Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]TubeBabe and I met up with BFTer Hnaf at the So. Marina on Willard this morning about sixish. We got launched by about 6:30. Air temp 60 and water temp 70. Clear with a light breeze. My kinda conditions. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe caught the first kitty about 6:45 and the second a few minutes later. So, since she had the first fish jinx out of the way I could start fishing. Tossed out a minnow on one line and pitched a tandem jig rig on the other rod. Bang bang. Two kitties in quick succession. One on white plastic and the other on blue/clear sparkle plastic.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Then, a long dry spell for everybody. Saw a ton of shad on the sonar screen. They were thick at all depths. Probably why the fish were not more active. No need to feed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I started moving toward the hog farm...and my kitty fish honey hole. Paused briefly to get roughed up and released by a wiper. Hit my plastics, put the line over his shoulder and made line scream off my light reel. Silly inexperienced fish. Didn't know how to hang on.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Once I reached "the zone" I began getting regular "inquiries" on my bait rod. Added a couple of kitties to the basket and hollered to TubeBabe and Brian to come down and join in the fun. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I had my limit of 8 and was releasing fish by the time the other two in the mini floatilla got into kitty country. Then the bite only lasted a while longer as the wind came up a bit and kept changing directions. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By 10 AM the breeze from the SW was picking up and even though TubeBabe and I have motors on our tubes now we did not want to push our luck. So we started back. Brian...motorless...had caught the clue and was kicking his way back to the marina too. It took us another hour of fruitless fishing to make it inside. But we could have quit at 10 and not missed more than a couple of "pop and drops".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No skunks today. We all brought home dinner. TubeBabe finished with a respectable 7 and Brian got to fillet about 5 nice fat cookies for his table. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There were a few boats out of the So. Marina today but I did not really get to talk to anybody except a couple of folks that were pretty clueless...and fishless. Not sure how the day turned out for others around the lake. Us? We are always glad to find some cookie cutter kitties to play with. They usually turn a wiperless and wallieless day into a fun day...and some good eats.[/#0000ff]
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You are living in the future, today is 7/8/2010.. You get a little hot out there today... Drink enough water.... Nice fishing though........... great pics and story as always...
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[cool][#0000ff]Sorry, my calendar is running a bit fast.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My only excuse is that I slipped on the algae on the ramp and did a triple klutz...with a face plant on the pavement. I hate it when that happens.[/#0000ff]
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Just curious

What are those white things under your tubes in the "Prepare for blast off picture" they look like small boat buoys.
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I LOVE my motor!!![cool]
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Looks like the cats are getting larger. Unless its my wishful thinking.[cool]
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[quote ByrdmanUT]Just curious

What are those white things under your tubes in the "Prepare for blast off picture" they look like small boat buoys.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Good eye. Those are two boat bumpers I lashed onto the front underside to provide additional floatation for the battery and motor. Probably couldn't operate without them.[/#0000ff]
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[quote catfish-logic]Looks like the cats are getting larger. Unless its my wishful thinking.[cool][/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]It is true. The average "cookie cutter" has increased in size from 13 - 15" to over 16" in the last two years. Catching a lot more 18" and a few over 20". Just right for filleting and eating.[/#0000ff]
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Was a fun day out for sure. Slower to get going for me but ended well. Now back to getting ready to fry up some kittty for dinner with the family.
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you guys rock. thanks for sharing. [cool]
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Looks like allot of fun you three. Glad you got into the kitties because the wipers and walleye's are hard to come by this year even for you it looks like. Hoping the boils start up soon or I'm going to go nuts. [crazy]
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"Hoping the boils start up soon or I'm going to go nuts."

[cool][#0000ff]I hope you qualify for the special fishermen's rate at the "happy house". I am still kinda negative on the prospects for a banner wiper season this year. The overall wiper population seems to be down and the shad population is overabundant. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Stripers and wipers seem to have more wide open boils when the bait situation is scarcer. They get hungrier and they go berserk when they can find a school of shad to plunder. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was a similar situation last year...more bait than the predators could eat. Wipers could simply hang out near the huge schools of shad and have a snack whenever they got hungry. There were some boils at different spots around the lake, but nothing like in years past. The boils were usually smaller and shorter in duration. Some guys got into much better ones but anglers who have experienced the crazy action from years past were disappointed. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not looking like it will be much better this year. Yes, there will be boils, but how often and how big remains to be seen. So far the best wiper action was during the false spawn period in May when the fish schooled up near shore and in the marinas. Because they were so active and catchable then everybody was sure they would be easy pickin's for the rest of the year. So far this summer it has been only a modest harvest for some and zippo for a lot of other guys.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I got a confession. I have not caught a wiper yet this year either. I usually have quite a few on my fishing log by this time but I have only had a couple hooked and have not netted even ONE. But, I am not ready to jump off my float tube yet. Still a lot of good fishing time left before I have to go back on my meds.[/#0000ff]
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Those kitties at Willard are the best eating catfish in Utah....maybe elsewhere as well. They are even better than those I catch at Lake Powell. Successful trip!!

Enjoyable, interesting, informative fishing report and pictures. I see you also had great company with Delores and Brian. It is good to see that TubeBabe really enjoys her motorized Fat Cat.
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[cool][#0000ff]I heartily agree about the Willard kitties being the best...anywhere. I have sampled whiskerfish of all sizes...with all different methods of cooking...from all over the country. Tough to beat those "cookies". We just finished up a meal of garlic butter sauteed kitties over thick noodles...with the appropriate seasoning. Better than any fish dish from any restaurant I have ever had.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yes, Delores REALLY enjoys having the motor. She has developed a "trick knee" and the motor takes a lot of strain off that during a long day of fishing. Plus, she just plain likes being able to get to point B from point A a little faster. That can add some fishing time during a long day on the water when you can cut down your time between fishing spots.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]PS...I have a new design for the frame that will actually allow using a series 27 size battery. It does require using the large boat bumper floats to support the extra weight, but it is doable...even with my large mass in the front.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thinking about Jordanelle on Tuesday and Bunny Gulch on Thursday.[/#0000ff]
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Quote:Thinking about Jordanelle on Tuesday and Bunny Gulch on Thursday.

Hmm your thinking has got me thinking. I might need to check with work to see if they would miss me and then check with you to see what your plans are for Thursday.
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