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So after a month of farming, I got things caught up over the weekend and went to the river to try my luck... Had planned on catching catfish for the contest and all.. Well I casted out a nice big chunk of carp and settled back to wait... Well right away I got a hit, tried to hook it and whiffed away and nothing but air... Recalculated and rebaited and tried again... Few minutes later another bite, this time flipped the bait feeder and let it take it until I couldn't stand it any longer and then tried to set the hook, whiff and miss... Well, these bites were solid hard thumps, I was holding my rod and could not believe I couldn't hook them... by the way this pattern held all night, I went through a big bag of carp chunks and never hooked a fish.. If I let them keep taking it, they stripped all my bait and left, if I tried to hook them, they were never there... I don't know what to do, they took me onto snags twice and I lost two rigs to snags, the first ones I've done that on since last year... and one was a braid line, so it was tough to break that one off... Anyway, it was a rough night for me... skunked and lost all my bait... That's like the royal raspberries I think... Guess I need to sign up for fishing 101 again...
Took the fly rod on the pond the next time and was able to catch 12 crappie and sunfish just to make the sting go away a little... Man I love that 3 WT, it makes me feel much better and less beaten... Well next time, I'll do better... Later J
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Sounds like a tough night! At least the fly rod still works though. Doing the whiff things once or twice is normal for me, but whenever I get more than a couple, I assume that the hooks and/or bait are too large for whatever is moving them around.
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Usually that is the case for me as well... a lot of time, it's mudcats doing the bait stripping, but the hits were so solid, it didn't feel like something small, it felt like a big solid fish... wondering if it could be small mouth bass, doing the stripping??? Next time I go, will have a jig to check and see... I took off without my tackle bag, so I was fixed with what was rigged on my pole that night, next time I'll be more prepared, smaller hooks too... was fun to get the flyrod to work again though... May try it again tonight if things don't come up... got to keep practicing and see if I can start catching again... Later J
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[#0000FF]I think everybody who fishes large baits for cats has experienced the tough hookup syndrome. As you said, a lot of times it can be thieving mudders. But just as often it will be sneaky channels...of any size.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]If you are using too big a chunk of meat, the fish will sometimes just grab one end (without the hook) and swim off with it. And when you try to cross their eyes all you get is an empty hook...whiff. I have had a lot of trips when I reduced the size of the bait on the hook and maybe used a slightly larger and sharper hook...with the point exposed...and my hookup ratio quickly improved. With a slightly smaller bait the fish gets the whole bait in their mouths at one time.
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[#0000FF]Another tactic is to be sure you set the hook only when you have solid resistance on the other end. If the fish is picking and dropping the bait...or facing toward you...your hookset timing can be wrong and you will just pull it out of their mouth. I sometimes have to force myself to curb the enthusiasm and play the game right. That is to close the bail, point the rod at the fish and wait until they pull it tight...going away...before setting the hook. If the fish does have the bait well inside their mouths...with the hook point exposed...your hookset will usually plant the hook in the corner of their mouths...just like a circle hook.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]One last thing. When you drive a nail into a piece of wood you don't just shove it through. You pound it with a hammer. Ditto for hooksets. Unless you are using a circle hook with a sharp point and it is well inside the fishes' mouths you will miss a lot of "wimpy" hooksets. SNAP the rod to vertical when the line comes tight. And hope you are not using bad line or tieing bad knots. And sometimes it is a good idea to reel the line down tight and give it a second whack...just to be sure.
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[#0000FF]Above all else, don't beat yourself up over missing a few fish. Some of those silly things are just inexperienced and don't know how to play the game. It is your job to educate them.
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Thanks Pat, hey I don't know what it is with this particular location, but it has done the same thing to me the last three years. It's a river with fair flow and I thought it was small channels there last year that was causing me grief... mostly because when I finally caught a fish, it was an 11" channel... But I don't know why this location seems to throw me off so bad, it used to be one of my favorite honey holes, but the last few years it hasn't yielded anything worth while... Sure is frustrating when I couldn't hook them... I cut my bait size way down as I tried to make it last longer and it was still the same result... May be ghost fish in that location... Hey speaking of spooks, my dad found a skeleton of a catfish the other day and those things are cool looking... Someday when I get a big one that I damage, I may keep it and get me a skeleton for the shed, they really look cool... Think I need to make an image of one and then make it into a hat design...Be a cool prize for the cat contest... See what I can do on that... Later J
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I'd love to now where you're finding the crappie (any size to them?). I've been hitting some of my go-to spots, but haven't turned up the paper-mouths.
I've been pestered by baby channels, and they don't really put the bait IN their mouth. They can be as annoying at mudcats (sort of). But yeah - playing the hook-size, bait-size game can often at least help reveal what your dealing with in that murky mud flow.
I got out for a little Sunday, I caught a sunburn!
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Hey Yote, no size to them maybe 7" at best and I bet it's the same type spots your finding your gills except I'm using a fly and stripping it in... Some days it's gills some days, sunfish and other days crappie... Out of a dozen fish, about four were crappie... They are just small ones that are hanging out with the other panfish around those overhanging branches and underwater snags, so it is difficult to fish without snagging up... but it's been a fun diversion when the big fish are being mean to me... I've been surprised how well these little guys are taking it, but nothing of eating size is showing up, just the young un's... Reminds me of fishing for mountain trout, lots of action, but nothing worth keeping... Fun practice though... I've bent my barbs off the hook so I don't hurt the fish too much so I lose quite a few before I land them but doesn't matter it's still a hoot...
