Fishing Forum

Did a repeat with different family members on Utah Lake today. My wife and I took my son and my grandson. We just about had the Utah Lake State Park and Utah Lake all to ourselves today.

Carefully made some chicken liver balls out of cotton cheese cloth last evening, only to have them fall off of where I had them ready to go in my bait fridge so they got left home.[frown] That left us with minnows and crawlers.

Crawlers weren't working quite as well today and we also missed lots of bites with the large minnows that we had. We managed to catch a large white bass, which provided the best bait, by far, for us today.

Tried out some new special circle hooks that I ordered online from Cabela's, that were made especially for catfish. Not sure what to expect, but just less than 1/3 of the catfish still swallowed the circle hook (they all got invited home) and the others were nicely hooked in the corner of their mouths. Another great day of catching. Still nothing huge with the largest going just over 20 inches.

Had an interesting experience with the boat. Got the boat on the trailer and noticed a large stream of water coming out of the boat. Looked to see what was going on and somehow the bottom (the boat has two) hull plug had fallen out. Someone must have hooked the snap handle with their fishing line or perhaps the fishing net and dislodged it. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the boat floated fine with all of the water in the hull and we never noticed a drop of water inside of the boat. I have previously tried to find a 1/2 inch T handle type plug(which would be more secure) rather than the shap-handle type.

Now I need to get down there with some fishing buddies (rather than family members) so that I can reel in a catfish. In two trips I have personally landed one mud cat.
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Sounds like another great trip Kent. I took my daughter and grandson out for their first ever catfish trip Monday. As was expected, my grandson threw his brand new spiderman rod in the water. Two year olds do that. I casted a Kastmaster out and got it back.My daughter caught her biggest fish ever,,,four times. The biggest was about six pounds. Most were about 17 inchers.Lots of fun. I got to reel in two fish. Just because we got a triple and my daughter was busy with the big one. Cant wait to try it again.
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Bob, I hear you. This was the first time either my son or grandson had fished for catfish. Sure glad the kitties were cooperative. They are fun to catch and a hard-fighting fish.
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I agree, when I caught my first catfish last year it was quite a fight. I never had experienced that type of fighting before with other types of fish. Fun times!
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Hey Kent,
I forgot to tell you...it doesn't matter how good you repair and seal the hull if your drain plug falls out! []

Sounds like a fun trip!

Randy
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[quote N.E.T.O.]

Hey Kent,
I forgot to tell you...it doesn't matter how good you repair and seal the hull if your drain plug falls out! []

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Very true, but it does matter how good one repairs the floor. No springs in the floor this time and as a result zero water inside of the boat.
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[quote N.E.T.O.]Hey Kent,
I forgot to tell you...it doesn't matter how good you repair and seal the hull if your drain plug falls out! [/quote]

That's funny stuff Randy. The new hull work did look good on Saturday though, but I agree that it doesn't make a difference if you have missing drain plugs.

Nice job on the kitties again Kent.
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Note to Kent. Also be sure the handle of the boat plug is pointing up. [][]
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[quote Coldfooter]

Note to Kent. Also be sure the handle of the boat plug is pointing up. [][]

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Undoubtedly the safest way to put it in, but still not absolutely fool proof. Sure wish they made a 1/2" T style plug.
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I'll check and see what I might have for ya Kent..[sly]
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Kent,

Good to hear you are catchimg some cats. I'm a little perplexed why your cats are swallowing the hooks though. Me and my family have caught well over 200 catfish this year and have not had even one swallow a hook. Circle hooks are all I use. We are leaving the barb well exposed, using a 2/0 hook and only let them run about 10 feet. We then reel fast in the opposite direction they are traveling and only set the hook when we feel resistance. I can't remember the last time a had a kitty swallow the hook. It hasn't been in the last three years and well over 1000 fish. Maybe I just have the touch

Randy

ps. For the lurkers out there, I only keep 8 fish per trip if I keep any at all.
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[cool][#0000ff]How are those in your aquarium doing? Are they eating all the fathead minnows?[/#0000ff]
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[quote slayerace]

We are leaving the barb well exposed, using a 2/0 hook and only let them run about 10 feet... Maybe I just have the touch

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[#0000ff]Thanks Randy. I am also using 2/0 circle hooks. I try to leave lots of hook exposed. I have been letting them run further than 10 feet sometimes (because we seem to miss lots of bites if we don't) and perhaps that is the problem. Are you missing many bites? [/#0000ff]
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[quote TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]How are those in your aquarium doing? Are they eating all the fathead minnows?[/#0000ff]

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Randy, I'll hold him down while you spank him. On second thought, Pat's a pretty big boy, how 'bout you put him over your knee and spank him and report how it went (assuming you live to tell about it).[]
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[cool][#0000ff]Hey, let's not get kinky. No spankings. I ain't into S & M. Maybe some M & M's. (Do catfish eat those?)[/#0000ff]
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Yeah I miss a few, but when you're having forty fish days it doesn't matter much. On June 30th my wife and I caught over 40 fish in 2 1/2 hours. We only used one white bass. I think at one point I had caught 12 cats on one piece.

Randy
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