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[#0000ff]Had some shiner minnows left over from our trip to Scofield yesterday. Didn't want to waste them by freezing them. They are lousy once frozen. So, we took them fishing to Utah Lake. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe and I launched near "The Knolls" a little before 7. First time we have tubed "wet" (no waders) this year. Water temp 65.5 at launch and just over 68 when we quit about noon. Felt good. Hate waders unless ya gotta wear 'em.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started off throwing lots of plastics, in different sizes and colors. Wanted to see if I could find a walleye or two in the nice green water. NOPE. I did find a gazillion bitty white bass though. Probably caught 30 or more in the first hour of casting along the shoreline. There was nothing I threw that they would not hit. Kept a few 10 -12 inchers for some whitie scampi.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe took a while to bring in her first whitie. She loves to catch and eat them, but they do not always cooperate with her. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The SE wind had been pushing a little when we first got there. Only a bump or two. Nothing serious. But, by 9 the lake laid down and it was mostly smooth for the rest of our trip. I took advantage of the lull in the breezes to kick up around the corner to the east to fish another area. Found a few more small whities, but nothing else. Tried putting on a bobber and a small minnow and fishing near the weeds. Bangity bang. Mudder city. Landed a couple and lost several small minnows in a row to bait stealers. 'Nuff of that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Oh yeah, in that same area, I was tossing a plastic and hooked something that felt "interesting"...but not THAT interesting. Brought in a dead mudder on a wild looking sinker rig that someone had broken off. Couldn't help thinking of Bassrods. Now I was in his league. Of course a dead stinkin' mud cat on some 20# line and a big sinker is not quite as good as recovering a fancy lure in the mouth of a big ol' live brown trout. But, it is the principle. Right?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Finally got around to dragging a minnow on one rod while pitching plastic with the other. Good move. First customer was a big ol' daddy cat. Beat me up for about 15 minutes. Thought it was bigger. Measured about 27 inches and estimated weight 8-9 pounds. Got it to 
purty for the camera and turned it loose to make some baby kitties. Daddy cats are usually not as good eating (as females), and I wasn't sure I wanted to keep any cats anyway.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hardly got the new minnow out in the water when BANG....ZING. Got another customer on bait. Only about 3 or 4 pounds, but fought bigger. Know what I mean? Started thinking that it might be time to make some smoked kitty. Put the new arrival in the basket.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For the next half hour I could not pick up my plastic rig before something smacked the minnow. I landed several more nice cats in quick succession. Since TubeBabe was whimpering about her lack of action, I hollered her over on the walkie talkie. She wondered if she could get the money back on her fishing license. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Two bad days in a row had her kinda snarky. I had caught the first, most, biggest and last fish on our trip to Scofield yesterday. And it was shaping up to be the same kind of day today at Utah Lake.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Being the gentleman I am, I coached her into the prime area...where all the cats had been hammering my bait. But, as usually happens when I do that, the fishing shut down. She has really jinxed a lot of formerly productive spots. Nevertheless, I left the area to her and went back to tossing plastics exclusively. I had kept 4 cats for the smoker. That was enough.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]A while later, as I was heading for the take out spot, to go get the car, TubeBabe announced that she had caught a "Willard Bay" cat...a 17 incher. So, just like yesterday, the only honors she could claim were "SMALL FISH" for the day.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Very few bugs. A few midges but no bloodsuckers. The water level is as high as it ever got last year. Plenty of water for the kitties to be playing in the weeds around the shoreline. Should be some great bobber action when the weather stabilizes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also, the water was pretty clean and green. I would almost have bet money on a walleye today. We both had fish on (briefly) that acted like walleye. And, unless you land them, they can be anything you want them to be. Right?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The white bass were in shallow...from 2' to 5'...over rocks and near brush. Full spawn mode.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The channels we caught were in 5 feet of water. I never did try the bobber and carp meat next to the reeds routine today. Only took those leftover shiners. They stayed good and firm and the kitties appreciated them. [/#0000ff]
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[#000000][size 4]Good report and photos. It's always good to hear about someone who has success after they figure out the "secret of the day".[/size][/#000000]
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[cool]That looks like a lot of fun. I thought it was about time for a Utah Lake report from you. Looks like the kitties now approve of the weather, but I'm sure that will change on Wednesday until sometime next week. I can't wait to get my air bladder fixed on my tube and get out there with it soon. Gotta get me some kittie krispies soon or I'm gonna go insane...
