Can't find the big ones.
Been out the last few days and caught 40+ cats and none of them have been over 23 inches long. All but a couple of them have been 20-23 inches long?? Where 's the big ones? June of years past has always produced cats in the 25+ range and 30+ cats were not uncommon. Seems to be a glut of cats in the "cookie cutter" size. The big dark bulls should be out and about this time of year but I sure can't find 'em. Maybe so many cats in the lake that they are stunted in the mini-20 inch range? ...nah, probably not. Maybe not love time yet.... nah, many of the ones I have caught have battle scars. Defective fisherman?... eh, could be.
Anybody ketchin any big cats? Any ideas as to why so many cookie cutters? Any help TD?
Don't need any input from you guys up north -- not sure I can take another year of bragging and gloating If you happen to luck out and win the cat contest again. [frown]
BLK
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[#0000FF]Big cats are old cats. Fewer and fewer of them as they are harvested. The Utah mentality seems to be kill all the big old spawners just to show off...regardless of species. Removing even just a few each year has an impact on the total numbers.
The big males are also much fewer in numbers than the big females. I am guessing the ratio is at least 10 to 1...and maybe even greater as they grow older.
There might be some males with recent battle scars showing up but I suspect that a lot of them are still spawning or guarding nests. Water temps just went over the 65 degree mark that triggers them to do the deed.
The longest fish will usually be males. But a female of equal size will outweigh the male by a factor of 20 to 30%...especially before she lays her eggs.
Most of the big cats I have caught or witnessed over the years are taken during daytime hours...in early spring or late fall. When the water is cooler the cats forage during the warmest time of day...usually late afternoon to evening. During the hot part of summer the biggest cats...especially males...seem to feed more after dark. And they sometimes come into very shallow water looking for distressed or dead fish and crawdads...and even rodents and birds.
There have been quite a few cats over 30" caught out of Utah Lake this year. Sadly, most of the ones I know about were killed and taken home. They ain't gonna get no bigger.
The carp seiners routinely bring in cats over 20# in their nets. Virtually all of those go back in the water and survive.
The abundance of smaller cats is due to the previous years of higher water levels. When the lake levels flood more rocks and vegetation there is a bigger spawn and better recruitment. The abundant "cookie cutters" are likely from the two high water years of 2010 and 2011. Then the lake dropped a bunch last year...and this year. So we will probably find fewer fish but bigger fish in the next 3 to 5 years.
There has been a lot more effort by the Utah Lake Commission, DWR and others to promote more fishing on Utah Lake. The lake produces well, when healthy, and kicks out plenty of fish for everybody. But without selective harvest the catfish are subject to the same thing that happens to trout. Everybody keeps all the bigger fish and they disappear from the mix. That means fewer will ever reach the largest attainable size.
I seldom keep any cat over about 22" and 3#. The smaller ones are better eating and I like to think that by releasing the larger ones...especially the big males...I am furthering the cause of future good cat fishing.
I seldom fish for the big fish. But I get several every year over 30" and over 10#. Always fun but not necessary to consider it a good trip. In days of old I DID launch some big cat campaigns. I fished with big tackle and big baits. Not as many bites but the bites I got were usually bodacious.
My prediction is for a good summer of small and medium cats...with a few up to 30". Then, if the lake has dropped a lot, late September and October will see some 3 footers plus. I might even be tempted to launch a "gorilla floatilla".
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I have yet to see a true 3 footer from UT lake. It would be an epic day!!
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[#0000FF]The best I have done in recent years is a 32 incher that weighed just over 12#. I have seen pics of a couple of yardlongs last year. Big and fat...close to 20#. Those went back for you to find and catch. I lost one that big at Lincoln Beach about 3 years ago. Old fish forgot how to hang on.
Unfortunately, I have also seen pics of other bigguns that were dried out on someone's lawn.
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Thanks TD.... good info and much appreciated. My best this year has been a couple that went just a tad over 30. I've had a couple on that I sure would like to have had a closer look at but they became.... the ones that got away.
I'm going to try a night session soon just see if I can find and capture one of those big boys... if luck is with me I'll do a brief photo session and then chuck it back in the lake. I'm with on the fun of rasslin' with a big cat... kinda like havin' a pig on the end of your line. When they make a run it hard to turn them. Strong fish. I keep the ones I catch in my live well long enough to take a few pics and then release them. They seem to be a hardy lot and they tolerate a little abuse with no apparent ill effects.
