[#0000FF]Met up with Pa at the south marina this morning. This is a tale of bad luck with gear, good luck with fish...and ugly catfish.
I started the bad luck with gear when the hose on my electric inflator split out. Good luck was that I had a spare and got my tube aired up tight.
Pa's luck started out bad and got worse. After a battery problem two weeks ago he brought two this time...but couldn't get the motor to work. A couple of workarounds still didn't get him moving. He fished with fins only for a while and then bagged it and headed back home.
Air temp was 65 at 6:45 am launch. Nice. At least the skeeters thought so. Water temp was 75...and the catfish liked that fine too.
I started by dragging one of my newer model "fligs" (floating jigs) with a small minnow pinned on it. Had my first customer...a 21" cookie cat...before 7 am. Got it only a short ways up the channel from where I started. But no more inquiries until I got out in the main lake.
Slow for a while. Then I found KITTY CITY. Pow, zing, pull, splash, yahoo. I caught cats from 8' out to 13'. And I didn't go very long between tussles. Actually had a couple of doubles again...one fish on each of two rods. Challenging from a float tube.
It was a little bumpy on the outside early but calmed down by 8 or so and got nice and calm. More funner than having to kick your legs off...or run down your electric motor battery just to hold position.
I was voted by my family (I didn't get to vote) to put on our annual end of summer fish fry again this year. So I kept eight nice cookie cutters for the fryer. Released at least that many more...all by about 9:30. I put up the bait rods and went back to pitching plastics...hoping for any kind of non-cat species. Alas and alack. Still a kitty attack. Got several more cats on plastic.
Off the water, fish filleted and on the way home by 11 am. Saw a few other boats out moving around but nobody seemed to be holding in any given area. Talked to a couple of boaters coming back in about the same time I did and they reported similar luck. They had caught a few cats but no wipers or walleyes.
After this next warm session I hope it cools down a bit and gets the other fish busy.
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good job pat. got the motor up and going again. there was 2 breaks in the ground wire. have no idea how that happened. glad you had a killer day.
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[#0000FF]Sorry you had a "mood killer" day. Glad you found the problem and hope you are able to rock and roll for the fine fall fishing ahead.
Too bad you had to leave the water but sometimes you just can't do a good job of checking out and diagnosing problems while turned halfway around in your float tube.
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Good report Pat. Glad that the kitties are active there because I may be trying it tomorrow or Sunday and I'm hoping to get at least something there.
Are you making those "fligs" and if so, how are you doing it? I used to fish Provo river and boat harbor 30 years ago with floating jig heads and I always seemed to have the edge with them over my fishing buddies, but time and other techniques made me kinda forget about them and I was just thinking about the potential usefulness of them at Oneida Reservoir when I was there last week.
I assume that sliding a float onto the hook and painting it could suffice, but yours look way cooler than my Rube Goldberg contraptions would look! Also, how are you rigging them up (sinkers, swivels, etc...)?
Mike
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Good job Pat. Now I know where the kitties moved. Went out this afternoon to the west side. Found a few kitties, half a dozen crappies, bluegills and sunfish. Invited some home for dinner and let the rest go.
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[#0000FF]I was introduced to the concept of floating jig heads while living in Arizona. It was the hot new thing for walleyes on one of the Mogollon Rim lakes. Since then I have made a variety of sizes and styles of my own for fishing for all different species.
I also use slip bobber rigs...for presenting my lures and baits just above bottom in deeper water. And there are times that is the ticket. I also use that at Willard and have had cats come clear up off the bottom to hit jigs presented from 5-7 feet deep over 20 feet of water...while fishing for wipers.
Unless fish are actively feeding at mid-depth or higher in the water column they are usually cruising near the bottom. While some will pick up food off the bottom, it is easier to get their attention by floating something a bit above it...as with a floating jig.
I know you like Gulp Minnows. Fishing them just off the bottom on a flig is dynamite. Ditto for crawlers, minnows and pieces of fish flesh.
I have a lot of different sizes, colors and styles of fligs I have played with over the years. Some I make with tails...for added color and profile. Others...like the ones I have been using on Willard...are just a 1/2" piece of 3/8" foam popper material split and super glued onto a regular jig hook. (see pics)
I have experimented with a lot of different float materials. Little styrofoam balls will work, but come out rougher. The fish don't mind. You can also get your own foam tube material by punching out pieces from foam pads...as in the pics. I prefer the popper foam tubes available through Barlows. I use the 1/4" for smaller sizes and the 3/8" for my minnow fligs. They also sell 1/2" size and I plan to try some of that soon.
I start by cutting the 1.5" lengths of 3/8" foam into 3 equal 1/2" sections. Then, using a Dremel type tool with a drum sander, I round off the corners. I finish smoothing them with fine sandpaper or my wife's cardboard nail files.
Next step is to use a razor blade to slit the foam. If using a jig hook, make the cut only about halfway down...but almost all the way through the foam. Insert the hook while still holding the cut foam...so you don't lose the slit.
Next, use a large needle to dip into the super glue and quickly work some down inside the slit and along the hook. Move fast so you don't end up with a needle in your flig. Now squeeze the slit shut around the hook. Use your sand paper to do a final smoothing.
PS...I usually make several at a time...in batch mode. I slit the foam and place the hooks one at a time...but do the gluing on all of them together.
Now paint and glitter to taste. I use the vinyl jig paints I use on jig heads...and finish with a UV final coat.
