Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]Spent some quality time with fellow moderator Kent and his lovely wife Kathy at the Knolls this morning. Kent had fished all along the west side from his boat previously, but had not checked it out from the shoreline, to see if there was satisfactory launching for his folding boat. There was and he did.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Since I was tubing, I got away a few minutes before Kent and Kathy got launched. Didn't make much difference. The heavy winds the day before had turned the water a sucky brown color...with green (algae) topping. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp at launch was a nice 73, but the fish had all departed from the shoreline area. Didn't get any hits or see any fish on sonar until reaching at least 7 feet deep. Then I had one pop and drop on a minnow. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Kent and Kathy followed my suggestion to use the electric motor and go out to about 8 feet. But, the first spot they anchored up in the light breeze did not hold any active fish. As I was fishing in shallower, for white bass or walleye, I was not yet out in the prime kitty country so I couldn't help them find the zone. I suggested that they move west, just off the point and find some 8 foot water there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]"Bendo" came Kent's voice across the walkie talkie...before it died. He had hooked his first nice kitty...five pounds plus. Shortly thereafter Kathy also had a bent stick and waged a fearsome battle with a hefty kitty of about 6 pounds. That made her day. Kent forgot the camera so I kicked close enough to take care of the photo op.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Now that I was in cat country I started focusing on the kitties. Bang...zing. A big minnow was munched and the hook was set...into a feisty little 12 incher. Give me a break. My first fish was my smallest of the day. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thereafter the fishing was slow, but produced a fish often enough to keep things interesting. Kent and Kathy both got a few more, and I banged some good sized ones to offset the dinker I had started with. There were several in the 20 inch (3#) size class, a couple more smaller ones and a 23", 25" and 27" to give me some exercise too. The biggest one really whupped on me. A big dark fish. Daddy cat. Let 'em all go today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Had one white bass on the tube apron before it bounced back into the water. Kent caught one whitie on worms. I had quite a few hits on lures that I could not hook and did hook and land a toothless golden walleye (carp) that slurped a small jig and took off like a bonefish on the flats. He was invited home for bait on future excursions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Only light breezes all morning. Lovely. Would have been better without all the soup left over from yesterday. Fish were really scattered...from 4 feet to 9 feet deep. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp was up to 78 when we hit the "ramp" about noonish. [/#0000ff]
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Sounds like great fun! I was gonna head out today .After hearing from my boss that a water main had blew about 3:30 am, i knew i had the day off and had everything ready to go. But 6 hours later and sleeping through my alarm, i wasnt really in the mood..

Those are great pics and a great report as usual. What was your main bait? carp or white bass meat?
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[cool][#0000ff]I only used minnows today. Did not even take any white bass or carp meat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I took a picture of how I have been rigging to reduce the number of stolen baits. Had a few pop and drops today but only one "swing and miss".[/#0000ff]
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We caught ours on whole large chubs and fresh chunks of white bass. Thanks Pat for a fun day. Can't remember the last time I left the camera home. I even checked my bag and thought I saw it in there, must have seen my depth sounder that is in a somewhat similar case. We planned on fishing from the shore around Lincoln Beach on the way home, but after stuffing ourselves at Leslie's Family Tree Restaurant in Santaquin, and after seeing a slight breeze blowing almost directly towards shore I decided to just keep on driving. It is amazing how full Utah Lake is, especially for August.
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[cool]Sounds like a fun day for you guys today. I put some aquaseal on my air bladder for my tube this a.m. We'll see tonight if it holds. I will be fishing Friday and Saturday a.m.'s out of my tube. I'm debating about going after those bitty kittys at Willard with you guys or the bitty 'gils at Mantua or U.L.'s Westside. I'm thinking about hitting that area. I've only fished it once. Is this "point" you are talking about from the shore, or is it an underwater point that just emerges out there somewhere? Also, is it South of the launch area? Just curious. Feel free to send a p.m. on this if you'd prefer. Thanks.
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[cool][#0000ff]Good luck with the repairs. Hope you are back in business.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The "point" is where the high rocky hills of the Knolls comes down into the water...to the west of where the "road" ends. There are a couple of spots that are nice camping spots, with trees, but on the weekends they are usually full of "international" folks partying and littering the area with beer bottles and disposable diapers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]While the point is generally some of the better fishing, and has a steeper drop off into deeper water, there are plenty of fish straight out off the easily accessible launch area in the pictures. We usually kick straight out (south) until we find the depth the fish are holding and then kick west toward the point. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you have not been tubing a lot, you might wanna stay closer to your launch area on your next trip. It is quite a ways to kick if you are not toughened up, and if the wind comes up from the SE...as it often does...you can have trouble making it back. [/#0000ff]
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Thanks for the tips, Pat. Inflated the air bladder this a.m. and it appears to be fixed. I know where that is now. I fished the knolls in like April or May of '07 and stayed too close to the willows/reeds along the shorline. Just kicked West for a long ways with my bait below a bobber and casted jigs for whites. Got some bites on the jigs, but no whities or kitties to show for it. If I go there tomorrow, I'll be sure to go out deeper first.

Good luck at Willard. I'm going to hit Mantua early Saturday launching off the ramp at 6 or 6:15 or so staying until noon or whenever the breeze picks up or I tire out. You are invited if you are freed up at that time. Any other BFT floaters too would be welcome and it would be fun. Or, I'll have fun going solo spanking the bluegills...
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[cool][#0000ff]Timing is everything. Jigs or bait below a bobber, next to the reeds, is the way to go in May and into June. Once the whites finish spawning and leave the shallows, it still works good for catfish at times. But, sometimes the cats go deep, especially after a big windstorm...or when the water is kept muddy by constant bad weather.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is always good to go prepared for anything and then to use your sonar and good fishing skills to find out where the fish are and what they want. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]YOU CAN'T CATCH THEM WHERE THEY AIN'T.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Can't make Mantua on Saturday. I still haven't hit it yet this year. That's criminal. Book me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Too many places to fish and not enough time to fish them all...as much as I would like.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just about time to start my fall walleye campaign. Gonna ketch walleyes from at least 4 different waters before iceup. Also, gonna ketch at least one over 10 pounds...but would settle for two five pounders. I got no pride.[/#0000ff]
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Great looking Kats. I've been reading all the information you have been putting out in the forum TubeDude now I will be putting your teachings to the test sunday at the knolls.
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