I fished from the shore in Goshen Bay this morning... pretty dead, not even a nibble.
I noticed a fresh layer of bright green algae forming along the shore line... the beginning of a second bloom?? Sure hope not.There were a couple of Asian guys fishing in the same area but I was near suicidal with depression when I left so I did not stop to see how they were doing.
Maybe there is no hope until the weather/water cools. Very depressing.
BLK
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Hey Lynn sorry to hear your
plight. I can't find any cats either. I did make it out but just got non cats. That was fun anyway but no power like a cat. Hope things clear up and don't blossom. Later J
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[#0000FF]Sorry about the poor fishing. But it is too early to jump off your tackle box. There are always algae blooms in UL during the summer...clear up until it gets cold in the late fall.
I hope this is just a localized thing. A lot of the blooms flare up in one area or another. That whole lake toxic algae thing was a first...and hopefully a last. A good idea to keep monitoring it though.
Fishing wise, I really believe we are in the "dog days" and not the "cat days". More cats and more big cats will be on the prowl after dark until the water starts cooling down.
You need to go feed the skeeters and the minks again. Just be sure to cover your tender parts.
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Hey, a little encouragement from the-man-in-the-know is always good news. I ain't afraid of them skeeters and I will take the old 10 gauge with me next time to fend of the vicious mink attacks. I hope the algae bloom is isolated and not massive like the last one.
It's been a tough year for me so far. Like Jeff, I just can't find the bigguns. My best cat --so far-- has been a 26 1/2 incher. Seems like only three or so 30+ inchers entered in the contest this year and in years past I have always been able to find a few big ones by mid summer. It is not so bad when guys like you, MSM, and Ice Sled beat up on me but when my gkids are flogging me as well it is deeply disturbing.[
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It ain't over yet. I figger I got another 2-3 months to find that 36 incher... just gotta be diligent and keep after 'em. I will.
Bring on the cooler weather!
BLK
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[#0000FF]I am cautiously optimistic about the algae thing. What I ain't optimistic about is the water level. They are shutting off Riverton and some other downstream water users because of the low lake levels. Never happened before.
Super low water, low oxygen levels and an early and long ice cap could result in major fish kills this winter. Happened in "Mud Lake" a couple of winters ago...during low water. Tons of dead white bass and mud cats that stayed in that shallow area under the ice.
And speaking of white bass, I have heard from a couple of sources that there are virtually ZERO baby white bass showing up...anywhere. They have had a poor spawn and recruitment the last three years...and with the low low low water this year it probably didn't come out to well either. This is the time of year us cataholics stock up on whitettes for cat food. But not this year.
The next step in that ladder is that the baby white bass are THE main food source for many of the predators...including larger white bass. The whities and the walleyes are gonna get skinny...or worse.
How's that for a cheerful outlook?
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Bummer!
Maybe we need to petition the Feds to give the white bass the same protective status the Junnies get??
Sure seems like this years crop of wb should be dimpling the water everywhere at this time of the year as they feed on the emerging and existing midges and skeeters. I have not seen any wb activity anywhere around the south end of the lake. Would be nice to see the DWR put a limit or even a closure on wb harvesting thru the ice this year. Last year people were taking wb out by the buckets full. I know the wb seem to go in cycles and as long as there is a viable breeding stock left in the lake they will come back it due time. Still... maybe give 'em a break during the winter months and for the duration of low water and poor hatches.
On the up side-- if the cats don't have enough wb to eat maybe they will show a little more interest in the carp meat. I've got plenty.
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I fished Lincoln Beach last Friday between 11pm and 2:30 am and ended up SKUNKED! Nary a nibble. Lynn I thought you would be launching your new ride. When I went out there where places that the end of my motor was touching bottom. My prop was just barely in the water. Sad state of affairs whe I have to travel through 7" of water😥
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Stopped by AF today and the ramp was roped off, marker buoys laying over on there side.
Half the shore line at AF is a mud flat 20 to 50 yards out.
Being a die-hard I'm going to take the 10 foot poles some night soon and try to cast out to 1 1/2 to 2 feet deep and find something hungry.
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[#0000FF]As long as the Junies are the darlings of the feds and DWR the white bass will get no love. They eat Junies.
When everybody was ganging up on the schooled up white bass last winter I was hooted off the stage when I suggested they might benefit from some compassion. Now it looks more and more like it will be a few years...of good water conditions...before we can hope for good white bass numbers again.
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