Willard Bay trip 17 - good day

[Tin-Can]

Launched out of south marina, as usual, at 723 a.m.  don't remember the air temp. but there was almost no breeze, and seems the midges and skeeters have recovered from their wind damage last week. 



Did a full speed run straight out to the area that has been so kind to me the past couple weeks.  Water was so calm, didn't even drop the anchor. Got my 2 lines baited up and out.  And at 8:00 a.m. had first cookie cutter on the line, then in the boat. Had no intent to keep anything today, and the Cats obliged by not swallowing the hooks.... So Cat#1 CPR.


    Cat # 1

8 minutes later his twin brother decided to visit also, and at 8:12 a.m. he was also boated and CPR'ed. Then in another 8 minutes one rod bent over and drag really screamed out. Thought I had either a Wiper (no such luck) or a Carp. 
Got the culprit to the net and into the boat, was a cookie cutter Cat that must have "tail swated" the bait cuz the bait was up the line and the hook was thru his tail. Either that or he was a Navy Aviator Cat that likes tail hooks.  

       

       Cat # 2                            Cat # 3  tail hooked                       

The bug population got to be bad enough that I figured maybe I could reduce it some by trolling.  So I rigged up my lines for slow trolling shrimp and headed in the general direction of the island. 
Just after starting to troll, the breeze improved some and reduced the bugs alot.  So I shut the motor down again and "road" the wind drift.  After about 90 minutes of steady drift in a general south-west direction, another pole did the screaming drag thing again. Now this one had some shoulders and put up fight. Hope it wasn't another member of the "tail hook" club.  

NOPE.  A bigger Cat with the hook right where it belonged, in the corner of his mouth. 

      
     Cat # 4                                                                                                                   # 4 Cat location and Wiper spot
This isn't a contest Cat. I measured it just for grins. It could have been the 3rd Cat for my wife, but she is working.....  . 

Continued drifting, with nothing more. Reeled in one line getting ready to move to different location. Started reeling in second line, hmmmmmmmm.............some extra weight on that one. But not much fight. 
Hey.......my FIRST WIPER this year  !  And probably his first hit on a hook, had not yet learned how to take off for the north marina.  

 

Young Wiper  CPR

Moved around down in my original spot, boated a small kitty to make it 5 Cats and 1 Wiper CPRed.   



And that was all she wrote.   But an enjoyable day.

[doitall5000]

You did better the me, I've been on dry land for a week.
Did you see any bird action today? Looks like a very light wind all day, I'm looking at Monday or Tuesday hope the weather holds out.
Thanks for your report.

[Tin-Can]

You did better the me, I've been on dry land for a week. 
Did you see any bird action today? Looks like a very light wind all day, I'm looking at Monday or Tuesday hope the weather holds out.
Thanks for your report.

 Nope, no birds that would indicate any boils at least in the south area that I could see. 

[SkunkedAgain]

Sounds like a fun day, congrats Forest... J

[FatBiker]

Forest, I missed seeing you today. Got out about 2 PM and setup in the feedlot. Perfect wind for a 2 MPH drift. Seemed like about every drift from 11 FOW into the dike gave up a fish. For everyone caught I had three or four pop and drops. Power squad started to show up so I was back in the marina by five. Six or seven kitties boated. All were kissed on the lips and released accept for one silly on who insisted on a dinner invitation. Bait of the day was a blue and silver Tube Dude flig, right pretty with that little propeller twirling and some marinated chicken thigh leaving a scent trail.

[Tin-Can]

Forest, I missed seeing you today. Got out about 2 PM and setup in the feedlot. Perfect wind for a 2 MPH drift. Seemed like about every drift from 11 FOW into the dike gave up a fish. For everyone caught I had three or four pop and drops.  Power squad started to show up so I was back in the marina by five. Six or seven kitties boated. All were kissed on the lips and released accept for one silly on who insisted on a dinner invitation. Bait of the day was a blue and silver Tube Dude flig, right pretty with that little propeller twirling and some marinated chicken thigh leaving a scent trail.

 Yeah Larry,  the bite stopped for me yesterday about 11:30, and the increased skeeters and power squadron made my decision to call it a day about 12:30.  
Weather forecast for tomorrow, Friday, is for cloudy and wind 5 to 10, but warm and no precip.  Thinking the wind may be enough to reduce the bugs, and the clouds will keep it just a few degrees cooler.   I think I'll make another early morning trip and be gone before the early weekend start power squadron gets too thick.  Maybe see ya on the water.

[RockyRaab2]

Weather forecast now saying Friday mostly cloudy, winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Storm coming Friday night.

[Tin-Can]

Turns out, the wind coming up isn't till later today. Could have made a good morning trip, but decided to work on replacing the front seat on the boat.  Old one had developed a pretty good bend in the side frame, and I found a new one on line that even has the Lund logo stitching on the back.  Did some other minor fix-it projects to the front rod holder positions. 
Now when the weather gets past it's little low pressure hissy fit this weekend, the front seat will be ready to host an occupant   .

  

[RockyRaab2]

You need a volunteer occupant?

[Tin-Can]

You need a volunteer occupant?

  Sorry, the wife says she wants to be the first one to try out new seat.

[RockyRaab2]

As well she should. Give her my best, willya?

[Tin-Can]

I will, Thanks Rocky.
 And the cushions from the replaced seat were in pretty fair shape, only the frame hinge was bent.   I took the frame off and tossed it, took several photos of the cushions, and was going to put on the sale thread here on BFT.
But wife asked, why don't you swap those cushions out with the old ones on your seat (meaning my seat at the stern). Hey, good idea. So cuz it was raining and windy today, thats what I did this morning. 
So now she has a new seat in front and I have refurbished seat in back.  Gonna give them a try tomorrow.