So my brother came down from Idaho and we decided to hit Echo for some perch today. We went out in front of the big bluff in about 35' of water and found some small perch there. Catching was not real hot but enough to keep us interested when my brother hooks into something larger than a perch. We thought it might be a good bow or a brown but what do you think sticks its head out of the hole to say hello but a 22" catfish!. I had never heard of cats being in echo before. I admit that I have not fished there much but it caught us by suprise. It was a riot to catch on his perch rod. A little later we gave a perch to a fellow fisherman to get him started and about 5 min. later he starts yelling for us to come see what he has just caught. It was a 27" 6 1/2lb cat. that thing was a hog.
After the cats showed up the perch became scarce and we didn't get many bites after that. Then the BIG W showed up and I mean BIG. It about blew us off the ice. I made a note to get anchors for the quick flip ll we almost went for a ride. We finally got off the ice at 4:00.
I hope the pics turn out all I had was my cell phone.
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3](Edit) Removed the inline option so everyone could see the pics. Here's a link what the inline option does and how it works, BLM[/size][/black][/font]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=166616;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"][#000000][size 1]How to use the "InLine" Option when adding Pictures to your Posts[/size][/#000000][/url][size 1] [/size]
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I always heard there were cats in there but this is the first I seen and it is thru the ice too .
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Way to go , those are nice sized cats. Catfish have been in Echo for years and there are a few guys that catch them during the spring and early summer. Few people ever catch them in the winter but I bet it has to do with being in the right place.[
] WH2
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Nice work. The 27" looks like a mud cat???? Was it a channel?
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The state record for mud cats is less than 14", so I highly doubt that it was a mud cat.
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[
] I know, that's why I was suprised. Look at the rounder fins, and the rounder tail. It may be just cause it is an older fish with some wear and tear, but it has some of the characteristics. [cool]
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Sorry Flycasting but I have never learned to tell the difference between a mud and channel cat. I have never really fished for them.
I guess I will have to do some studying. The 22" was returned to be caught another day and I don't know the name of the guy that caught the 27" cat but I am pretty sure he kept it.
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I am sure that it is a channel like Kent pointed out... The state record for a mud cat is only 16" and 3 1/2lbs.
Here is a link to a mud cat, yellow belly, or black bullhead catfish.. they're all the same thing:
[url "http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=20"]Bullhead[/url]
And here is one for a channel cat:
[#800080][url "http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=9"]Channel[/url][/#800080]
As you can see the channel has sleek features, where the bullhead is a little more round. That's not always a given, but the reason I questioned it. Again, thanks for the post and pics! [
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Pretty cool on nabbin' some kitties through the ice. I've never caught one on the hard deck, but I'll bet it was a lot of fun!
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I have never got any thru the ice either. Can you imagine fishing for white bass at UL thru the ice andhookin into one of those bad boys... that would be quite a fight. [
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There is a fellow member of BFT (he hasn't posted in a long time) who regularly fishes for cats, through the ice at Utah Lake at night. He told me that in the holes near a lantern he will catch mudcats, and through a hole with no light he will catch channel cats.
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Thanks for the links. Now I have more studying to do.[shocked][
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[cool]I'm really surprised that one of the top cat guys on this board (TubeDude) hasn't chimed in on this. He must be out of town or under the weather, but he would definitely tell you that that is a channel cat, and that they do get pretty rounded in shape like that if they are eating well, etc. I know that he's taken many many cats through the ice over the years at Willard and other places. Generally speaking, cats are less active as the ice comes on (as well as any colder water) but they do still occassionally get active and pursue a meal just to stay alive, etc...
Personally, I've never caught one through the ice, but would love to do so someday. MMMM....kittie krispies...my mouth is watering just thinking about eating them, but alas, I'm still probably 2-3 months away from getting some again.[
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When I referred to "rounded" I was referring to the fins. He probably hasn't chimed in because there was never a debate. Just an observation. You may want to re-read the post...
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[cool][#0000ff]Yep. Definitely a channel cat. Nice one too. Course, they're all nice. Some nicer than others. I seem to recall that a couple tried to hogtie your legs and fins down at Lincoln Beach, when you were tubing with us.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lots of channels caught through the ice, all over the country. Some lakes in the upper midwest are famous for winter kitty catchin'. They school up in the same spots each winter and you can catch bunches. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a couple of lakes in Wyoming (can't remember the names" where ice-holers get some big ol whiskerfish each winter...using dead minnows.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have been back in Utah (from Arizona) about 2 1/2 years now, and have not fished either Utah Lake or Willard through the ice since returning. But, in the "olden days" I have caught and seen caught a bunch of channels from under the ice. They feed all winter, even though they are slower. They eat good though if you get them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]With the two pole permit you can soak a minnow or crawler on the bottom in one hole, while jigging with a sweetened lure in the other. Leave the bail open on the bait rod and watch for line to come off the reel. Just like a tip up rig, only different. Some guys set an empty drink can on the ice and wrap a loop of line around the top. When a fish moves off with the bait, the can topples over...an audible signal. Can't use that on windy days though. What? Wind in Utah? Carp feathers![/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is surprising how small a bait/lure winter cats will munch sometimes. Hung a big ol' daddy cat down at Lincoln Beach under the ice once, on a teensy little ice fly with a single waxworm. Probably just using the little hook to "floss" after eating a whole carp.[/#0000ff]
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[cool]Right-O, but he usually chimes in on must posts about cats and because there's VERY rarely a post on here about a recent cat taken through the ice, I just thought that for sure he'd add some things (like he usually does). Go back up to the search feature and look up threads on cats here on the Utah board, and you'll see that he almost always has something (useful) to add to any catting conversation and that's if he wasn't the author of it in the first place...Where are ya, Sir T.D.?
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Didn't your QFII come with ice anchors? Mine came with a little pouch with 6 of them in it. Nice Stainless Steel ones....
Just curious.
Randy
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The Quick Flip ll is the one with the sled attached and it did not come with anchors. We kept it from traveling by sitting on the seat on the sled. Next tine I go somewhere they sell anchors I will be getting some though. I will also have to rig something to tie them to since there is nothing but the tow rope in the front. I assume you got the Quick Fish ll which would need anchors.
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Doh...live by the acronym, die by the acronym. Thats what I get for being a computer programmer I guess!
You are correct. I have a Quick FISH II, not a Quick FLIP II. They shouldn't have named em so closely together!
Anyway, if you CAN get a hold of the ice anchors used by the Quick FISH II, they rock! Easy to screw in, and WONT come out until you unscrew them.
Randy
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