Congrats on a great day out there, you two!
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[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, the kitties are gettin' active. Kinda funny though. They would swim up to my tube and ask "Where's Geoff?". Then they would swim away laughin' their fins off.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you finally get serious enough about going fishing, I look for you to just walk out on the water...no tube needed.[/#0000ff]
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[sly][sly]LOL on the "Where's Geoff" comment! Those fish do mach me sometimes, but I'll bust out the woopin' stick on those kitties yet. It's been a while since I knocked 'em good...Taking on a 2nd job at the moment, but one of these Friday or Saturday mornings I'm gonna get out there soon.
Got the kids this weekend (including my 24 month old)...hmmm...perhaps a Saturday family outing to the knolls might be in order for some bank tangling... Then the weekend after that, I have a lovely out of town guest coming in. I will take her fishing, and she wants to, but not on our first actual date... Her 2nd time out here I think we'll go though...
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[#500000]For the scampi, do you cut the fillets in small pieces and toss them in a hot pan with garlic butter?........or......... Do you grill them in a holy grill pan and drizzle garlic butter over them?[/#500000]
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Hey TD,
I hit Scofield the past two days and while there stocked up with several hundred 3-4 inch shiners for future cattin' at Lincoln Beach. My plan was to freeze 'em and use all summer. Then I read your post about the minners bein' "lousy" after frozen. I am crest fallen and devastated. Was my harvest all for not? Please tell me they are not totally useless as a cat bait?? Seems like I have bought frozen minners before and done reasonably well with the cats. I guess anything is better fresh than frozen but is my bait supply really only worth a "lousy" rating?
I stand ready for enlightenment.[
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Utah lake hasn't been treating me well lately!
Last 3 trips have resulted in a few mud cats.
I am stuck on the shore and harbor areas so maybe the tube helps, (and your a utah lake genius!).
Awesome report tube dude you have given me more hope!
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Your photos and report show a perfect fishing day and fish. Is the walleye fishing there usually like this at this time of year? And were the cats hitting the bait/lures hard? I would like to know just how active they are right now at that water temperature.
You have your tube setup real nice. I can see it is a great little fishing machine.[
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TD,
Cool report as usual. Wished I still lived closer to Utah Lake. I have been trying the Bear River for cats since I live close. Most people on the board have said carp meat works best. I tried it and got nothing. I have never caught anything on carp.
So my question is this, how do you prepare and fish carp meat. Do you use fresh meat or stinky rotted meat? What size chunks do you use and how would you recommend fishing it in the river current?
Thanks,
Justin
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[cool][#0000ff]My "Scampi" style fish recipe is flexible. As with most of my cooking, I change it up a bit depending upon species of fish, thickness of fillet and personal mood.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of the time I use whole small fillets...bluegill, perch, white bass, etc. I also use the thin fillets from the small cats at Willard Bay...but I usually cut them down the middle, along the lateral line, to make two long strips. They cook better.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are actually quite a few different recipes for scampi...using shrimp. Some include adding sherry wine and suger to the melted butter in which you saute the shrimp or fish. I never use the sugar. And, if I use sherry, I use it as a marinade for a half hour to an hour before cooking. Do not leave the fish in the sherry longer or they will take on TOO MUCH of the subtle flavor.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also, trying to be a bit more "heart healthy", I use about 1/3 to 1/2 olive oil to saute the fish. That also raises the "smoke point" of the butter so that it does not burn. I used to use 1 cube of butter for a full 10 inch pan of fish. Now I use less than a half cube and a few tablespoons of olive oil.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]STEP BY STEP:[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]1. Melt butter over low heat and add olive oil.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]2. Stir in a heaping teaspoon of crushed or minced garlic.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]3. Bring up heat to med high and lay fish pieces in on butter/garlic mix.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]4. Saute' uncovered for about 3-5 minutes per side. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]5. Turn ONCE when first side begins to "caramelize" (brown).[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]6. When browned lightly on both sides...and fish flakes easily with a fork...remove to a shallow bowl.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]7. If your arteries aren't hard enough, pour the butter and garlic mix from the pan onto the fish servings.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]8. Have some fresh bread (French) to soak up the excess liquid when you finish the fish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]9. Optional: serve over noodles or rice.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]HINT: Thin fillets from white fleshed panfish cook more quickly than catfish. If using catfish fillets, cook longer on lower heat to make sure they are cooked completely.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Don't jump off your tackle box in despair. Your minnows will be fine for kitty chow. It is just that shiners tend to become much softer after freezing...at least softer than chubs. They can still be used and the cats love them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a few things you need to know, to help you get the full use of your hard earned bait. First, when putting them on the hook, use hooks with a sharp point to avoid mashing them. Second, hook them so that the hook goes through the head or some other hard part of the minnow. I like to hook them in the rear part of the minnow and run the hook around the spine. Third is to cast carefully. Use a lob cast instead of a power snap. If you fish from a boat or tube that is easier than fishing from shore if you have to make long casts.