03-21-2019, 02:03 AM
Executive Summary:
Catchinon and I fished out of the UL State Park Marina on 3/19 from 4:15 until after 10 P.M. Air temp was in the low 50’s and cooled to mid 40’s by the time we left. Water temp in the marina was 53 degrees and in the mail lake it varied from 49 to 51. Winds were about 10 mph NW when we launched and later died to almost zero. We fished from 2.5 to 7.5 FOW dragging thawed WB, shrimp, carp cutlets, a crawler rig and finally a fresh cut white bass. We ended up netting 5 cats from 21.5 to 28 inches and one 7-inch white. The white came on a crawler rig and all the cats came on its remains, even though we had other baits in the water much of the time. All the cats came in 7 to 7.5 FOW and were released to fight another day.
Full Story:
We got to the lake and decided to forgo dragging and casting in the harbor. We started off just outside the jaws in 6 FOW and headed E. There were half a dozen vehicles along the outer third of the dike and most were fishing so we stayed outside of normal casting range, working toward the shallows just north of the dike. We went the full length of the north dike without seeing any fish caught by the bank fishermen or by us.
As we got in shallow I turned the boat around and headed southwest. Then I opened my phone and read TubeDude’s report from Lincoln. He and BLK had both found willing fish, but not in shallow water, so our directions seemed right. I'm in finally in the right century, I can bring up BFT reports on my phone at the lake!
At about 5:40 I got a hit on the crawler rig and landed a 7-inch white. It was good to get the skunk off, but my last catfish outing with Craig had ended with a single white. Hopefully not today. We gratefully butchered the little guy and freshened a couple of baits.
That seemed a good move since the next hit came less than 30 minutes later, but just like last trip, I missed the fish. A few minutes later the crawler got hit and so did my fresh white rod. Both were one bump wonders and didn’t stick, probably whites.
By 7 P.M. we were taking pictures of the moonrise over the Wasatch and both wondering if this trip was going to end like our last. Then we came to our senses when Craig’s fresh white bass rod went bendo. Finally a catfish! This one was almost 22 inches and looking like it had enjoyed the winter. I marked the spot electronically and we said we would continue west for 10 or 15 minutes and if we hadn’t had any more hits, we’d come back. Just after Craig got his fish in the boat, my balloon rod had a good hit and pulled free of the release. I gave it a little line thinking it was lethargic and when I did the ballon shot sideways. I tightened down whif, I missed another one. Counting last trip I was up to five missed cats and getting frustrated.
It took more than 30 minutes to conclude we should go back where Craig got his fish. We passed within 20 feet of the spot mark and then when I thought the baits had just about reached it I said, “If they are here, we should get one about now.” Bam! Craig’s fresh WB rod went bendo not ten seconds after I said it. He just started at me for a few seconds and then said something about fish whisperer. I hadn’t whispered mine though. This was a nicer fish at 26 inches.
Again just after Craig landed it, my balloon rod got hit. This time I corrected and didn’t give it slack. When the lined came tight I felt three sharp rapid tugs and I struck. Again I felt nothing. Must have been a white I muttered and reset the line release. Five minutes later I remembered that a hookset often moves the balloon down the line so I reeled in to reset it. The balloon had moved about 5 feet down and I didn’t see any bait behind it. When it got all the way in I realized I was missing the bait and the FLIG. I had broken it off without feeling any resistance! Craig hinted that maybe it wasn’t a white, but I ignored him, only thinking of my growing list of missed opportunities.
I quickly tied on another FLIG, got it back in the water and swung the boat back toward the spot. I had made sure to dramatically loosen the drag. Ten minutes later the same rod got hit. This time I set and felt the fish, but the line peeled off with the loosened drag and went slack. By the time I got it tight again the fish was gone. I had over corrected, again. This wasn’t supposed to happen, on my Birthday, I mumbled. “Your birthday,” said Craig? “I think you may be second guessing yourself.”
Shortly after checking the bait and carefully resetting the drag, I had another hit. This one went textbook: Reel down, feel the tug, set the hook, fish on! I almost wondered why something hadn’t gone wrong! I finally got a 23” cat in the boat. I had broken the string of missed opportunities. Ten more minutes and another balloon rod hit, and another cat, this time almost 26.
Before the little flurry had started, the wind had picked up out of the East and Craig was starting to get cold. I had found him a hat and pair of gloves, it was the least I could do since he was sticking it out so I could get at least one cat. Now I asked him how he was doing and he said: “Fine, funny how catching fish warms you up.”
We were at the dark plus 60 minutes I had set as our end time, but the fish were biting so we agreed to make one more pass and then head for port. After the last fish I had a frustrating (and vocal) tangle with two of my rods and in the mix I decided to bag the balloon and put out a different rod. 15 minutes and it got nailed. When I set the hook I said: “Either this one is really ticked or it is a better fish.” I actually got a couple of short runs and had to wait out several dogged passes as it refused to come to the top. When we got it in the boat it was about 9 pounds and 28.” Happy Birthday to me!
I had gone from seven consecutive missed chances to my first three fish for the contest, in less than an hour. Craig said: “Wow, I was up 2 to nothing and just like that it’s 3 to 2. We agreed to stick it out a little longer to try to get Craig’s third fish. It went dead for 20 minutes and they his same rod bent over again. I knew he was going to make it because his circle hooks almost never let got, but this one did. We both just looked at each other wondering what had happened. But that was it. We trolled in between the dikes and 2/3 of the way up the channel, but no more hits.
