Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]TubeBabe couldn't go today, so I figured I would hit the south marina at Willard to check it out. I figured wrong. The gate was locked when I drove up just after 5. They left it open last year. Bummer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Drove to the north marina. Got launched about sixish. Back to the ramp to fix the broken wire on my sonar battery. Got launched again about 6:20. Air temp 45 and water temp 62 in the marina...63 outside. Really murky water. Did not have a lot of expectations.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Didn't get my first hit...on anything for an hour. Nothing on plastic or cranks. Finally caught a cookie cutter kitty on minnow. Turned it loose. Guessed that it would not be the only one of the day. It wasn't.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I had released several small cats and kept two by the time Wiperhunter2 and Wiperslayer motored up to chat. We exchanged pictures and pleasantries. Good to see you guys.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp rose quickly after the sun hit the stained water. By nine it was over 65 and the fish got more active. Lots of kitty whacks. Lost a couple of wipers on crankbaits. Inexperienced fish. Didn't know how to get the hook firmly planted in their mouths.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Threw a lot of small plastics around the shoreline gravel humps. No smallies, no wallies, no crappies. Just the whiskered variety.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Wanted to get off the water by about noon so I started back in a little before 11. The water temp was rounding 66 and on its way to 67. Couldn't keep the kitties off the minnows on the bottom, so I rigged up a "bobberhead jig rig"...with an Adjustabubble 5 feet above one of my bobberhead jigs...with a minnow on it. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Was fishing 7-8 feet of water and still catching cookie cutter kitties. Going through minnows fast.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Then, the bobber went down and my rod bent over in the baitrigger holder. The drag sounded off. This weren't no cookie cutter. The 23" wiper kept me busy for a few minutes. My first wiper of the year turned out to weigh just over 5 pounds. A good way to start.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Rebaited the bobberhead jig and tossed the rig back out. The chartreuse bobber had hardly touched down before it slipped under the surface again. And, once again, something big on the other end was bending my stick and stretching my string. Yeee Hawww. Another 5 pounder. Only this wiper had whiskers. A 24" daddy cat. Snapped a couple of pics and sent him back to take care of some of the girl kitties and make some more. Not many larger cats in Willard anymore and the little ones are better eating.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Already had my limit of decent size cats anyway, and I was headin' in to the marina. So, I packed it up and boogied. Water temp was almost 69 in the marina when I got out. Should be gangbusters this weekend.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]First time in the last ten trips that I did not pack my fillet knives. And, wouldn't ya know it, they finally had the fish cleaning station open.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lovely day, with lots of purty clouds left over from yesterday's rain. Just a light breeze a couple of times. No W. That's okay with me. Lots of birds too. The usual pelicans, gulls, terns and grebes. Plus, quite a few big black cormorants. I guess Locomotive Springs and other shallow trout ponds will be cleaned out soon.[/#0000ff]
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Nice wiper TD. That one might be tough to be beat the rest of the season.

I think I'm going to have to start lowering my expectations when I fish and see if I can enjoy the same kind of lackluster fishing you do.
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[cool][#0000ff]Say what?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You remind me of TubeBabe. She has had a run of bad luck lately. When I told her she had to have a more positive outlook before each trip she said..."Okay then, I'm POSITIVE I'm not gonna catch anything."[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lackluster? Never been accused of that before.[/#0000ff]
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Great Report Mr. T.

I was wondering if you could build a PVC fish holder with your mug shot as background? Attached to your tube of course...Not that your arm is not famous in these parts but.... this would make taking pictures easy because you could just hang'um and fire.

Just a little friendly suggestion from your friends at PVC World....

