This week on Kentucky Afield if you can keep your line from freezing.

The winter months are a great time of the year to target trophy catfish Next, It's also perhaps the best time of the year to get out and predator hunt.

Then we'll take a look back and revisit a segment with an old friend of the show, the late Hershel House.

It's all next on Kentucky Afield Hello and welcome to Kentucky Afield.

I'm your host, Chad Miles.

Join us as we journey the commonwealth in search of outdoor adventure.

If you'd like to fish, the idea of catching a 20 lb plus catfish might be really exciting to you.

But what you may be surprised to know is that the winter months may provide the best opportunity.

A beautiful January cold, brisk morning on the Ohio River.

I'm here with Ricky Eiselt.

You love to target big catfish and you've been sending me pictures of giant catfish, right?

Yeah.

We've we've caught some pretty good fish this month.

We've called a 80 pounder, I think three or four over 50 pounds.

We've had a couple of 60 pounds.

So it's it's been pretty good this month.

Wintertime is a great time to catch a giant.

Yeah.

A lot of people don't understand that.

I mean, we're out here today.

It's 24 degrees and this is a great situation, great conditions to catch catfish and potentially a big one.

Correct.

Hopefully, we put a good sized fish in the boat.

Yeah, we're going to try to.

I'll do my best.

Let's do it.

So I like to scale my bait, which where these have been sitting in there on that ice.

They're about half frozen here.

All right.

Perfect.

That's a catchable fish.

You want to get this one Chad?

Just take your time with them because they're kind of coming up out of deep water.

Let me take this reel down for me, I█m going to go over you.

Got it.

Feels like it could be a 12 or 15 pounder.

Yeah, feels like a pretty good fish.

I like those big fish.

A lot of times you'll get that big fish and he'll come toward you and once you get him under the boat, you just can't get him up off the bottom.

I'm gonna grab the bogas and we'll boga grip him.

We won't use the net.

That's about a 20 pounder.

It's not a bad fish.

Not a bad fish at all.

What a beautiful fish.

I'll tell you what, there's nothing like fighting one of these.

And I can't imagine- you caught a 92?

I caught a 92 in 2009.

We've caught a 89, an 80, a few in the seventies.

It's been a pretty good year.

There he goes.

We're off to a little bit of a start.

Here's a fish.

He's catchable.

Got another one.

That one there hit one of the steaks didn't it?

Yeah.

He took that little chunk I just put on there.

For guys that you know is looking to eat fish that size there that's the size you want to eat.

Oh yeah.

Them big fish, you know, turn them loose and let them grow.

Not to mention they're just better table fare.

Look at this.

Look at it.

Look at this.

This is a good one.

This a big one.

here Chad.

No, go ahead.

No.

Here, take it, buddy.

I catch him all the time.

That█s on that mega head.

You know, it's coming in a little easier than I thought.

He might not be as big as the other one.

I'm telling you right now, I think there's something about this sunlight.

I'm telling you, the sunlight come out all of a sudden.

I've seen it, days out there, you know, it█d change up.

He wasn't the big one.

I thought he was.

That's our best, well, that 18 pounder is probably under too, but that's our best under fish.

That's what you want.

If you was out here- Tournament fishing and you had your over, this is what you█d be looking for a bunch of those.

Under is under what, 30?

35.

35?

In Kentucky.

Okay.

34 if you're on Tennessee River.

Okay.

I would say he's going to be about 30, 30 inches.

But that's only maybe a 10 pound, 12 pound fish.

So it's the inches is what, in tournaments, looking at.

that█s only about 28 inches.

So you are allowed one per person over 35.

And then you'd want your- three.

Three apiece for- Three unders.

Correct.

Yeah.

i█m going to throw this in the box too.

Watch your foot just one second.

That's a big fish.

Get it.

Get it.

Big fish.

Big fish.

Pull.

All right, baby, That's a good fish.

He's coming right at you like I said, you see him smoke the drag?

It's coming right at it.

He was pulling drag.

Keep pulling.

Keep reeling until you get caught up with him.

Okay.

This a good fish here.

It smoked it, Chad Didn█t it?

He's definitely on there.

Keep going, you aint caught up with him yet.

Yeah.

I haven█t really felt the weight yet.

