So-So at the South Marina

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Met up with MarineSpear at Willard Bay south marina this morning. My rep was on da line. I told him I could get him into some catfish. Fixed him up with some bling rigs and some left-handed blue-eyed minnows. They work best.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Almost a full moon again last night. Brandon asked me how that affected fishing. I told him that it made it easier to see in the dark but usually doesn't have as much affect on fishing as some folks claim.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp 50 at daybreak. Water temp still 69...and warmed up to 71 by noon departure. Water level still high...only about 18" down from high water mark. Water clarity a bit stained but still good enough for fish to see lures from a distance. Only a light breeze at daybreak and flat calm all morning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Brandon is still putting his toon setup together. He did not have sonar or fins so I just told him to keep dragging his minnows around in the middle of the channel while I motored outside to try my luck out there. Whaddayaknow. That actually worked. He got a limit of kitties...plus a few.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I started slow. Messed around with all kinds of plastics and cranks...looking for the elusive wipers and walleyes. They remained elusive. Had one wiper on a crankbait...with small hooks. HONK. Thanks for playing. Also lost a slab crappie on plastic. Inexperienced fish didn't know how to hang on.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Finally got serious about dragging minnows and hunting for some consolation kitties. Found a bunch of 'em. Most were just nice "cookie cutters" in the 16" to 19" range. But there were also a few juvenile delinquents in the 12" range. They were into stealing bait...but when I could get a hook in them they were scrappy. As TubeBabe says "They fight bigger than they are."[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fishing was never really fast but it was fairly steady once I got in the ZONE. Kept a limit of 8 for the fillet knife and released another 9 or 10. No complaints from this kid.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Since Brandon did not have a walkie talkie we were out of communication while I was fishing outside. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that he had found a few willing kitties too. The grin seemed quite sincere.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We were off the water just about noon...as the power squadron was tuning up for the afternoon shift. Did a quick fillet job on our fish and we were outta there. Almost had a medical emergency when I encountered a wakeboard boat full of pulchritude coming in as I was going out. But since TubeBabe revoked my license in that department I got the car back under control and hit the highway.[/#0000ff]
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[MacFisher]

Another great day on the lake. I hope that Crappie got in trouble for skipping school! He needs to learn how to keep the hook in his mouth better so that when I finally make a trip up there I can say I caught something. Looks like an excellent day on the water.
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[BigBassaholic]

Sounds like you had a productive morning. You forgot to tell eveyone that when you use [#0000ff] some left-handed blue-eyed minnows [/#0000ff][#000000]they also need left handed hooks or it wont work. I have tried your left handed blue eyed minnows on regular bling hooks but it wont look natural.. You gave me some of your bling last time I took you out and I see their was some left handed hooks in the bunch... lol See you on the water Pat... I need to take you Tiger fishing with me sometime....[/#000000]
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[Wildcat94]

TD - Hey buddy looks like you had a fun mornin out there today, to bad you couldnt wrassle with some wiley wipers and wallys. Man i need to get that smoked kitty recipe cuz mine are just not the same as the td special! Well i hope you and the babe are doing great!!


bryce
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[lavaman]

Good job you two! TD, don't you know by now that your 'rep' is ALWAYS on the line? Seems every trip is very successful so if there's a slim chance you don't do well, or heaven forbid...get skunked, half of this forum will wet their pants and fall off their chairs in shock.