If you have room for a boat in your flotilla this fall I'll be there. Thanks again for the info.
BLK
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Got lucky enough to feel a tug from this big fella in early may. Oh, and he still swims.
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BLK - Really? I've seen you catch some big ones out by Lincoln beach, but it sounds like you're talking more QUANTITY of big ones.
utmuddguy and you seem to know the Utah Lake spots pretty well. I went out with utmuddguy last week and he knows his spots, he caught a few good ones.
I spend most of my time up @ The Jordan River. From 10pm - 2am we hardly catch a Channel less than 3lbs and the bite is more frequent, so I can say I've validated the "big cats come out at night" claim for myself. I don't know the spots, but night cat-fishing on Utah Lake could be some fun (hard for the kiddos to stay out late im sure).
I'm still looking for that 30" myself. Good luck!
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[#0000FF]You are right about cats being hardy enough to withstand being handled and/or kept in a livewell for a while. Not like wimpy trout. And both pike and muskies are also difficult to revive sometimes after a prolonged battle or being out of water for even a short time.
I have seen cats come back to life and swim away after being left out in the sun until they dried out. I have also caught a couple of cats that were trailing stringers from their mouths. Houdini cats.
Shoot me a PM sometime after about the middle of September and we can plan an assault on the mega kitties. Here's a pic of a 32 incher I got near Lindon in October a couple of years ago.
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ULC- The big ones have been avoiding me this year. The best time for me has always been when the water temps hit that mid-60s mark -- not so this year. Still early though and I'll be after them as often as I can. I do fish mostly out of Lincoln 'cause it is so close to home. I can be on the water in 15 minutes after leaving home -- it helps with gas at $4 a gal.
Good info on the night fishing. I have only tried it once. last year, and in nearly proved to be fatal due to blood loss from skeeter bites. (unprepared). Might make a run for Bird Island and see if it has a smaller skeeter population. Will report. Good luck to you on the Jordan.
TD-- Got my calendar marked and I plan to take you up on that offer to go in search of some big ones. Thanks again for your willingness to share your knowledge of catfishology. Always helpful.
BLK
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[#0000FF]There does seem to be more of a skeeter problem around the shoreline than out at the island. But there are still some out there. So dose up good and wear extra layers of clothing even though it is hot. West Nile Virus is not something you wanna have as a souvenir of a good fishing night.
I suspect you know the underwater contours of the island fairly well, but a bit of advice for those not familiar with Bird Island...get there before dark and move very slowly. There are shallow underwater fingers and humps that eat props. Make sure you know exactly where you are and go out the same way you came in. Not a good place to learn in the dark...or even in murky water. Here's an old pic of the island at low water. Gives you an idea of the potential for prop disaster.
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I spent a lot of time last summer/fall at Bird Island. Yes, I learned the hard way and banged up my prop especially on that south east "finger." I had to be at least 200 yards out from the island and still hit it! Luckly I wasn't going to fast. As TD said, go slow and go in/out as you came. Not as much but still enough bugs out there to drive you nuts! I just like it out there because the power boats stay away and a lot less people obviously. The carp and cats just group up out there and fishing was always great. Only managed to pull 1 monster over 30" last summer on a small pink jig! Happy fishing and lets find those bad boys!
PS. TD, wish I knew about the island contours last summer but live and learn!
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When you wish upon a star...makes no difference who you are...it never works.
They say that "experience is the best teacher." I can add to that it is also the most expensive teacher.
Speaking of the power squadron...and Bird Island...I was privileged to watch some dimbulb in a big boat try to show off to a couple of us anglers tucked inside that long point. He came roaring in and we tried to wave him off. He waved back...but didn't use all the fingers on his waving hand. We 
d as he tore off his motor when he hit the ridge. Unfortunately a couple of his inebriated passengers sustained some damage too. Seemed like it took forever for the ranger boat to make it out there after we called it in. Sure, we coulda towed him back to Provo Harbor but we din't. We had launched out of Lincoln Beach and didn't have a big towing type craft. Anyway, the fish were biting and he had brung it on himself. Payback is a you know what.
