Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]This was one of those days when it started out bad, got worse and then finished with a flourish. TheKillerBee had talked me into making a return visit to Lincoln Beach, since we both had the day off. I had some extra carp meat and minnows ready for him and everything. Even had some smoked kittyfish for snacks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I got up at 3:15, to get ready for our 4:30 meetup. Checked in on the computer and found a "so sorry" PM from TKB. Seems he developed some tummy problems and had to bow out. No prob. Put the extra bait back in the freezer and headed south all by my ownself. No use wasting a perfectly good fishing day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got to Lincoln Beach just as it was getting light. Didn't like what I saw. A steady north wind was blowing and pushing waves toward the south shoreline. That's not good at LB. Offshore south breezes are usually better. Last time we found that we got blown off the lake after about 3 hours of rock and roll. Launched anyway. No use wasting a perfectly good fishing day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fished the north Atlantic swells around the mouth of the harbor for awhile, hoping to find some wallies or whities. They often like the sloppy water where the waves stack up on shore. Nope. Not today. Not even a tick or a tap. Water was kinda chocolate though.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Dragged carp meat on one rod and casted plastics and spinners on the other rod, trying to find anything willing to make it a perfectly good fishing day. A couple of mudders chased off the skunk and I was beginning to wonder if the north wind was going to stay around all day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]About 8:30, someone turned off the fan (W) and the water started to lay down. I heard a swarm of huge mosquitos coming in on me from behind and turned around to look. It was only the Lincoln Beach air force (ultralight parasail planes). Got a couple of good close up pics. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Then the fun started. I landed one small female channel, about 2 pounds, and released her. I didn't need any more fillets for the freezer after the successes of the past few days. I was fishing two rods with bait now. WHAM and WHAM. Both rods had line streaming from the reels. I set the hook on one and then stuck it securely back into the holder. I grabbed the other rod and set the hook on that one. It was a smaller fish, so I stuck that rod back in the holder and picked up the first rod. DOUBLE TROUBLE.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I finally brought in the first fish. It was a big nasty male about 26 inches long and maybe 6 or 7 pounds. It had swallowed the hook so I just reached over and snipped the line with my fillet knife and let it swim away. I put the hookless rod in my holder and picked up the still bucking second rod. But, just as I started working the fish in the hook came loose. Just as well. Long line releases are good for conservation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For the next two hours, it was nonstop. I fished bait with only one rod. It was seldom more than a few seconds from the time the cast settled to the bottom until I had a whack and line streamed out from the freespool on my baitcaster. No finesse necessary today. It was gulp and go. Most of the fish were hooked deep. I donated several hooks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In all of our previous trips this year, we have taken very few male channels. Most have been fat and healthy females. I prefer them for eating so I usually release the males unless fishing is tough. This morning, four of the fish were males...of the 13 total I brought to the tube. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The first female I caught was the smallest of the day. About halfway through the action I landed back to back big mamas. One was 23 inches and 4.5 pounds. The other was just over 24 inches and a pound heavier. I decided to keep them for the smoker. I also kept one other female, about 3 pounds, when I noticed her bleeding from the gills. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At 10:30, somebody flipped the switch and those channel cats were done, done, done. I worked the heck out of the formerly productive areas and couldn't buy another munch. I did end up with a couple of white bass for the scampi pan though. Maybe the channels chased them off, but there were not too many mud cats around today. On Saturday we couldn't keep them from grabbing our baits before the big boys could get it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thirteen channel cats in about two hours is as much fun as I can stand. They all hit hard and fought hard. I was using two baitcasting rigs, with stout line and a fairly tight drag. Several of those cats took some serious line off that drag. Yee Haw.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I noticed on the way out that Benjamin Slough is just about dry and that the Spanish Fork River is not moving at all. EmuScud also reports that the lower Provo River has dropped dramatically. Looks like the runoff is about over. Thankfully, I also noticed, as I came across the Jordan on 215, that they have reduced the flow in it too. Hopefully we can keep some water in the big Provo pond.[/#0000ff]
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What a great day!! Good for you!
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[cool][#505000] Reports like that almost make me wish I was unemployed!!! I've got some plans this week to dole out a little punishment of my own though. You're just making this week feel that much longer!! [][/#505000]
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[cool]Nice report, Pat! What a fun day on the 'ol mud pond! The coolest thing about those pictures, is that it looks like you had the whole pond to yourself. I'm used to seeing that dike slammed with people!

Hey, would you mind giving us the link again to that great K smoking demo that you did a month back or so? This time I'll save it on the harddrive! Thanks.
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey Geoff, you're right. I was the onliest one on the dike until a group of kids on PWCs moved in and took over the whole dike about 11:30. It was sure nice while it lasted.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here's the link: [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=205567;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]SMOKED CATFISH[/url][/#0000ff]
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[cool]Thanks tons, Pat. Gotter' all saved to word. Gonna put that process to good work eventually when I get a smoker!
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Well Pat, sorry I couldn't make it out....something was running rampant in my innards! I didn't need to be out there adding any extra "flavor" to the water! Glad you had a good trip though. It would have been nice to have a good K day.
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You know it is a fine day of fishing when one has a two-rod permit and only uses one rod!
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Sounds like a heck of a run Pat.

My daughter, brother and I also did a little kittie fishing this evening. We left PG at 6:15, launched at LBH at 7:00 after stopping for snack and sodas and returned home at 9:45..
Catching included a even dozen kitties between 2-5lbs, 2 whities, 2 muds. 1 3lb kittie kept because its was my daughter first kittie and kittie trip in several years.. All others released except the 2 whities.

Of course I had to sing me kittie huntin' love song before the bite really turned on.. HA!
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Nice Report, sounds like an awesome day!
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