Meet Queen Lacy – East Texas Outdoorswoman

My name is Lacy and I have been an avid outdoors woman all of my life. I grew up looking forward to the fall weekends at the deer lease in East Texas and fishing anywhere and everywhere. From Colorado brook trout to Gulf Coast reds my parents fostered within me a deep love of the outdoors and being on the water.

15 years ago my parents acquired a small lake house on Sam Rayburn Reservoir right outside of Broaddus Texas. Mostly known for its great bass fishing opportunities it also produces some impressive catfish. I spent almost every weekend there during my college years. We often set trotlines in the spring regularly catching 50 pound catfish.

Due to its convenient proximity to our former deer lease we would stay at the lake house during deer season. We quickly developed a pattern of hunt-fish-hunt. All this fun could be exhausting and usually left us wishing for a weekend to recover from our weekend.

However, we soon discovered this was our favorite time of year to fish. As you can see from the picture healthy size catfish could be caught from the bank quite easily, if you could brave the wind and cold. We could spend just a few hours in between hunts filling the coolers for that night’s dinner.

We no longer have the deer lease but we still love to fish throughout January and February. We have learned that the bite is less aggressive this time of year. Sometimes the slack in your line is the only clue you may have a fish on the line. That being said, it is much more exciting to haul in a 5 pound catfish on a rod and reel from the bank than to feed the frequently, not quite legal bait stealers, that are busy snatching your minnows during the spring white perch runs.

No matter when you go to the lake it is enjoyable, but winter is my absolute favorite time for catching catfish. There is a serenity found this time of year that is absent once the summer crowds move in. Nothing rejuvenates the soul quite like spending time in the laid back easy rhythm of the East Texas Pineywoods.