It’s always a tall order for a fishing guide when a customer shows up with a bold request aimed at topping their personal best.
Kevin Williford’s order was way taller than most.
Williford is a 58-yearold hospice nurse from Woodville who enjoys wetting a hook to unwind on his days off. He’s got a passion for going after the big ones.
In mid-March, Williford made the trip to Lake Tawakoni with high hopes catching a blue catfish to top the 72 pounder he caught there about seven years ago. He enlisted Capt. Michael Littlejohn of Wills Point to help him fill the bill.
Littlejohn and his wife, Teri, are owners of Tawakoni Guide Service and the lakeside Open Water Lodge. Their outfit has a rich history of steering clients to trophy class blue cats. Tawakoni is rich with big ones.
TGS fishing guide Mike Thompson put Williford on his 72 pounder back in 2018. Four years earlier, Littlejohn guided Jody Jenkins to an 87 pounder that still ranks as the official lake record. He had another client who caught and released 81 pounder two weeks ago.
“I’m always looking to beat my personal best whatever I’m fishing for, and I knew Michael was the guy to help me catch another big blue cat,” Williford said. “He knows where they live and he knows how to catch them.”
The angler said they got on the water about 8:30 a.m. and found the conditions far from ideal. Skies were clear and winds were light and variable with very little chop on surface.
“Wind is pretty important, but there wasn’t much at all,” Williford said. “I think the wave action makes the fish more aggressive and less spooky, plus it helps to keep the boat moving. Michael was pretty much having to rely on the trolling motor to make his drifts.”
Traditional drift fishing is highly effective for targeting big blue cats on rod and reel in deep, open water. The idea is to position the boat upwind from key structure like underwater points, humps and flats, then allow the wind to push the rig slowly across the sweet spots with baits bumping along behind. Guides may rely on drift socks to help slow the drift if winds are extreme.
Williford said he had already landed several blue cats in the 20-pound range when one of the rods under his watch bowed over to signal another bite as the boat drifted slowly across an underwater point in about 18 feet of water. He was using a big slab of fresh cut carp to help discourage smaller fish.
“I grabbed the rod, set the hook and the fight was on,” Williford said. “I’ve fought plenty of big catfish before, and I knew right away it was a good one by the way it was pulling and stripping drag.”
Williford had been fighting the fish for several minutes before it breached the surface and rolled a considerable distance from the boat. Littlejohn captured much of the epic battle on video and posted it on his Facebook page. Williford can be heard on the video telling the guide that he believed the fish was going to be close to his personal best.
The angler’s intuition was right on the money. The fish weighed a hefty 74.5 pounds, a full 2 1/2 pounds heavier than his previous best mark.
Big dreams in fishing usually don’t work out, but Kevin Williford will be quick to admit that it is really cool when they do.
Outdoors Briefs 22-year-old angler claims Bassmaster Classic title; Texan Livesay takes third
Lee Livesay of Longview was the top-finishing Texan in the 55th Bassmaster Classic held March 21-23 on Lake Ray Roberts near Denton. Livesay, 40, weighed in 66 pounds, 10 ounces on 15 bass to grab third place behind Illinois’ Trey McKinney and 2025 ‘Classic champion Easton Fothergill of Grand Rapids, Minn.
Livesay earned $40,000. Fothergill banked $308,000 on the heels of stunning performance that ended with a three-day total of 76-15. Fothergill’s total crushed the former three-day Bassmaster Classic all-time weight record of 69-11 (5 fish per day) set by Michigan’s Kevin VanDam in 2011 on the Louisiana Delta. At 22, he is the second youngest ‘Classic champion in history behind Stanley Mitchell, who won the 1981 Classic at 21 years old.
An expert with forward- facing sonar technology, Fothergill said the majority of his fish came on a featherweight (3/32 ounce) Neko rigged redbug worm. He spent the majority of the event targeting fat, pre-spawn bass suspended around timber in the mouths in wind protected pockets. He iced the tournament with a solid eight pounder in the final minutes that held off McKinney, who rallied with 26-1 in the final round.
Two other Texans finished inside the Top 30. Ben Milliken of New Caney finished 15th, $15,000; Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, 28th, $10,000.
Petition filed opposing HB 4938
It comes as no surprise that House Bill 4938 by State Rep. Pat Curry (R-Waco) has gotten plenty of attention with outdoor communities across Texas and beyond.
Filed March 13 in the 89th Texas Legislature, the bill calls for the abolishment of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. If passed, the bill would transfer the powers, duties, functions and funds from TPWD and the Parks and Wildlife Commission to the Texas General Land Office, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Public Safety.
According to the bill:
• The Texas General Land Office would oversee parks, natural areas, wildlife management areas, fish hatcheries, historic sites and public lands.
• The Department of Agriculture would oversee fishing, wildlife and native plants.
• The Department of Public Safety would oversee law enforcement, game wardens, water safety and boating regulations, including titling.
The bill indicates current TPWD employees would be transferred the appropriate agencies.
There is an online petition at change.org where constituents can weigh in on the bill. Through March 24, the petition had drawn nearly 6,000 signatures in opposition.
Tyler, ‘Rayburn, T-Bend ShareLunkers
Spring is in full swing and the big bass are biting.
Lake’s Tyler and Sam Rayburn cranked out Toyota Legacy Lunkers on March 22. Toledo Bend added another on March 25.
Jason James of Whitehouse landed the Lake Tyler whopper, a 13.20 pounder. It’s the second Legacy Lunker caught ever reported from the lake and the first since James Crawford’s 15.44 pounder in March 2021.
Zack Fogle of White Oak caught the Sam Rayburn lunker, a 13.11 pounder. It’s the first Legacy fish reported from ‘Rayburn since February 2024.
Curtis Melvin boated the Toledo Bend Legacy fish, a 13.34 pounder. It’s the first T-Bend Legacy Lunker since 2024 and the the 11th Legacy class fish turned statewide during the 2025 collection season, which ends March 31.
Through March 27, O.H. Ivie is the leading donor lake this year with three entries. Lady Bird Lake, Richland Chambers, Tawakoni, J.B. Thomas, Alan Henry, Tyler, Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn have one apiece.
Toyota ShareLunker caretaker Donovan Patterson says all of the Legacy fish are doing well at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. Patterson says he expects to begin pairing the big females with select males for spawning within the next two weeks.
Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@ yahoo.com.
