hey guys! i've never fished cutler before. i'm new to cache valley and wanna catch some cats. i also heard there is walleye bass and crappie. i want some of those too. any hint or tips for any species outta there would be awesome![fishin]
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Here is my 2 cents worth. The cats will be in the shallows once the water begins to warm. I have caught them on shrimp, carp meat, worms, livers, etc. I don't know much about the bass, walleye, and crappie fishing in Cutler, but I do know they are supposed to be there. I have heard from others having better luck for those species in the actual river more so than in Cutler itself. But that doesn't mean you can't catch them.
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Ditto what Bama said.
There are even smallmouth bass and bluegill in Cutler, but few and far between. The channels you have to search for, but they are plentiful along with all the blasted carp.
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I agree with Lava and Bama they are a bit tough to find but they are there the channels are the easiest to find for me and I usually fish the Bear River just up stream from the reservior. I have only caught walleye and channels with bait on Cutler even though I keep trying to figure out other ways to troll for them like Willard Bay. For me nightcrawlers are my favorite flavor it works for both cats and eyes plus I don't like the gross liver or rotten cat baits even though they work better and the mud cats will leave it alone a little better. Bass and Crappie will usually be around structure but that's hard to find and what is there gets fished often and most of the fisherman are keeping all they catch so the fisherie really cycles up and down. It was pretty good early this spring but I think they must have caught most of the fish because the pressure has really spread out. Hit the river before the runoff hits hard and then move to the shallow sloughs for the spawn for the cats and who knows on the walleye I'm still trying to get smart on them. I have seen eyes caught out of the reservoir but I can't catch them there yet. Maybe I need to figure out the side planner and a lindy rig. Just need more practice time. Well good luck and let me know how it goes. I live about a mile from Cutler so it's my home court but I still have a lousy record there. Later J
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And don't forget the MUDCATS! (rass-m-frass-m-damned little whiskery pests!)
Cutler had been a mean mistress to me for lots of years. Start putting together some locations, some patterns, and they started to produce.
Last year after going from "nuthin but mudcats" - couldn't even catch a carp! To finding a footlong channel (woohoo- not so much a Cookie Cutter, as a tiny morsel! Niblets) to finally getting into some decent channels - broke the 5lb mark many times last year, this year I'll crack the 10# - mark it!
I also found smallmouth, largemouth, crappie, sunfish and bluegills - as said - more in the Bear than Cutler proper - BUT they do connect up, so. I even managed to catch carp - when I meant to!
Walleye is the target 'de jour for this year!
I'm hoping to hit Benson Friday afternoon for a first float. Hoping we've had enough warm days to get my cats moving!
Shoot me a pm if you want. I could help you identify some of the shore access spots. If you ever want to come for a float - I could (almost) guarantee some fish in the boat.
Yote what ya guaranteeing? I tried it last Thursday thinking I was going to break the code. Ended up glad for the 7 mudcats that broke my skunk. The guy in the blue Avalanche that fishes all the time out here had nailed two nice bass at the marina bridge but the rest of us didn't do so well and I put some time into it that day. Let me know which way you head Friday. Later J
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Quote:The guy in the blue Avalanche that fishes all the time out here had nailed two nice bass at the marina bridge
That guy was out there yesterday evening fishing. He is always out there.
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Yup he's out fishing most of the time and he's a dang good fisherman so I think he really puts a hurting on the fish. But guess I'm jealous that it's not me out fishing or feeling bad that he's caught all the good fish before I get out after them. I know he knows all the good spots so watch where he goes and then fish them after he's moved on to Newton. He works his way around the reservoir fishing spots until it cools off then he moves on. Wish this area supported a larger population of fish so pressure didn't make this much difference but it sure seems to. I'm pushing for lower limits on Cutler so one person won't catch them all at least for crappie and bass. I don't think anyone needs to catch and keep 5 gallon buckets full of fish. Just my opinion. Later J
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Had to try it tonight so I ran down at 7:45 and fished for half an hour. Missed a bass or crappie strike on a jig but caught 5 mudcats on a crawler. Couldn't keep them off even with great big gobs of crawlers on the hook, but they at least keep me from being skunked. Crazy things were hitting like channels tonight they were soft mouthing it and carrying it away before they would get it into their mouths enough to set a hook. It was kind of fun even if they were small. Now that is one species that needs to be caught by the bucket fulls and taken home. Guess I need to take my own advice and not throw them all back.