Just take your time with it.

He didn't play around either, did it?

No, Just like I said, look at the bubbles.

Yeah.

That's about a 30 pounder.

Good job, buddy.

Yes, sir.

Awesome.

That was great.

We're looking for one about twice that size but That's our best one today.

Look at that fish.

You talked about fish running at you.

Yeah, that's exactly what he did.

I was like, this fish don't feel that big.

And he kept coming and kept coming and kept coming and then when he got under the boat, it was all of the sudden- Yeah.

Straight down.

If he'd have been double that size, once you got him here, he would have kept going up river.

You're just holding on at that point and that's when it gets fun.

But that's a good fish, man.

Awesome job.

Man, thank you so much.

That is a good fish.

I'll take that all day long.

About 31, 32 pounds.

What a fish.

Man, it's just incredible.

That's what we're after there.

When you█re fighting them, and they're in their element in the water and you're trying to pull them up.

You're going wherever they want to go until they get tired aren█t you?

Yeah.

Blue cats are some of the funnest fish you're going to catch.

You know, fresh water.

That█s a good fish.

That was awesome.

You know what?

I know for what you're used to, it wasn't the greatest of day but for most people to come out here- this is January.

Yeah.

And catch this type of quality fish.

That's a great day.

Yeah, I've had a lot worse days, so we didn't get what I come for but I'm satisfied.

You know, you listen to a country song, you think that you can only catch catfish in the summer sitting on a bank.

You showed me today that maybe the best time to come out and get them: Middle of the winter.

I think that's the best time for the bigger fish.

Yeah, well, let's get these back in.

Man.

It's been a great day.

Thank you.

Yeah, my pleasure.

This cold weather we're having here in Kentucky may not get you excited to get outdoors unless you're a predator hunter.

Well, Chase, as a coyote hunter, getting that first snow.

I love it.

Look at how well you can see out here.

Honestly, today, I just wanted to coyote hunt because of the snow.

Oh, it's perfect.

You know the great thing about coyote hunting too, even though we're sitting out here in the snow and it's freezing.

it's cold.

that we're going to be able to move.

We'll hunt for 20, 30 minutes and then we'll pick up and move a couple hundred yards and call again.

I actually wore less clothes today.

I mean, if I was deer hunting I'd be freezing, but I know we're going to be moving, so I'm trying- You know, I'm almost planning to be moving more than sitting still because it's about fifty-fifty.

You know, even though its so cold, we got out of our truck and first step or two I noticed that- oh, yeah, that's one beautiful thing about- It█s soft.

I prefer to walk across this than ice all day.

Today is one of those days is if you're a coyote, you might be going, “well, it's time to get out and find some food.” You want to go make them think they have an easy meal real quick?

Let█s do it.

Alright.

I mean, this is probably the best vantage point of the whole field, this right here where we█re at.

Put this Fox Pro about 50 yards away from us.

That way, when the coyotes are coming to the sound they█re looking where we aren█t, which helps us out a lot.

Are you taking a nap on me?

No, no i█m just- it's kind of a weird twist of my hips, you know, I feel fine right now, but I was like, i█m gonna- I thought you was going to shoot these like waterfowl.

Yeah.

When they come in, just pop up.

They█ll never see it coming.

Let's see if we can█t make them come in and investigate something.

Like I said, I going to start off with something a little simpler.

So at this point, we're hunting and there could be a coyote on the way so.

And like I said I'm just going to watch this tree line to the left because if something pops up there, It's going to be quick.

Alright, we█re just going to go about 3 minutes of this next call.

Are you going to play a fighting call?

Yeah, well, I've been doing like challenge howls and barks.

And so this next one█s just going to kind of be a distress.

Onto the next one?

What do you think?

Yup, ready to move.

That's a really fresh set of coyote tracks coming through here.

You don't think that was this morning while we were calling, do you?

Possibly.

Because you can see how these tracks get soft when they've been here for a while, but the fresher ones are still sharp and crisp like that.

So, I mean, they could have come through when we were calling and we just didn█t see them, you know?

Oh yeah.

But I mean those are fresh set.

it looks like there's two coyotes to me.

One, two.

This This is the set that I was most excited about.

You guys ready?