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Nice Wiper!

sorry to hijack this thread but,

So, I have a question for you I keep meaning to ask. You catch and eat more kitties than anyone I know. When I fillet catfish, often they bleed like I hit an aorta! I have read stuff of people "Bleeding" their fish before they filet. But I am pretty sure you don't.. So, what do you know on the subject. Some claim that they get much "Whiter" fillets, and they taste better when they bleed the kitty. I can see my fillet getting stained with blood and think "That's gonna make it taste bad"
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[#0000ff]"Lackluster? Never been accused of that before."[/#0000ff]

Yes, you are anything but lackluster. I think after being exposed to the amount of glitter, glow-in-the-dark paint, and other toxic materials in the tackletorium, you've got all the luster you'll ever need.

Again, very nice wiper for a morning when you did not have a lot of expectations.

I know the catfish aren't as big as you old timers say they used to be, but you seem to be catching a number of bigger than "cookie cutter" cats.
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[cool][#0000ff]If I am going to kill fish and keep them for awhile before "processing", I like to "gill and gut" to bleed them and to remove the internal organs that start the process of self digestion.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, fishing from a tube, I usually keep them alive in the basket...as you well know. I like 'em still floppin' when I make the first cut. Not istic...just like fresh fish fresher.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have long said that filleting catfish is like butcherin' a hog. As an old farm boy, I know about that one.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I keep a bowl of cold water...often with ice cubes...and I also keep the water running in the sink. When I remove a fillet, I give it a quick rinse and then plop it into the ice water...to rinse and to chill. Then, a third rinse before the refrigerator.[/#0000ff]
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Very Nice report Pat !!M.H.
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[cool][#0000ff]Every day is a new day on Willard...and most other waters. But, it is strange that on one trip we catch all "CC"s...and the next trip we catch a few larger ones as well. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No matter what anybody tells you (including me) about the "good old days", there were still a lot more small ones than big ones. However, the average was a few inches bigger.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have already caught several cats over 3 pounds out of Willard this year...with a couple over 5. Last year I caught one 6# male cat and few females over 20 inches. I would like to see the potential for some larger cats, but nature will establish its own level.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Two things I have begun trying to avoid...1. Dead fish pictures. 2. Full frontal facial pictures of myself.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some of us want justice...some want mercy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, if you need anything made out of PVC, I know a guy that makes stuff.[/#0000ff]
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great report and pictures TD. looks like tons of fun.
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. You oughtta try it sometime.[/#0000ff]
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I was a Willard today also and fishing south west corner with no luck. I caught a 8.5 lb carp that put up a good fight.
I talked to several others and most had one to three wipers fishing the middle of the lake/ No eyes.
You mention using minnows to catch cats. Are these the packaged minnows?
I started to fish the NE corner, but stayed on the south side.
When I got to the south marina it was open. (10AM)
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Good seeing you out there today Pat, from the sounds of it, we should have stayed closer to where you were. We ended up with three wiper and none were as big as yours. My pictures of you did not turn out nearly as good but here they are anyway.
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[cool][#0000ff]Sorry you didn't find the wipers. They can be tough to find and tough to catch sometimes. At least you got a "toothless golden walleye" to bend your stick. No matter how ugly they are, they do pull good.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I catch and freeze my own minnows. We have had quite a few discussions on them in the past. I am attaching a writeup I put together on minnows.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I mostly use chub minnows...from 3" to 5" long. I either hook them through the gill collar or back by the tail. They work well for all species in Willard, Utah Lake and for big trout in most lakes too.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey...at least you got a few fish. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As we discussed, the murky water and drop in temps from last week probably kept the fish activity down a bit. But, after a couple of warm days this weekend, the water should clear and the fish should start tearin' it up again.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]About those pictures. With your position, you had a lot of sun glare comin' at you. That explains the first picture. But that second one..."Does this tube make me look fat?" Sheesh![/#0000ff]
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Wow! Your article on minnows is great. I have read it once, but need to reread it several times to digest it all. I am a Tarheel and fished the ocean and sounds all my life (till I moved to Utah) and fresh water. I caught and used minnows for lots of different fish so I know they are a great bait.
I think I am now in the minnow collecting business.
Never tried it in Utah, but will very soon.
Thanks for an excellent written article that covers it all! Good fishing....
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