Fishing Forum

[cool]Not anxious to fight the typical Saturday recreation crowd on Saguaro Lake, TubeBabe and I ditched work Friday afternoon and went fishin'. It was 102 degrees (air temp) when we launched our Fat Cats at 2 PM. Water temp was just under 84. Not a day for hypothermia.

There were some noisy kids in the water, and swimmers that had to splash out to see what we were doing, but otherwise a calm and restful trip. We had both caught a couple of yellow bass within the first few minutes and it looked like we might have a good afternoon.

At 2:20, I hung into a hard-fighting channel cat. It ran several times, taking yards of 6# line off my light baitcaster on a light spinning rod. I finally persuaded it to crawl in my net and then dive into my basket. It would prove to be the largest fish of the day, at 25" and 6.5#.

While I continued to catch yellow bass with some regularity, TubeBabe was missing a lot of strikes from the touchy fish. I finished the afternoon with somewhere between 35 to 40 yellow bass, and one more feisty channel cat of 5.1 pounds. TubeBabe estimated that she only caught about a dozen yellow bass. Between us, we kept about a dozen of the yellows for scampi style fillets.



My two cats, on the seat, and a few yellows for the scampi pan.



Two female channel cats, both about the same length. One weighed only 5.1 pounds, the other 6.5. The difference? The fish on the left is newly spawned out, while the one on the right is laden with roe. We have not caught any males for a couple of weeks, since they are locating nests and setting up housekeeping for the "kids".

P.S. This is TubeBabe's first posted digital picture. We now have "his and hers" matching digital cameras (Olympus D-550). Too bad she couldn't have had a better subject. Also too bad she didn't have any big fish for me to shoot for her. (Bwa-ha-ha-ha!)

TubeDude
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Hey TubeDude,

Nice fishies. Looks like you're really popular with the ladies. In this case, TubeBabe won't be jealous either!

JapanRon
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[cool]Hey, JR, I gotta tell ya that TubeBabe wasn't jealous of the kitty cuties, but she does get surly when I outfish her.

Every once in awhile I have to shake all the big ones off so that she can get top rod honors. It helps keep peace in the family. Only problem is, she actually believes she whupped me and she is insufferable until the next trip...when I restore the true balance of power.

Are you still planning a trip north?

TubeDude
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Dude,

As you know I already posted a response on the "other" forum, but I just wanted to warn you that if I'm ever down that way, Babe better hid you in the broom closet because I'm going to come looking for you!

Also wanted to say that your recipe sounds awfully good and if I can ever find the patience or someone to do it for me I want to try it out!!! I need some yellow basssss!!!!!

P.S. Buying a vowel obviously wouldn't have helped. Have you ever tried em?

[crazy][crazy][crazy]Leaky

[cool]Have I tried the Robo Tubes...or vowels? No to both. However, the whole drop shot thing, with a wide variety of plastics, is proving to be a real way to catch bass when finesse is the ticket.

Your style of fishing them is good too. The low and slow method always gets those basses excited. When you can see them smack it, it makes it even more fun.

Whether it is up there or down here, we owe each other a day on the water. I look forward to making it happen.

TubeDude
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Hey TubeDude,

Yes, I'm still going. The weather is just not doing what it's supposed to do up there yet. And......the fishin' is so hot here right now, I'll fish most days next week then check the river conditons again.

Hope Sunday found you guys out on the water again. I just had my 4,000th independant term anniversary about 2 hours ago so you can imagine I'm mentally zonked and will be for a day or two. Gotta rest so's to be in tipy top condition for that 35lb WSB, 25lb YT, and monster 8lb Calico day at Catalina next week! ha ha ha

Your friend,

JapanRon
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[cool]Nope. Didn't get out any more over the weekend. Needed to do some things to get ready for an out-of-towner to the White Mountains in Arizona next weekend. Going up to ShowLow and Fools Hollow Lakes, where there are multiple species...including big walleyes. State record 16 pounder came out of Show Low last November. It will be full moon and all that, but it will also be 20 degrees cooler than it is in Phoenix. That's good enough for me, even if I do have to put the waders back on.

Hope you hit one of those MONSTER days at the island. May you have lots of candy in the tanks and hungry whites and yellows.

Sounds like you are making some serious progress on the "project". Your wife would probably be feeling neglected...if you had one.

TubeDude
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ha hah... have fun on your out o' towner. just cause it is colder does not mean you have to wear waders. Go a head.. free ballin' in the frigid is good for ya!!!! o'le polar bar you!!!!
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[cool]Hey, where have you been, Minh? (poetic) Hope you have been getting to go fishing.

Sorry. I WILL be wearing waders. I go fishing to enjoy myself...not to see how much discomfort I can withstand. I have had enough cold water on my crotch, with leaky waders. I do not need to guarantee speaking with a high voice by not wearing waders in that cold mountain water.

TubeDude
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fish senses thru the lateral line... I truly think ours are there. Therefore, wearing waders reduces the reception of electrical impulses emitted by our fishy friends.. that is just my scientific explanation for not wearing waders...LOL!!!! once the chattering of the teeth slows down you can practically feel the fishes swim by!!!!!
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[cool]I prefer my sonar system for locating fish. It saves a lot of wear and tear on my teeth. The dentist makes enough money from me and TubeBabe as it is.

TubeDude
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Where were those darn cats hiding when im there? I have sworn a oath to have a excellent day on saguaro and will be something i do before i die. haha nice pics tube.
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[cool]If you are down in October, plan on both lotsa yellows and a few BIG channels. Maybe even a flathead, if you wanna fish after dark on either Bartlett or Roosevelt. A fifty pound flattie will pull you all the way back to Utah.

TubeDude
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hehe sounds like a worth while attempt in my book
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I like your shirt TubeDude! haha its COOL!!![laugh][laugh]




joe
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[cool]Oh, you noticed that huh? Most folks wouldn't believe an old fudd like me would wear a funky shirt like that. I got that in Houston several years ago. I guess I shoulda looked for one with a bite out of a donut or something, but that kinda tells the story.

TubeDude
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haha....its a cool shirt and i wish I had one.




joe
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