Glad you made it out again, the water is sure low isn't it? I couldn't believe how bad it was, that's what made me switch locations, no water in my other spots... Rumor has it more water is on the way down stream, but with the irrigation season in full force who knows how much will make it down to us... Hope I can find the cats again, I need to get a good tug... Good luck... J
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I've done the jerk and miss a lot (just learning). When I was out with Ice_sled I told him he should have a bullwhip and snap my hand every time I reached for the rod before it bent well. The big circle hook he set me up with hooked them in the corner of the mouth as advertised. Not trying to advise someone of your experience, just sharing what has happened to me.
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It seems like there are points in the season where I go through this problem, don't know what causes it, because I do everything the same as always, but every so often I hit this point. Then next trip it will be game on again. I need to get back out and break the jinx so I can get some more fish on the board. Not sure I'll get there tonight but tomorrow is starting to look good. Hope the weather will cooperate. Thanks for the tips and encouragement. Later J
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[quote catchinon]I've done the jerk and miss a lot (just learning). When I was out with Ice_sled I told him he should have a bullwhip and snap my hand every time I reached for the rod before it bent well. [/quote]
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Hey Jeff! Glad you got some Crappie at least. I need to find where they hang out practice catching those guys. Best eating fish out there IMO
Was out there at Benson Marina Sunday morning with my boys and we must have caught a couple dozen mudders. I think I'd rather get skunked than catch those guys...but it was fun nonetheless.
Had a Coyote sighting trying his skillz with the oarz.
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Hey Derek this is great you're getting out a little more. Wow so you caught a 30"er and seen the Yote. Next thing you'll tell me is about Big Foot. Just kidding I know there's a Big Foot. Now if you could just see me fishing that would top it off. Hope to try it Saturday AM. Crazy schedule between here and there though. Hope you and the boys get back out and find the second and third 30. I don't like mudder a but they beat skunk to me. Later J
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Mystery solved. Tonight started out the same as last trip, couldn't hook em for anything. So I took your tips and down sized hooks and bait and finally guess what?
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[#0000FF]I kinda wondered if you might be in "bitty kitty city". When I lived in southern California I used to fish some spots along the Colorado River that often were overrun with "kittens". It was amazing how hard they would hit sometimes...and how difficult they were to hook. But once we figured out the problem and did the downsizing thing we began to remove a few from the ecosystem. They may be small but they are good eating if you get a few. We just headed, gutted and skinned them and fried them up whole. Good stuff.
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Yup looks like that hole is chuck full of pint sized robbers... No wonder I was getting so many hits and couldn't set a hook...I dropped to a size four instead of 4/0 and it made a big difference...
Ended up with 4 or 5 Channels and about the same of mudders....
I moved up to an area that wasn't far away, but had been known for bigger cats, well they were bigger but only a couple inches... did get a couple that might have made 17" but nothing that I was looking for...
They liked your purple fligs up there and it was probably the best I've done with the fligs yet...
Need to take my carp rod next time, I found a good bunch of carp up there and I'm about out of bait so I better gather some worms and go try loading up again...
What type areas do the cats move to post spawn?
Sure seems like I struggle this time of year, every season... We used to find them in the river channels this time of year, but now all I find there is the nursery...
The water level has been up and down so much that the shallows aren't there or are too shallow to support the fish... Used to find them still in there at night after the water cools a bit, but when it's so shallow their backs would stick out, I don't see much there...
Guess I need to do some exploring and drag some minnows and see if I can cross their paths...
Congrats on another good trip to UL, looks like you found some good ones...
Well better get back to work... catch ya later J
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"What type areas do the cats move to post spawn?"
[#0000FF]Every year, month, day or time of day can be different. Fish of all species take up residence in any given location for one or all of the following reasons: food, comfort (temperature), security (water depth and clarity), seasonal movements (spawning, post spawn, etc.)[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]In a big shallow river/slough system (Bear River) with great variations in flow and depth, the fish instinctively know when there is a change that might affect any of the above-named factors. When those changes result in changes in their lifestyles the fish move to other spots that are more to their liking.
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[#0000FF]The better you know the water you are fishing, and the longer you have observed the potential changes in water levels, temperatures, food availability, etc. the quicker you can change your approaches to cut your losses and/or to increase your successes.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Depth will always be a reliable fallback. When water levels drop or temperatures rise or fall dramatically, fish seem to move deeper to overcome the change and/or to ride out the situation until it improves.
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[#0000FF]So, as a good rule of thumb, when the going gets tough the tough go bananas. No wait, that ain't right. If you find an unexplainable change in fish numbers or activity levels start searching out some deeper water and change your rigging or offerings until you find fish and a pattern.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]If you are just bank tanglin', that can be more difficult on a big meandering venue like the Bear River system. And when the water is murky, you cannot see the depth changes without a boat and electronics. Makes it tougher.[/#0000FF]
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Thanks Pat,
I've been trying the River, but just a few close holes that are easy to reach, looks like i need to search further... Thanks for the help... Jeff
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[#0000FF]Use the fisherman's "biblical system". Seek and ye shall find...maybe. But seek not and ye shall find not.
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Good point, just need to open new eyes and look somewhere that I haven't thought of before. Hard to do, but needed. Thanks J
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