One of those days

[TubeDude]

Shoulda stood in bed.  Instead I set up a meetup with another BFTer at 5:30 at Maverik in Orem and then a meetup with Lee at Lindon.  The guy I was supposed to meet at 5:30 went to the wrong Maverik.  I waited 15 minutes and left.  I operate on "Lombardi standard time"...if you're on time, you're late.  When there's fishing to be done I got a low threshold of time tolerance.

Lee was already launching when I showed up...after being dinged an extra $5 for a day pass at Lindon.  A new sign out front displays all their new fees.  State parks are not the only needy/greedy marina operators it seems.  Used to be an affordable $5.  Now it's $10.  A lot to launch a float tube.

Wasn't terribly optimistic about the chances for a bananner day...after all the weird weather of the past few days...including a cold front yesterday.  Water temps have dropped back down below 65.  Glad I brought my waders.  Water clarity was a bit murky too...chocolate milk...cold chocolate milk.  And because I brought waders I had to readjust my fins.  Didn't do it right.  Lost one of my fins about midway across the harbor.  Glad I had a full charge on my electric motor battery.  The day was off to a great start.

Didn't see any black cats but I did see two black minks as I was exiting the boat channel...one on each side of the channel.  Might as well have been black cats.

Lee and I covered a lot of water and changed up lures, baits and presentations for the next 4 hours.  Lee had one fish on early and lost it at the tube.  I managed to scratch out 3 cats and 2 white bass.  The two largest cats were both 2-footers.  The smallest was maybe a couple of inches smaller.  One cat ate a large whole chub minnow.  The other two succumbed to the come-hither call of the big snarl blades on my new chartreuse perch gorilla fligs.  The fligs were sweetened with white bass fillet.  Yummy.  Had a couple of other inquiries from inexperienced fish that did not know how to play the game.  That was it. 

We left the ramp a bit after 11...as the power squadron was coming in and tuning up.  The new rates apparently don't faze them. 

Part of the reason I planned the trip south today was to pick up an order at Cabelas in Lehi.  Got a notice that it would be in by the 17th.  Left the lake and went up to the customer service window at Cabelas.  Wouldn'tcha know it?  I was told that only half the stuff was in.  The rest was back ordered.  A fitting cap to an eventful day.  Don't know what happened to the Cabelas I used to buy from.  One by one, all the things I used to get from them have been discontinued or changed for the worse.

But at least I got in some good antisocial distancing today and I don't got the Corona crud.

[albinotrout]

Dang, what a day. Snags in all directions it sounds like. At least you got a couple of fish to take the bite away.

[Boatloadakids]

Great to hear you had a not-so-great day of ketchin'. Now i don't feel quite so bad about being totally skunked at Lincoln this a.m. First time I have ever gone there without so much as a bite. Depressing. Water was lower 60s to start and made it to 65 when I left for home to sulk the rest of the day. Water was the same chocolate color you fished in. I had to use frozen wb cus i couldn't catch a freshie in the harbor. I could go on with a litany of excuses but the real problem was probably closer to the reel.

I remain undaunted and plan to try again tomorrow... couldn't be any worse.   Too much wind and cold this week, next week should be hot... hot weather and hot fishin'.

[TubeDude]

Great to hear you had a not-so-great day of ketchin'. Now i don't feel quite so bad about being totally skunked at Lincoln this a.m. First time I have ever gone there without so much as a bite. Depressing. Water was lower 60s to start and made it to 65 when I left for home to sulk the rest of the day. Water was the same chocolate color you fished in. I had to use frozen wb cus i couldn't catch a freshie in the harbor. I could go on with a litany of excuses but the real problem was probably closer to the reel.

I remain undaunted and plan to try again tomorrow... couldn't be any worse.   Too much wind and cold this week, next week should be hot... hot weather and hot fishin'.

I guess it's true.  Misery does love company.  And we are about as miserable as you can get...individually or together.  Are you sure you didn't see any black minks?

When I told my wife that I was not too optimistic about the fishing today, but I was going anyway...'cause I had some commitments...she told me I should be more positive.  So I said "You're right.  I'm positive it's gonna be a bad day."  I hate it when I'm right sometimes.

It can only get better.  Cain't get no worser.  When we gonna put our masks on and go fishing together?

[ELM 71]

I was surprised at the entry fee increase. Don't really care for those kinda surprises. Bummed about the skunk also. thats 2 this year and Ive had enough already. But it was great to be on the water anyway. Thanks for the new trinkets. Gonna try them soon.

[TubeDude]

I was surprised at the entry fee increase. Don't really care for those kinda surprises. Bummed about the skunk also. thats 2 this year and Ive had enough already. But it was great to be on the water anyway. Thanks for the new trinkets. Gonna try them soon.

Sorry you got the black and white kitty.  All I got was a couple of black minks.

Better times ahead.  Gay-ron-teed.  Don't teach those snarlies any bad habits.

[fast_randy]

Thanks for the report Pat. I'm coming down Sunday. I caught some huge shinner minnows yesterday in the Snake R. that I want to try with your fligs. Sometimes I stay at the dog friendly Motel 8 in Lehi and last time after getting blown off of Lincoln B. I payed the $10 and checked out Lindon. 2 foot white capps at the time but the bank fishers caught some cats right in the boat harbor.