Alright, we█re coyote hunting now.

There█s one.

it's in the other field, see it?

it's going across the top of that other field.

Oh, was that a coyote?

It was a coyote.

Was he crossing toward us or away?

I- it might have come down here and got close and winded us or seen us because it was going- it might still pop out, but it wasn't coming straight towards the call.

It was kind of going down the field but it was 100% a coyote.

Oh, coyotes.

Two, two, two.

Where?

Oh yeah.

That's about 300 yards, Chad.

400.

Yeah its way out there.

You tell me when.

Ah its- it's going to be- That's too far right now we're just gonna see if they come, Chad.

Well we█ve seen three and gotten zero shots.

Those last two were just too far.

like when I saw them they were moving pretty fast in the field.

I thought, Oh, here we go.

I think they saw something they didn█t like, I think they saw us.

I thought they were going to come right down the middle on us.

Not worried about the wind at all.

It's really weird.

You know, I'm not a big coyote hunter, but the more i█m spending time coyote hunting- coyote hunting is kind of a mixture of hunting and fishing.

You pick your spots and then you choose your lure.

That's only part of the game.

Yeah you got to let them see it and you got to- Then they gotta come to it and get in range and then starts the whole process of set it and then bring it in.

Yeah we missed the hook set on this one.

Yeah.

Oh, oh, there he is!

Where is it, where is it at?

In the woods, in the woods.

Oh i see it.

It's going to wind us.

Is he down?

I got it.

I picked out a gap in front of him where he was going to walk through at and he walked straight into my crosshairs.

Well, I had this tree to deal with, and- I just figured at that point, Chad, I wanted- I just figured it was whoever gets a shot shoots.

Oh, yeah, no, I was 100% cool with that.

And we'd already stood up and went to walk out and I looked up- That was a good eye by you, by the way, to pick that thing out coming through there.

Would have never seen it had it not been for the snow.

Let's go see what you got.

Oh, I see it.

See the coyote?

It's a- somehow it got up in those briars.

It looks like it's already been taxidermied.

Got its canines showing.

He didn't want us to be able to get it out of there, did it?

Chase, i█m gonna let you retrieve that coyote on your own.

Well, thank you, Chad.

See if I can get it up on that log there.

Good winter coat, big fluffy tail, no mange or anything.

Well Chase, A lot of coyote sets are different, but this was about as untypical of a coyote hunt I think I've ever been on.

That was probably the longest into a stand I've ever taken a coyote and probably the longest I've sat on a stand.

We literally stand up to start gathering our gear and I see this thing run through and i█m like, “Oh!” And when I go down and get on the shooting sticks here, I've got a big tree right there beside me.

You were able to move and you saw it, were able to get a shot.

At that point in time, we're like 40 minutes after we'd started calling.

Well, last time I looked at the remote before I put it down.

It has- the Fox Pro remotes have a timer on them.

It was at 38:30.

Yeah.

So over 38 minutes in so the shot was probably taken around the 40 minute mark.

With a little bit of patience, a little bit of luck.

You were able to put it down.

Heck, yeah.

Good eyes by the way.

Oh, well, nice shot.

Recently, Kentucky Afield lost a very close friend of the show who happened to be an excellent gunmaker and historian.

Hershel House.

We're in Butler County at the undisclosed man cave of Hershel House.

Good talking with you today.

Good talking with you Tim.

I have heard about your stuff from many people.

You make some pretty interesting guns.

We've heard a lot about you, too.

It█s not true.

Unless it█s really, really good.

It was really good.

But you know what?

As we look around here, I see guns in every corner.

Now, how did you get inspired to do something like this?

I don't understand it, really.

When I was in the fourth grade, they had a Kentucky Reader.

That was the name it was Singing Wheels.

And it was all about the pioneer young boy that went out to Kansas to be with his his grandparents.

And that book inspired a lot in me.

I've still got a copy of it.

No kidding, but ever since then, and then my grandfather, with just a wealth of knowledge and information about early American history and the Civil War and what have you, and I think instilled a lot of my appreciation of that.

What are you working on now?

This is a big rifle that I'm building for one of our friends.

It's kind of a Kentucky style gun.

In other words, it it's got some features that were much like the rifles that were made here in the state.

