Fishing Forum

Full Version: Southernman, Saguaro Lake and Sneaky Cats
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
[cool][red][size 1]Hey Nevada folks, do you know where your moderator has been? He has been down here in Arizona, watching his Cubs play Cactus League baseball. He has also been sampling the local fishing holes. Here is a post I put up on the float tubing board, with pics.[/size][/red]

[size 1][#0000ff]I welcomed the opportunity to hit the water Saturday morning with Southernman, who was down from Vegas with his brother for some spring training games. He is from Chicago and a big Cubs fan, like 75% of the Phoenix population.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]We hit Saguaro Lake about 6:30 AM. The air temp was around 50 and the water was 65 when I launched my Fat Cat. Southernman trudged around the east shoreline to do some bankin'. He had already missed a couple of hits when I kicked close to his position.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]After missing a couple of hits myself, I switched to my tried and true white Roadrunner bait bug, with a piece of fish flesh...flavored with salt and shad oil. Within a few seconds of making the first cast with the white trinket, I felt a solid thump and set the hook in a heavy kitty fish. That was right on the dot of 7 AM, and I did not persuade it to climb into my net for about 15 minutes. It measured out about 25 inches and weighed an estimated 6.5 to 7 pounds. I put it in my basket, but never got it home. More about that later.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Just as I resumed fishing, I heard a resounding YEEEE HAWWW from the bank and observed Southernman locked in mortal combat. He had a heavy fish hooked, but alas his line gave up on him. He did not receive my condolences well. I think I asked him something about how many years it had been since he spooled with new line. His terse reply was that it was new line. I gave up before I got myself in trouble. Sorry, Dude.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]I kicked around and tried different jigs and retrieves to no further benefit. Southernman scored a nice yellow bass, from his shoreline spot, and communicated same via the walkie talkies we brought. I kicked back over to the east bank area and soon got bit with another cat. This feisty two pounder turned my craft clear around about three times before joining the bigger one in the basket.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Once the sun hit the water, the yellow bass got more active. I scored several...before the swim club set out their buoys right on top of the "spot" and began holding olympic splashing contests. The fish on my sonar disappeared and my stick remained unbent for a long time. I had a couple more hits during lulls in the swimming activity.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Southernman finally got the hang of working one of my Roadrunners and brought in another nice yellow bass...missing several more of the now wary linesides. I collected his two fish for the dinner basket, when he had to leave early to take his brother back to the airport. I stayed another hour and managed a couple more yellow bass, but only after the swim club brought in their buoys and shut down for the day.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Back on the beach, I took out the camera and shot some pics for the folks back home. The shots of the fish in the basket went okay, as did the shot of my new lightweight 3 tube rod rack on its maiden voyage. Works great.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Then, I thought I would take the biggest cat out of the basket and pose it next to the 18 inch measure on my tube apron. That kittyfish cooperated nicely and stayed put when I laid it gently into position. BUT...as I opened the cover on the camera, that sneaky catfish arched its back and sprung about three feet up and out...making a perfect 6.0 dive into the shallow water where the rear of my craft still floated. With no hesitation, it rocketed toward deeper water, throwing a roostertail for the first few feet.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]I wrote a post last year about catching a cat with a stringer still in its mouth. I called him Houdini. I think my cat must have come from the same family. They sure do have an instinct for escape and survival.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I still ended up with the smaller cat and a dozen nice yellow bass. Southernman, TubeBabe and I all dined royally on those yellow bass (scampi style) before hitting the evening Cubs vs Padres game. Too bad the Cubbies got clobbered.[/#0000ff][/size]
[signature]
Nice report Tubedude. Looks like you guys had some fun but what about those Cubs. Weather looks perfect for a couple laps in the tube. Well I'm off to catch some fish myself so later.
[signature]
[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] Sounds like someone had a good trip. So, TubeDude what did you bribe Southernman with in order for him to go bass fishing? I also feel your pain I had a seven pound cat do just about the same thing years ago. Now they don't leave the stringer or basket until I'm back at the truck. [/font] [/size]

[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] David [/font] [/size]

[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] P.S. Sorry to hear about the Cubs, but they do have the rest of the season to recover. [/font] [/size]
[signature]
well never caught a YELLOW bass before, so no bribe was necessary, had a great time, wished it had been a week later . . it would be fun to catch 100 a day, fish on every cast . . i'll just have to go back and try again soon!

sm



ps hey powermaker your boat would be awesome there . .
[signature]
[cool][blue][size 1]Hey, Powerdude, no bribes were asked or given. Your peerless leader was suffering from a common malady...fishing pox. That happens a lot when you do not get to go fishing often enough. He was up for any kind of fishing. I think I could have talked him into fishing in the gold fish tank at the pet store.[/size][/blue]

[#0000ff][size 1]Seriously, your moderator and myself had some deep conversations on the subject of fishing. We agree that all fishing is good...some better than others. He is currently tuned in to trout, but has fished for many other species in the past and plans to broaden his fishing resume whenever he can. Just that if he had his druthers, he'd rather be fishing for something with spots on it...like troutskis.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 1]I will guarantee that he was not frowning during the short battle with the big cat...or when he beached the yellow bass he caught. He did derive some enjoys from the non-trout trip.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 1]I think most fishermen have their tales of woe, about how a prize catch got away...after being landed and put on a stringer or in a basket. I once had three large cats...all over five pounds...that started thrashing on the stringer and tore up my heavy chain stringer and got away.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 1]The prize for escapes, however, goes to about a three pound cat. I have a spring tension lid on my fish basket. Once, while opening it to put in another fish, a cunning kittyfish spied the open lid and leaped up and out to freedom. It surprised me so much, I dropped the other fish. Double steal.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 1]The flip side of that is that I have hooked into several stringers and fish baskets with live healthy fish on or in them. I always try to imagine the stories the unlucky anglers told the folks back home. [/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 1]The prize in that area goes to one float tubing trip on Willard Bay, in Utah. I was bouncing a jig along the bottom and hooked something heavy. It fought like a fish, but felt strange. I soon brought up a piece of line, with a fish on one end of it. The REST OF THE STORY is that there was a nice new spinning outfit on the other end. I landed the four pound catfish and then hauled up the rod and reel. It had not been in the water long and was as good as new after a little cleanup.[/size][/#0000ff]
[signature]
[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] So Southernman, am I to read you right. Is that a subte attempt to say you're interested in another trip down to Saguaro Lake? [/font] [/size]

[size 2] [font "Comic Sans MS"] David [/font] [/size]
[signature]
If all goes well, I will be back there for Turkey day again. Maybe we can hook up with some of you NV folks and make a get together out of it.
[signature]
i was wondering how you arizona trip went. looks like fun. makes me jealous and want to be down there. but i can say i dont miss the 90 degree weather i have been seeing everyday on the news. hey southern we will be coming down to mead in not too long.
[signature]
yah it was def a great time down there . . let's hit kolob on your way down here and/or going back . ..

sm
[signature]
kolob huh? i was going to leave that one off the list but if its on the way back or going there that will work. also panguith perhaps. ill let you know when we can get down there.
[signature]