All in all, it was a good day, even after all the frustration. Now that I have worked out the kinks, I look forward to warmer weather and lots of catfish
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Catchinon and I fished out of the UL State Park Marina on 3/19 from 4:15 until after 10 P.M. Air temp was in the low 50’s and cooled to mid 40’s by the time we left. Water temp in the marina was 53 degrees and in the mail lake it varied from 49 to 51. Winds were about 10 mph NW when we launched and later died to almost zero. We fished from 2.5 to 7.5 FOW dragging thawed WB, shrimp, carp cutlets, a crawler rig and finally a fresh cut white bass. We ended up netting 5 cats from 21.5 to 28 inches and one 7-inch white. The white came on a crawler rig and all the cats came on its remains, even though we had other baits in the water much of the time. All the cats came in 7 to 7.5 FOW and were released to fight another day.
Full Story:
We got to the lake and decided to forgo dragging and casting in the harbor. We started off just outside the jaws in 6 FOW and headed E. There were half a dozen vehicles along the outer third of the dike and most were fishing so we stayed outside of normal casting range, working toward the shallows just north of the dike. We went the full length of the north dike without seeing any fish caught by the bank fishermen or by us.
As we got in shallow I turned the boat around and headed southwest. Then I opened my phone and read TubeDude’s report from Lincoln. He and BLK had both found willing fish, but not in shallow water, so our directions seemed right. I'm in finally in the right century, I can bring up BFT reports on my phone at the lake!
At about 5:40 I got a hit on the crawler rig and landed a 7-inch white. It was good to get the skunk off, but my last catfish outing with Craig had ended with a single white. Hopefully not today. We gratefully butchered the little guy and freshened a couple of baits.
That seemed a good move since the next hit came less than 30 minutes later, but just like last trip, I missed the fish. A few minutes later the crawler got hit and so did my fresh white rod. Both were one bump wonders and didn’t stick, probably whites.
By 7 P.M. we were taking pictures of the moonrise over the Wasatch and both wondering if this trip was going to end like our last. Then we came to our senses when Craig’s fresh white bass rod went bendo. Finally a catfish! This one was almost 22 inches and looking like it had enjoyed the winter. I marked the spot electronically and we said we would continue west for 10 or 15 minutes and if we hadn’t had any more hits, we’d come back. Just after Craig got his fish in the boat, my balloon rod had a good hit and pulled free of the release. I gave it a little line thinking it was lethargic and when I did the ballon shot sideways. I tightened down whif, I missed another one. Counting last trip I was up to five missed cats and getting frustrated.
It took more than 30 minutes to conclude we should go back where Craig got his fish. We passed within 20 feet of the spot mark and then when I thought the baits had just about reached it I said, “If they are here, we should get one about now.” Bam! Craig’s fresh WB rod went bendo not ten seconds after I said it. He just started at me for a few seconds and then said something about fish whisperer. I hadn’t whispered mine though. This was a nicer fish at 26 inches.
Again just after Craig landed it, my balloon rod got hit. This time I corrected and didn’t give it slack. When the lined came tight I felt three sharp rapid tugs and I struck. Again I felt nothing. Must have been a white I muttered and reset the line release. Five minutes later I remembered that a hookset often moves the balloon down the line so I reeled in to reset it. The balloon had moved about 5 feet down and I didn’t see any bait behind it. When it got all the way in I realized I was missing the bait and the FLIG. I had broken it off without feeling any resistance! Craig hinted that maybe it wasn’t a white, but I ignored him, only thinking of my growing list of missed opportunities.
I quickly tied on another FLIG, got it back in the water and swung the boat back toward the spot. I had made sure to dramatically loosen the drag. Ten minutes later the same rod got hit. This time I set and felt the fish, but the line peeled off with the loosened drag and went slack. By the time I got it tight again the fish was gone. I had over corrected, again. This wasn’t supposed to happen, on my Birthday, I mumbled. “Your birthday,” said Craig? “I think you may be second guessing yourself.”
Shortly after checking the bait and carefully resetting the drag, I had another hit. This one went textbook: Reel down, feel the tug, set the hook, fish on! I almost wondered why something hadn’t gone wrong! I finally got a 23” cat in the boat. I had broken the string of missed opportunities. Ten more minutes and another balloon rod hit, and another cat, this time almost 26.
Before the little flurry had started, the wind had picked up out of the East and Craig was starting to get cold. I had found him a hat and pair of gloves, it was the least I could do since he was sticking it out so I could get at least one cat. Now I asked him how he was doing and he said: “Fine, funny how catching fish warms you up.”
We were at the dark plus 60 minutes I had set as our end time, but the fish were biting so we agreed to make one more pass and then head for port. After the last fish I had a frustrating (and vocal) tangle with two of my rods and in the mix I decided to bag the balloon and put out a different rod. 15 minutes and it got nailed. When I set the hook I said: “Either this one is really ticked or it is a better fish.” I actually got a couple of short runs and had to wait out several dogged passes as it refused to come to the top. When we got it in the boat it was about 9 pounds and 28.” Happy Birthday to me!
I had gone from seven consecutive missed chances to my first three fish for the contest, in less than an hour. Craig said: “Wow, I was up 2 to nothing and just like that it’s 3 to 2. We agreed to stick it out a little longer to try to get Craig’s third fish. It went dead for 20 minutes and they his same rod bent over again. I knew he was going to make it because his circle hooks almost never let got, but this one did. We both just looked at each other wondering what had happened. But that was it. We trolled in between the dikes and 2/3 of the way up the channel, but no more hits.
All in all, it was a good day, even after all the frustration. Now that I have worked out the kinks, I look forward to warmer weather and lots of catfish
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