Hit LB today. Tough launch. Had to back way out to get a good float and then use hip boots to walk back into the truck. Bit of excitment when I pulled the boat up on the gravel while I parked the truck. Turned back to the boat in time to see it slip out in to the channel. Lucky I still had hip boots on and was able to grab on to the trolling prop.
Headed over to the mouth of Benjamin slough close to the reeds. Used carp meat on both poles and picked up seven cats, largest was just over 6 pounds. Still looking for my first teen pounder. Tough year for me so far cuz I just can't find them where I have usually found them in years past. I'm just gettin' serious about so I hope to eventually find some of those big 'uns. Might try to find Bird Island tomorrow -- hope to find it before it finds me
. Maybe there is something going on out there.
About a half dozen boats there today. Looked like most of the guys went around by the orchard. Anybody finding any bigger cats around LB??
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Awesome day man! went the other day and no cats by the harbor just wb. I usually tend to get more cats just south of the orchards.
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Sounds like a good trip and some nice fishes. Wow - high water indeed - seems like the this excessive water year is really changing conditions - both for the harbors/launches - as well as the spring habitats.
Curious do you fish under a bobber, or off the bottom? Moving or stationary? Or maybe just mix it all up? My first goal this year was to surpass a 5lber, been there - done that, so 10lbs has gonna be the next mark. Seems like anything above 5 can put a hurt on a pole/reel! Fun tugs.
Ever camp over there? Wondering how the facilities are, hope to make a venture down there somewhere later this summer.
Thanks.
Coyote, Thanks for the come back.
My go-to bait for cats at LB has always been a 2x3 inch chunk of carp meat fished on the bottom with to weight and always with an open bail. I have had good luck with this set up over the years. It seems to get me past the mudders and usually into the bigger cats. I have tried fishing under a bobber this year in close to the reeds with a lot of the reeds and willows under the surface now it helps to avoid some of the snags. I have tried other baits but keep coming back to my old stand by. I have always been able to pick up a few low teen pound cats around the rocky shores and out by Bird Island. This year has thrown me a bummer so far but the year is still early. I'll figure 'em out in the next few weeks and find out where the big 'uns are hanging out. The water is as high as I have ever seen it and I think it is changing some of the usual hang outs for the cats.
Real nice campground at LB now. And... get this... it is free! Nice restrooms, grass, coverd picknic area and good parking. I have never camped there but I do see campers there from time to time. It's only 15 minutes from my home so I prefer to snuggle with the wife in my own sack. Another aversion I have for the area is the abundance of skeeters -- I have a limited supply of blood.
Good luck to ya.
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They have a guy living in an RV there who makes the rounds and collects camp site fees. I thought it was free as well, until he came over and asked me for $15.
The fee is also posted as you drive into the campground.
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Oops! Thanks Carp for setting me straight. I've seen that camp trailer there and thought it was some die-hard camper. Not surprised it is the local "collector." I guess the free access was just too good to last very long.
Thanks again.
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I was going to say- nothing is free in this world except the air that we breathe.
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