfish using circle hooks and this includes the smaller channel catfish. Hooks of this construction have a slight twist and when a catfish grabs the bait and swims away, the hook twists into the corner of the fish’s mouth. With circle hooks, there is a saying, “crank it, don’t yank it”. Jerking back on the rod before the fish is hooked often results in slack line and a lost fish. I hope to fish with Mr. Charles soon and learn his technique of using circle hooks under slip corks for catching channel catfish. I always fish with treble hooks and punch bait for channel catfish but, on this trip I will use the method of the old master, chicken livers or cut bait on a circle hook!
Ryan says he has a lot of fishermen that rent the smaller cabins close to shore where they can dock their boats and fish out on the main lake. Larger fully furnished cabins are ideal for family or larger groups.
If you haven’t visited Wind Point Park in the past decade, you are in for quite a treat. To learn more, visit the website www.windpointparktx.com
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