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Love that story, not only did he have big repairs but probably had a bui as well. [cool]
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[quote Boatloadakids]Can't find the big ones.
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Don't need any input from you guys up north -- not sure I can take another year of bragging and gloating If you happen to luck out and win the cat contest again. [frown]
BLK[/quote]
Oh carp! And I was SO winding up as I read your post![:p]
I was just gonna say ya gotta fish farther north, head to the north end up UL, and keep on going!
StegoKitty! I think you've gotta find the old ones!
I think UL has more of a shore, and the main body of the lake drops off and gets deeper. While Cutler has a lot more consistently shallow water 4-8' of muddy bottom blues. Except the channels where it's deeper, or certain locations, bridges - where it drops more. Both lakes are similar in having large expanses of open water.
I don't know if I'm right or wrong, but I prefer to fish the edges - especially this time of year. Up against the reeds mister!
I especially target pockets, back into seriously sick shallow water. Kinda water if you were float tubing - you'd be walking in the mud. My rig I can still float in 1ft of water.
Love structure if I can find it. Lots of logs and jams around. River is different - there it's breaks in current, or even off the river back into the sloughs. Actually found some of my biggest
off the river than on. But the arms, the pockets, places where waters connect. Lots of times at the edge of a back channel - they seem to be on cruise control.
And there's the bigger baits bigger fish notion. I think alot of my missed ones were tied to having such a big bait on a relatively small hook. I could, should try to use double, triple rigs. But I don't like when a big fish swallows it deep. Find I hook more lips with bobbers. More gulps and guts on the bottom, runner pole.
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I think this was a 25"incher (or was is 25#[
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The bigger ones are too hard on my wimpy electric knife. I most prefer the 3-4lbers, decent size filet, good fight. The 1 footers are barely big enough to be worth a filet. But once your into cats over 2ft, they probably do more to keep swimmimg.
But really - think about how big a hunk of chicken liver a snoot like that could suck up! I couldn't even enter it in the contest, already had it beat, no bump. [cool][
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Quote: TD sez he's seen them
[#0000ff] bring in cats over 20# in their nets[/#0000ff]
Dude - I think you misspelled that. I'm guessing you really meant 20", not 20#. Now if they were netting the Bear Refuge, I could see that. [pirate][shocked]
Let me know when you guys plan the big kitty trip, I'd love to tag along. Also, just curious, could you camp on Bird Island if you wanted to?
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You could camp there but it would be comfortable! All rocks and a LOT of birds. Unless you were on a covered cot then maybe! Some can rough it out more but I wouldn't out there. Might as well head back to Lincoln beach and sleep on the grass then head back out! If you do post up! I'd be interested to hear how it went!
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Haha, I think I just may have to give it a shot one of these weekends. Would anybody else be up for the challenge?
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Because it sounds ridiculous - I think I'd be down, I mean how many people can say they camped out on the legendary "Bird Island"? It would go down in Utah Lake fishing history![laugh]
Eh I could change my mind. So who else would be open to the idea?
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Yote-- I knew you couldn't resist coming back with a little of your northern jazz..... and it's always welcome.[
] Ain't gonna help though, the south is going to come on strong over the next couple of weeks.
Sounds like we are fishing the same areas in different waters. I like the areas up close to the reeds and some of the deeper areas with rocky bottoms. I fish more on the bottom and without a bobber unless I am in a real rocky area like Bird Island. I've lost a small fortune in hooks to those BI rocks. Also did the rock discovery thing just one time with my prop and paid the $200 fine.[frown] I go in nice and easy with the electric at about the 4 foot depth now. Have never been on the island... kinda looks like an ankle snapper with all the rocks. You would definitely need a really big hat or an umbrella. I have had the birds drop greetings many times while I have been anchored 50 yards out.
I'll have to admit that you northern guys are doing pretty good so far. Bamaboy has always been tough and it doesn't look like he even has his tools out yet. Still lots of time and lots of kitties to be caught.
I'll be after 'em for the next few days with a night session planned for Fri. night. Check back and I'll show you one of those 20 pounders TD was referencing.
BLK
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I have fished/slept in my boat anchored next to Bird Island if that counts. I have also walked on Bird Island, but wouldn't think to sleep on it. Those birds squawking all night would drive you nuts and with all of those bird droppings Bird Island definitely doesn't smell like roses.
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