Pa Pa Earl's History
Pa Pa Earl & Little Pa Pa
Hello, I'm Earl E. Jones, my hero was Earl M. Jones better known as Pa Pa Earl, my dad who taught me how to be a fisherman and to be a man. We fished every riverbank, stream, lake, pond, and the Gulf of Mexico together. My dad was originally known as Trot Line Jones on lakes all over Texas. Pa Pa Earl became his title while building the first phase of the Walden Condominiums on Lake Conroe.We had a campsite for 2 years on Walden road, this is where PaPa Earls bait first started.being called Catchum and the understanding that if a fishing hole was not baited catfish move on in search of food.and Fetchum became a reality.
Earl M. Jones passed away in December 14, 2003 after his 70th birthday, because of cancer. He was known by many to be the best blue cat and channel cat fisherman of his time.
After Pa Pa Earl passed away, I lost interest in fishing without my hero. I continued to be a guide on Lake Somerville for 2 years then hung up my rod as a pro. I will return to my specialty show boating with a rod and reel as my son grows up which was born just 12 days before Pa Pa Earl Passed away. The lost fazes of" Tree Top'em" and "Heeey Hoooo" that rang across the lakes will be heard again! 19 years have passed, and Noah Earl Jones has the same drive toward fishing as his Grand Pa, fishing every place and time he can. Now I’m back on Lake Conroe and Noah is in Abilene showboating our fishing skills and our bait.
The History Behind Pa Pa Earl's
In the mid 1940's an old man in Ballenger, Texas taught Pa Pa Earl how to make a basic dough bait with bran flakes, flour, sugar, and water. Now that caught carp very well but only occasionally a catfish would bite. Trying almost anything Big Red, banana, berries all these worked but carp still was the dominate catch. Ivory soap and soured corn worked for catfish a little better, so he added one at a time then both then molasses and cottonseed meal. In the early sixties he finally came up with the formula we now call Catchum, however it works best when used with Fetchum not just a natural protein cube but an impregnated all grain cubes. Our chum is impregnated with flavoring agents to help attract catfish and we change the size to dissolve according to the season and temperature of the water. Small cubes dissolve quicker, and the grains spread out farther. Larger cubes dissolve slower and keep the fish in an area longer. I started Pa Pa Earl's Fetchum & Catchum actually with my mom in 1980. Pa Pa Earl was giving everyone that came down to our fishing hole bait. Mom and I had decided if people would come from all over to get dads bait, then, let’s try to put it in one-pound bags to resale within a few weeks every store on Lake Conroe had Pa Pa Earl's Fetchum & Catchum. Vernon's One Stop on Hwy. 105 in Conroe was our first customer. The first labels were black & white. No picture or logo. We fished mostly on Lake Conroe as the news papers will show all through the 80's how ever Lake Houston and Lake Livingston had many anglers telling their tale of catfish caught on Pa Pa Earl's. In 1985 the labels changed,; color was added Red & Blue with Dad's picture on a white background. Pa Pa Earl started fishing the San Jacinto River and I started selling around Dallas, Texas in 1987. Returning to the roots of the Jones / Tubbs family fishing holes Lake Palestine, Lake of the Pines and new spots as Ray Hubbard and Lake Grapevine. In 1997 Pa Pa Earl made his new fishing spot Lake Somerville, in 2002 I joined him in starting a guide service on Lake Somerville. Then in 2003 I started putting a logo on the bags. The first of the new beginnings with Pa Pa Earl's Fetchum and Catchum. 2023 Time for a new beginning I will assume the role of Pa Pa Earl and my son the role of Little Pa Pa our labels will start off with the catfish logo and in black & white.
Booking a fishing trip with PaPa Earl 832-573-8291 Lake Conroe
Booking with Little PaPa 832-571-9350 Abilene, TX.
(Please never use range cubes with urea or medicated grains as this makes fish sick)