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some guys carry cheap white sewing thread when fishing with soft minnows and make a few wraps of thread around the hooked minnow to help secure it to the hook.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Tough minnows usually provide a higher percentage of hookups too. The fish cannot just pull the bait off the hook and get away without paying the ultimate price. I like chubs because they stay on the hook while I let the fish swim off with the bait a bit, before setting the hook. With shiners, often you get a hit and then reel in an empty hook.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, your handle reminds me of the old Texas joke. A Texan was bragging that he caught several "six inchers". A damnyankee (all one word in Texas) laughed and said he was not impressed. To that the Texan drawled..."Well now, in your part of the country that might not be much, but down here we measures them between the eyes."[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]1. Walleye fishing. We are just really getting into the "post spawn" period for walleye on most Utah Waters. While walleye are considered to be a "cold water" fish, they are more active and feed more aggressively when the water gets above 60...and before it reaches about 75. One of the things I spout often is JUNE IS THE MAGIC MONTH FOR WALLEYE. You can catch walleyes any month of the year in Utah Lake, but in June they put on the feed bags. Think big lures. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. Catfish. These "warm water" fish can also be caught all year. But, they slow down in water under 60 degrees. They will still hit both bait and lures, but tend to "dog it" on the fight...more rolling than running. The cats I caught yesterday had their batteries charged by the rising temps. They whacked the bait hard, ran off line FAST and kicked my behind on the fight. Also, when I set the hook they did not just start headshaking and rolling...like they do in cool water. Most of them put the line over their shoulder and boogied. Even a 3 or 4 pounder can make the drag sing a bit. The big daddy cat I released probably ran off about 20 yards of line on the first run.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I catch a lot of channel cats on lures in Utah Lake. I fish a "home colored" plastic jig...purple and chartreuse (see pics) that catches all species, just about all year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glad you like my "ride". I can't get it up on plane or troll at 3.5 mph...or work planer boards or downriggers...but I usually "GIT 'ER DONE". [/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Sorry I did not reply to your other post...about carp meat. I meant to. No excuses.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I almost always take a package of carp meat on kitty huntin' trips. Some days it is the "prime rib" on the cat's menu. Other days it does not work as well as minnows or white bass meat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A lot of cat tanglers just catch or snag a carp and start whackin off chunks of meat. That works. But, I have a more refined system. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. Fillet and skin the carp, just as if you were preparing it for your own table. Don't rinse the fillets. The bloodier the better.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]2. Slice out the bones of the rib cage. Not vital but makes them softer and more appealing to kitties.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]3. Cross cut slices from the fillet. I make my "steaks" about 1/2" to 3/4" wide.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]4. Freeze "trip - sized" packages. I put 4 or 5 whole strips in a TOUGH small plastic bag. Then I add a couple of tablespoons of water and squeeze out all the excess water and air bubbles...to prevent freezer burn. Freeze fresh and freeze fast for better bait. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]5. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator or at room temp before a trip. Pack in a cooler while still partially frozen and keep cold during the day. Fresh is better than ripe.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]6. You can fish whole strips, on big hooks, but I often cut my strips in half. I get more hookups and just as big of cats on smaller pieces.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]7. Carp meat is tough. I used to leave the skin on, but found that I get more hookups and really don't lose much bait by removing the skin. Easier to change baits too, if you don't have to fight the skin.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When I fish in current, I try to position myself above a hole or eddy. I use a sliding egg sinker, above a swivel, and about 18" - 24" of leader between the swivel and the hook. Use a sinker just heavy enough to hold in the current below you. I like to hold the rod and keep the bail open, with my finger on the line. When I have a pickup, I release the line and let the fish munch a bit or drop downstream a little before setting the hook. If using a circle hook, just close the bail and let the fish pull the hook home.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another trick is to keep a bottle of shrimp or crawdad scent with you, and after the carp meat has lost some of its "essence" in the water, bring it in and dose it with some extra added attraction.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The best plan is to always take several baits and to keep moving and trying different holes until you find active fish. And, on some days, you just gotta accept that catfish operate by their own schedule. They bite at night sometimes and during the daytime on others. If you time it right, you are golden. If not, then you are not alone.[/#0000ff]
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I really do appreatiate that info, it was especially nice that you put in that pick of your plastic grub. That really must be a good color imitating the smaller baitfish at Utah Lake.