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I finally smoked some catfish last week. Only one catfish and the rest trout. Oh my gosh! That catfish is so good, I need some more.

[TubeDude]

Thanks for the report Pat. I'm coming down Sunday. I caught some huge shinner minnows yesterday in the Snake R. that I want to try with your fligs. Sometimes I stay at the dog friendly Motel 8 in Lehi and last time after getting blown off of Lincoln B. I payed the $10 and checked out Lindon. 2 foot white capps at the time but the bank fishers caught some cats right in the boat harbor.

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I finally smoked some catfish last week. Only one catfish and the rest trout. Oh my gosh! That catfish is so good, I need some more.

I smoke a lot of catfish.  Good stuff.  The tough part is finding papers large enough...and knowing which end to light.
 
Water temps should start back up and be much better by Sunday.  And fishing in the weeds should be on fire.  The cats are in full spawn mode and folks are doing well at different spots around the lake by fishing in close.

Some of the biggest cats caught from Utah Lake each year come out of either Lindon or American Fork boat harbors...at this time of year.  There are some prime spawning structure spots inside and protected that seem to appeal to the big kitties.

Shiners should be good bait.  But on the big ones you might want to cut them in half or smaller pieces.  All you need is enough to cover the hook and give off some good smells.  I have always done best with the head section on fligs and bobberhead jigs.  But when the fish are on the chew it don't make no never-mind.

[jjannie]

Sorry to hear you had 'one of those days' but at least your PFD didn't get inflated and you stayed dry LOL! And you didn't have a skunk odor when you left. We have yet to eat the last 2 cats we've filleted from Willard as we've been enjoying some those perch we caught at Hyrum ice fishing this last season - making them into fish cakes and they are SO tasty, we even eat them as 'burgers' on a bun with our homemade tartar sauce  and some lettuce (recipes attached).

[TubeDude]

Sorry to hear you had 'one of those days' but at least your PFD didn't get inflated and you stayed dry LOL! And you didn't have a skunk odor when you left. We have yet to eat the last 2 cats we've filleted from Willard as we've been enjoying some those perch we caught at Hyrum ice fishing this last season - making them into fish cakes and they are SO tasty, we even eat them as 'burgers' on a bun with our homemade tartar sauce  and some lettuce (recipes attached).

Yeah, I read your story about the "wet Rosie" incident.  Was happy to know that all emerged from the water safely...if not cold and wet.  Definitely a good sign that you need a PFD for the puppy.

I had my own "inflated" moment a couple of years ago on Willard.  My then new float tube had a leak in the seat cushion that caused me to go "slip-slidin' away" out the front of the tube.  As I was trying to get my footing on the rocks to get back in the tube my PFD went POP-WHOOSH.  I had never actually experienced that before and it was a moment of "what the?"  Like you, I was glad to know it worked...and then unglad to find I had to pay a bunch of money for a recharge kit.

Thanks for the recipes.  My dearly departed mother taught me how to make "fish patties" while I was still a youngun (MANY years ago).  In our family we often enjoyed fish cakes/patties from salmon or trout we had bottled...or bought.  In later years I have experimented with many different species...either from bottles or fresh caught and chopped/ground into flakes.  If you know your way around a kitchen...and the properties of various spices, dry mixes, etc...you can whup up some toothsome treats.

I do enjoy a good tartar sauce on some fish.  But my wife doesn't like any kind of sauces on anything.  No kethup, no mustard, no mayo.  And forget horseradish sauce.  Thankfully we have an agreement that I can make or keep it in our refrigerator...as long as none of it ends up on HER food.  And heaven help the burger joint that fails to heed her request for "Hold the ^^^^!" and she gets hers with anything on it.  Nuclear.

How is your lure-making thing coming along?  

[jjannie]

Rosie's new life jacket arrives tomorrow, thankfully. She absolutely LOVES the water - be it to drink or to jump into so our 'event' must have not scared her too badly. Annie was never a fan of the water like Rosie. We even have to always bring a bottle of water on the boat since she will not drink lake water. Even backing down the boat ramp to go home, Annie will not walk in the edge of the water to get into the truck. We've tried everything from early on when she was little pup but no way, not going to happen. They are different in so many ways other than size. 

I remember your event with the auto-inflate - kind of scares you when it fires off since we have experienced it before, but it sure does work nicely. We did learn that our 1 step swim ladder was real pain trying to get on it when soaking wet and inflated so we've now changed it out for 3 step telescoping one that will go much farther down into the water so it easier to  get back on the boat. 

We finished an extremely busy week this week watching the granddaughters and getting them to soccer practices,  early AM till 7-8pm while our son was in a specialized training so our plans to anything for ourselves was set aside for the week. And the weather patterns to boot, we felt catching wouldn't have been best - we need all the help we can get sometimes. So we are looking to get out fishing next week. So I'll be making up a few rigs to try out, maybe couple of those fire tiger ones you gave us and maybe a red/white one. I may even give the snarl blade making a try while I am at it.