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Haha! I hate those little guys. I am going to try and head out there Friday evening after I get out of class. We will see what happens.
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Good luck, are you floating or bank tangling? I may sneak out again Friday as well. Are you starting from the marina or off the river? I've been working south of the marina and think I may try the river next time. Lots of carp jumping last night after sundown and tons of birds it's a cool time to be out enjoying the area. Have fun. J
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I've heard a quick toss over the shoulder is affective. I've also heard they make great bait. I'm not advocating these options it's just hearsay.
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So is pet food considered a legal use? I have a couple cats that would probably eat them at least they sure like entrails from other fish. Might help with the cat food bill too. Guess I need to study the regs. Don't really like to handle those slimy critters any more than I have too so I'll probably keep tossing them back. Are you starting to catch any channels yet? Just wondering if the bites on and I'm missing them? Later J
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Yote are you river or pond floating Friday? If I can sneak out maybe we'll cross paths again been a long time. Good luck. J
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are you talking about cats or carp? im sure a cat would make great musky bait!
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I will be in my little Coleman Crawdad. Not sure where exactly out there I will head, but I will be putting in at Benson.
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I'll watch for ya. I want to try the river but it's a long float by boat and I haven't got my motor mounted on my toon yet and I don't think I can kick hard enough to keep a head of the current. So I may end up tooning south of the marina. I took the boat last week and it's a lot of work for one person. Plus I need to change the oil and impeller before I use the boat too much. So I'll be in a 6' blue toon or a trihull with a Merc main motor and a yamaha trolling motor. Good luck. J
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[quote kochanut]are you talking about cats or carp? im sure a cat would make great musky bait![/quote]
the slimy kind of cat or the furry kind?
Maybe THAT's what I shoulda done with those kittens that found ME!
I've heard mice, gophers and other rodents (yes - I called CATS a rodent! You can put a "DAM" in front of that if you want!) make great bait - specially for the bigguns!
Ducklings too - might fine tasty treat!
Welp - I was hoping to bring my boat to work and head straight from there tomorrow, even cut out a bit early, but I fear (after the day I had today!) that plan may get undercut for works "tasks". Hateful - especially on a Friday - with weather like THIS! Lordy!!!
Hey Skunky - I have seen some of the bridge bangers filling up buckets of mudcats, so some folks are doing their part! I find they don't go after my shrimp offers as much as they do the crawlers.
I did say ' "almost" guarantee'. Hit the trestle last week, and despite watching the mudders surface and dive, and carp flopping around - I lived up to YOUR name! [pirate]
No buckets of Crappie for this boy!
I do wonder about some of the high limits on some panfish. As you say - maybe they should consider changing limits. I can see how thinning out the many perch can help a fishery, but you'd think there might be more variance from place to place, based on population success, or lack there of.
They did reduce the take on Wipers at Willard this year - so it's happening somewhere. But that's on a managed species.
I'll bet there's a whole lot more crappie out in them waters than I'll ever realize! Been wondering where they go to spawn. Anyone out there have ideas on that? So much of Cutler is so muddy - I thought they like a gravelly area to do their "thing". The Channel cats seem to like the shallow muddy areas well enough when they are feeling frisky.
That area south of the Benson bridge does have some rocky shorelines. Always thought I should be able to find some fish there, but really haven't!
Maybe I'll see some of you out there! Get out before the "W" comes!