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Im new to the whole plastics jigs and such.
And haven't landed that first fish on a jig. I bought some chart, and yellow ones and some 1/8 ounce jig heads. I'm a little
on how to retrive them. I was raised fishing with hardware for trout so haven't learned the plastic trade yet....
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reply to one of TubeDude's posts here and he will explain, I assume you are asking him.
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[cool][#0000ff]Now you are thinking like a trout fisherman. The two tone plastics I make and use are not designed to "imitate" anything. No "match the hatch" here.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are three elements involved in the stuff I throw...high color visibility, visual action and vibration. In the often turbid waters of Utah Lake, you need to fish something that is both very visible in the murky conditions and also puts out vibrations for those predators that rely on their sensitive lateral lines to find prey.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I long ago gave up trying to buy the colors and sizes I wanted to use. I have been making my own for years. I custom make the jig heads, using larger hooks on 1/16 oz. heads...to allow fishing low and slow, in shallow rocky waters, without snagging as much. I also use mostly red hooks for added visibilty and "blood" appeal.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Same with plastics. I buy bulk quantities of Barlows' Magtail plastic grubs...in smoke sparkle, clear sparkle, chartreuse, white and pearl. I then use plastic dyes to get just the colors I want. See the attached pics for examples.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The big active tails on the Barlows Magtail grubs really put out the vibrations. Then, the contrasting two tone colors are more highly visible to help the fish make an accurate strike.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is a departure from all that which kicks in about now. That is that plain dark colors...motor oil, black and purple...can be a good choice. Until the fry from white bass and carp get large enough for suitable forage, the predators feed heavily on leeches and young bullhead cats. Fish dark colored plastics or marabous near the bottom for some great walleye action. Many of the big walleyes you catch during the next month or two will have mud cats in them. I used to make six inch long black feather jigs that caught lots of big post spawn mama wallies. Haven't tried that myself much after the big dieoff a couple of years ago. Gonna try it again this year.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Probably 90% of the fishing I do is with some kind of jigs. But, it is a lot more than buying one color jig and one size head and fishing until you lose them all to snags. Jig fishing is a complete system of fishing that requires a lot of basic fishing knowledge and the ability to make accurate casts and precise presentations...speed of retrieve, proper depth, etc. There is also a lot about size, color, action and "touch".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is no way to provide enough info on one post to give you the info and help you need. I am attaching something I put together a while back that should at least give you some insight into jig fishing. After that, it is a lot of practice...doing things the right way...using the right jigs. If you can get some help and guidance from more experienced jig fishermen...on the water...that is better than a bajillion words on the subject.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]"Had some shiner minnows left over from our trip to Scofield yesterday. Didn't want to waste them by freezing them. They are lousy once frozen. So, we took them fishing to Utah Lake."
[/#0000ff][#0000ff][font "Courier"][size 4][#000000]Why on earth can't you just take your minnows home and put them in a live well? Yes I know here in Utah we have whirling disease but give me a break. I mean in Arizona we use to catch Bluegills and carp and put them in a live well.
I read the proclamation and it states that you have to kill any fish you take home with you, hogwash to me. I bought me a 5 gallon bait bucket with an aerator. Why can't I take some legal baitfish home? In fact in Arizona they sale live shad! Hello?
Its not like it should be legal to use live bait, and here in Utah I totally understand the law about using livebait, and I agree with it, too.
When I went to the Jordan River I caught Utah Suckers. When I froze them that was it they were just too soft. So I can't take them home and put them in my bait bucket and them kill them before I use them elsewere-were legal.
Sorry but I don't see a problem with keeping bait alive at home. As long as I kill the minnows before using them.
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