Fishing Forum

Yesterday (Saturday) was free fishing day..........we stayed home[laugh]
Cold front moved thru last night and this morning and we went to Benson to attempt to poach one or 3 of Jeff's big cats. Well we were on the the water by about 8:15 and had the whole place to ourselves. The first 45 minutes or so we stayed down near the bridge and close to the launch ramp in case the wind got too bad. It didn't. Caught a mess (lost count) of Mud Cats. Stayed kind of breezy on and off, but not bad. Sun cleared thru the clouds and it got comfortable warm. Moved up to a point where we were just barely in view of skunkedagains back door. More Mud Cats, nothing over 7 inches. Too small for the big cat contest and too big for the small cat contest [] Then just before 10 A.M. my light line pole with a Gulp Curly Tail Grub went sideways and strippin drag. Under the boat, around my other line, around the motor. But I got her to the net. Did the CPR thing. Not the longest one but fairly fat, maybe still full of eggs? Good enough to bump my score by 1/2 inch. [sly].
Several more Mudders between us, and the wind started to change directions and get stronger, more steady. Decided that a 3 foot deep marina isn't where I wanted to be if the wind got much worse.
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good job Forest. every 1/2 inch counts. how is the water levels up that way? the river down here has really dropped. Mostly little guys did manage to find one 27" on Saturday after a long spell of nothing.
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Nice Cat John. Water level at Benson was just about what it is every time I go up there. 2 - 3 fow off the dock, 3-4 fow out in the middle just off the dock, 13-17 fow over the hole before the bridge, varied 1.5 - to 5 fow west shore line to east shore line up to the 2 or 3 brush islands north of the marina area. Was casting that white Gulp Jig in vain hope of a Walleye, let it settle a minute or so while I poured some coffee, and that Cat hit it. Swallowed the entire jig and hook. Cut the line, did the photo session and released it. It was my next to last jig, and didn't get any more takers on the last one. Lots of small nippers finally got the tail of the jig off just before we quit. I need to find the pen you are keeping those cats locked up in down there on the Bear.[sly] I start a 3 week vacation next Saturday, will be able to hit the river more often hopefully.
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Nice one T.C.!!! Anytime you catch a decent cat it makes it worth it. Haven't figured a way to keep the mud cats off my hook this year...need a deterrent. Maybe some TnT?

I'll have to hook up with you sometime during your vacation days if you'll have me. I've been down at Benson a couple times and even out at Cache Jct. with minimal success. Lots of mudders. No TnT.

Lots of folks fish right there under or next to the Benson Marina bridge. Too many for my liking, but they'll catch all the green sunfish you want plus some bass and /or crappie along the way and maybe a stray walleye.
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Hey Forest, you found a good weekend to sneak up a poaching, I was in the middle of hay, water and a kidney stone attack, so haven't been very good at watching for poachers... glad you found one... hopefully I'll be able to get out by the weekend... I'm sure ready, think I'm almost a month since I've been out, starting to forget where my equipment is and how to cast... Good luck on your vacation, it sounds like a lot of fun... Later Jeff
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Hey Derek was going to call ya back and see how it went. Sure was hard to stay on the tractor that day after you called, but had to get it done. Man June can be brutal with everything that has to be done all at the same time. But I'm starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel, so soon I'll be able to get back out. Hope we can still find some fish. Have they flipped over to the night time feeding now? I'm about out of carp again too so I need to find me a couple. If you're free next week I'll see if I can join ya. Later Jeff
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