It's a it's a 54 caliber big bore for he's a deer hunter and goes out west and hunts elk and all the big game.

So we primarily enjoy building rifles for people that will use them and hunt with them.

As I look at your gun, I'm seeing a lot of attention to detail.

I mean, everything you do is you try to go according to the style they were made in, is that the fella's name is going to be this.

This is my name here.

H House for Herschel.

House in Woodbury for Woodbury, Kentucky.

Gotcha.

We kind of got a style going that they call the Woodbury School our our friends and associates at gun shows.

But there's a real good craving for handmade stuff and this disposable society and there's a lot of turn to these old rifles for hunting.

We've got a lot of primitive hunting areas now, and a primitive season just amounted to a lot more than I'd ever dreamed of.

Why guns?

Why?

What brought you to the gun?

I don't know.

I always had a love for hunting.

And I found a gun In 1956.

It was just a squirrel rifle.

As a matter of fact, it looked very much like this little rifle here, but it was a little half stock squirrel rifle.

And I fixed it up.

And that wasn't an original.

It wasn't an original gun.

It was built by probably a maker they're in Woodbury, and I hunted and killed squirrels with it.

Where did you find it?

I found it in an old barn.

It was Miss Gibbs's old barn, her current daddy.

And then his rifle.

And I finally got up enough nerve to ask her, what she█d take for it?

And she gave it to me.

Well, this was in 1956, and so I've been in love with these old guns ever since.

Tim what my brother John's doing here at this point is making the butt plate for the long rifle.

The big, burly flat one you see is getting at 90 degree bend.

We form all of these parts.

I actually cut out the from sheets, the old scraps, the old hand here.

And we also John█s good at making these trigger guards and we do our side plates and ramrod pipes and a lot of the parts we've done we've got friends though that make their living building these gun barrels for a living.

So we buy our barrels generally.

Now something I found fascinating was the fact that you all actually have made stuff for movies and I guess people people want authenticity.

In some of the movies you talked about Master and Commander.

Yeah, Patriot.

That's exactly right.

And I've noticed they're doing a lot better with firearms and all the movies.

Apparently people are better informed, right?

Or, that.

That they care.

So the guns that we build are very traditional and would have been probably what Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett and those guys would have carried.

Right.

How much came back?

And if you will explain a loading procedures.

it's a fairly simple procedure.

You've got to have what we call the Mekons.

And that, of course, is your main powder horn and your charger.

You don't just pour powder down the barrel.

You Measure it out.

This is the bullet fired.

You've carried your your wadding.

This is your patching wadding.

And then, of course, in the little pouch, we carry a big 60 caliber ball.

We'll fill up our charger.

This is the regular old black powder.

I'm going to dump a couple of those in there.

So this will be about 70 grains, which ought to be about right It█s still a Light, light charge for this big bore gun.

And I reach and grab my my patching my cleaning patch too get out a bullet.

Now I'm just spitting on this pad that adds lubricant to the to the to the load.

Make it slip down better and keep breaking up the fouling after you've shot a few rounds.

This is a flintlock, so I pull the cock back to a half cocked and it's down safe.

You heard it.

Click in there and then I'll say I want to call a flashpan full of fine powder.

Pull it back full cock.

Thank you so much for kind of show us round again and we can spend about six weeks down here.

But boy.

We█ve sure enjoying having you down.

We appreciate it.

Now let█s check in and see who else has been out having fun in this week█s One█s that didn█t get away.

Check out this impressive buck that was taken during the late muzzle loader season by Eric Mills.

Congratulations.

Here we have Matt Lile, with nice coyote that was taken at 30 yards with a shotgun in Green County.

Nice job.

Here we have Andrew Geis with a cinnamon teil and a northern pin tail that he took on the same hunt.

Congratulations.

Garrett Griffiths got this new Rod and reel for Christmas.

He got these crappie on Barren River Lake.

Nice job.

Are you looking for some outdoor activities to do while sitting on the couch during this cold weather?

Check us out on YouTube.

by searching for KY Afield.

And remember, hunting and fishing on private property is a privilege.

Always ask permission and thank the landowner.

Until next week.

I'm your host, Chad Miles, and I hope to see you in the woods on the water.