Ice cats?

[chefwhofishes]

I have fished Bountiful pond in Summer & Fall & gotten some big cats (5-7) lbs. Has anyone ever fished this pond in winter, does it ice up?
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[FlyFishingMoose]

Nope, I haven't fished it in the winter. Heck I didn't even know it was there until this summer and I've lived in Utah for 24 years now! But I wouldn't mind pulling one of those kitties out for the IFG challenge! Anyone know how to do it?


I bet TD will have a comment of two for us.
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[HFT]

In my years of ice fishing I have seen only 1 cat come through the ice,it was first ice. I think you might be trying to catch hybernating fish.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][size 1]Hey guys, I have no experience on Bountiful Pond, but I can verify that channel cats do remain somewhat active under the ice...and they do gotta eat once in awhile.[/size]

[size 1]I have seen several cats come through the ice on Utah Lake, Yuba and Willard Bay. Virtually all were taken on bait-tipped jigs being fished on or near the bottom for walleyes...or perch...or white bass.[/size]

[size 1]One day in early January, in the north marina of Willard, one guy caught a half dozen channels using a small green tube jig and a piece of crawler. I am guessing he was dropping into a small depression in the bottom in which the kitties had gathered.[/size]

[size 1]I have also read several articles in national fishing magazines about guys in the upper midwest who specifically target cats through the ice. They have their spots marked from years before and catch lots of BIG cats. The word is that they do school up in the winter and if you find their living room you can catch a few.[/size]

[size 1]If Bountiful freezes over, you will need to take the sonar and scout out some depressions...hopefully with some large fish marks on the sonar...right on the bottom. It takes a good sonar to read fish that are not well separated from the bottom contours. [/size]

[size 1]I think if I was going after them, I would simply soak a whole crawler for a while...or a piece of cut bait...or a small minnow. I have even done well in cold water on a nickle-sized chunk of Velveeta cheese.[/size]

[size 1]If there is no ice cap, then cast out with a bubble full of water and slowly move similar offerings along the bottom...letting it stop and set in one place for awhile. Once you find fish, then you can cast back into the same area.[/size]

[size 1]I used to make some bodacious catches of channels at the mouth of the south marina at Willard in February every year...just about the time the ice was gone for good. The fish were sluggish, but they slurped up nightcrawlers just fine. Also bagged the occasional walleye in a prespawn mode. Just loved it when some know-it-all stopped by to talk and informed me that it was too early for cats...until I lifted my stringer from the water.[/size]
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[Hoobie]

Tube Dude's right just about a year ago he told me about himself catching cats at willard in cold water so I went to my favorite spot on the bear and sure enough I caught the biggest cat of my life.
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[chefwhofishes]

Those posts inspire me gentlemen, that is all I need. I am gonna try & hit it tomorrow.

Thanks for the knowledge.
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[Fishindude]

i would try between farthest island and the outlet that seems to be were the deeper water is also if you have no luck drill as close to the inlet as you can and yuor shore to get some rainbows i think the would hang near the current but watch out the ice could be thinner there
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[Fishindude]

just bringing up the past did you make it up ? if you did you
catch anything i'm eager to know

matt
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[Kayote]

I catch a lot of bullhead cats throught the ice at Pelican and have seen two hog channels pulled out also. Just my dos centavos.
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