When I rig them, I use several setups. If you are working them over a fairly clean bottom, you can fish them Carolina rig style...with a small slip sinker ahead of a barrel swivel...and a leader from 12" to 18" (or longer) between the swivel and the flig.
The setup I use most at Willard is a short 6" dropper with the 1/8 oz. dropshot sinker...and an 18" leader for the flig. But I have also successfully reversed that...with the sinker on the longer leader and the flig on the shorter one. Each gives a slightly different presentation.
At Starvation I often rig double...using a sinker on the bottom and two different color fligs on 6" leaders about 18" - 24" apart. Great for times when fish are suspending a bit higher...or are active enough to rise higher in the water column.
I am also attaching a pic of "Corkies". I learned about using these for presenting minnows or crawlers to walleyes on Utah Lake several years ago. Colorful little floaters were originally designed for fishing steelhead and salmon...with egg clusters. But walleye anglers (and others) have discovered that they work for lots of species.
Rig corkies with a Carolina rig on smooth bottoms, or dropshot style for more hazardous conditions. On the leader, slip on your choice of size and color corkie and then tie on your hook. By the way, using a larger hook with a sharp point...left exposed...will hook up more fish on the take.
I also have and use some floating "spinner floats" that were originally made for steelhead but are well received by many other species. They are little floats with wings that make them twirl on your line, adding motion and vibration.
The whole thing is taking my "bling bead" thing to wild extremes. Adding flash and color is good for attracting fish. Being able to float your bait or lures up off the bottom is sometimes a big plus in getting fish to notice and munch.
Shoot me a PM if you need additional info or clarification. Or if you are ever down in the Salt Lake area you would be welcome to visit my play room and get a first hand demo on making them.
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Pat,
As always, thank you for that very informative response! I am going to make a bunch today and try them tomorrow.
When I used to use them at Provo boat harbor I did really well with them for white bass and walleyes, but it was the walleyes that got me into trying them in the first place. Oneida is a frequent haunt of mine for walleyes and good sized perch and these may be the ticket for upping my catch rate there.
I believe back then when I fished utah lake a lot, I used to buy my fishing gear from Kmart and they had those cheap floating jig heads for sale, so I bought a bunch on clearance. I had noticed that I got more bites when my baits were about 6"-12" above the bottom and it got me thinking. The slip bobber rig was my first choice to keep the bait "in the zone", but my problem was the varying depth of the the river and edges around the harbor kept me constantly adjusting depth, so I had the idea that if I could still get the bait just off the bottom without the bobber then I wouldn't have to be constantly readjusting the bobber depth. It worked like a charm and I outfished all my buddies that way.
After I returned from my mission I got sidetracked by other things in life and fishing mostly turned into a series of fly and bubble excursions to high mountain lakes and other methods fell by the wayside. The last 15-20 years I've started fishing for everything again, but for some reason I forgot about the success I had with adding floating jig heads to my repertoire until recently. Your reports and write-ups have been great timing and I am now ready to add this back into my arsenal! I am anxious to see if it will work on the whitefish here in bear lake, though I must admit that I still see them as being bottom feeders, so who knows.
Thanks again Pat and if they work well for me I will post it.
Mike
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[#0000ff]I had planned to try some Gulp goodies and plain old crawlers on some small fligs at Bear Lake last season. But with the weird weather pattern I never did pull the trigger and make the drive. Two different trips I had planned were blizzarded out.
I agree that the whities tend to bite better close to the bottom. So the rig I had in mind was putting one of my "hanger shot" rigs down there...with the clothes hanger wire weight on a 3" dropper with a six inch leader to the flig...decorated with a Gulp Minnow. The hanger weight tends to slip over or through the rocks well so snags should be minimized. The key...as always...is being able to detect the often light bites on those whities.
Adding a few pics of other flig catches.
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Pat, I've got a 1 pm doctor appointment on Tuesday at the VA. Any chance I could come by earlier or after for a flight demo?
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[#0000FF]Got a tentative meetup with Pa at the south marina Tuesday morning...but usually home by early afternoon. So anytime after your VA thing would probably work.
Do you have my home number to call to check?
I am making up a bunch of new stuff right now. I was thinking that some of those would probably be great for your second rod Gulp Minnows. They work at Starvation.
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Got your number. I'm going to go out to the SM in the morning if the wind is ok. I'll call before I come Tuesday to make sure your home.
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Pat when I saw your foam pieces you cut out It reminded me of the foam ear plugs I have used successfully on trout, and with crawler rigs for walleye.
I have cut them in half and punched a hole in them , They are tough, then put them in some kind of sent. Garlic, berkley gulp, pro-cure.etc. I have found lots of colorful ones . they really stay on the hook.
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Sounds like an excellent trip for the cats, good to hear they are still active. I haven't had my boat out since that ill fated day, almost two months ago but after several attempts and some bad luck, I finally got the truck back on the road last Thurs. I haven't had a chance to do a good shake down but I'll do that this week and if it all works out, are you interested in giving it another try, in another week or so?
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[#0000FF]Of course. After Labor day the water should cool a bit, the fish become more active and the skeeters and power squadron should diminish. The best of all worlds.
Howsomever...I will probably bring my tube along this time so if you decide to park your truck alongside the road before you get to the marina I will at least be able to get in some fishing. (Not a nice joke, I know.)
Lemme know when you are ready to rumble and we can arrange another play date.
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