Great pics like always.
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[WaveWolf]

[#502800]Nice Basket O Cats ......... I need to crank up the Black Max and head out to the bay next week .......... After yesterday, I am a firm believer in the moon the night before theory .......... I was El Skunko for the day ....... I think it depends on the clarity of the water or whatever. It even shows a little fishy on my calendar for Sept. 13th? I wonder what mad scientist invents those calendars? At any rate I am really humbled today.[/#502800]

[#502800]I'm still working the Little Chief overtime smoking up salmon ......... I paid heed to your trick of spicing them up after the brining processs and I like it a lot better ........... Thanks.[/#502800]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Guess I got a thing about left handed stuff. Two of my three kids were left-handed...and I am right handed. But the mailman was lefthanded. "Special delivery"?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have caught few tigers and just do not have the passion for them that others seem to. Maybe if they had whiskers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]About time for some fall walleye though. Would be happy to let you show me how that is done.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[quote Wildcat94]TD - Hey buddy looks like you had a fun mornin out there today, to bad you couldnt wrassle with some wiley wipers and wallys. Man i need to get that smoked kitty recipe cuz mine are just not the same as the td special! Well i hope you and the babe are doing great!! bryce[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Saw some wiper-lookin' marks on sonar today but they din't wanna play. No boils as far as my old eyes could see. I did spot one small group of terns looking "fishy" for a minute but no serious diving action going on.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Smoked kitty recipe attached. But, as we have discussed, there are a ton of variables on every batch. Brine amount and time...seasoning...type of wood...temperature...time in the smoker. Even on my smoker with pretty close quality control I can get different results for the same amount of time smoked. It really takes a feel for it and close watching during the smoking process.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Oh yeah, you gotta get big papers and know which end to light too.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I long ago gave up believing in Santa Claus...and not fishing during a full moon. I have had both good and bad days during the full moon period. But it is really convenient to have another excuse for those trips when nothing seems to work.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hope your salmon turns out well. I have been doing some of mine, from my trip, but also some trout too. Here is the newest writeup...with pics.[/#0000ff]
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Hey Lava - you KNOW his secret - he can catch fish even in his sleep, but he knows better than to report on the 'less than stellar' trips, oh - um - like about EVERY one of mine!!! Looks like that third one got whirled up in a twist!

Pat - ya done sent me to the dictionary again. Considered myself a fairly learned sort, but sounding out the word don't quite get the destination, and guess I'm not alone:
[quote[url "http://www.facebook.com/chefnina"]Nina Phelps Kiley[/url] · [url "http://www.facebook.com/pages/Independent-Consultant/140153942685734"]Independent Consultant[/url] at [url "http://www.facebook.com/ThePamperedChef"]The Pampered Chef)[/url]
OK so as I woke up this morning and hopped out of bed, Steve turned over and said "Good Morning my little Pulchritude" to which I responded "What the H--- is that?" so of course I had to look it up...and it means Physical Comeliness or Beautiful....He amazes me almost daily with his vocabulary....love him![/quote]
Seems like the rhymes fit right in:

Rhymes with PULCHRITUDE[url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altitude"]altitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amplitude"]amplitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aptitude"]aptitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attitude"]attitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certitude"]certitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comfort%20food"]comfort food[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consuetude"]consuetude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crassitude"]crassitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desuetude"]desuetude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finger%20food"]finger food[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finitude"]finitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortitude"]fortitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gratitude"]gratitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/habitude"]habitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hebetude"]hebetude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interlude"]interlude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lassitude"]lassitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/latitude"]latitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longitude"]longitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnitude"]magnitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mansuetude"]mansuetude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multitude"]multitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negritude"]negritude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platitude"]platitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plenitude"]plenitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/promptitude"]promptitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quietude"]quietude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rectitude"]rectitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seminude"]seminude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/servitude"]servitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solitude"]solitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turpitude"]turpitude[/url], [url "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vastitude"]vastitude[/url]

Ah the things you learn on the forum, thanks Tubedude! Did you pass some of that seminude plenitude off to the young dude?

So Marinespear - bit different from your first outing to Willard maybe? This time - you probably didn't even NEED the bug spray!
Were you IN the channel past the bouy? Guess TD can't cross that line, what with his 'lectric, but from what he's said - a non-motorized float is acceptable. I "accidentally" drifted in there before, and the sonar lit up pretty good alrighty. Lots of weeds and structure to wrap up on.

Um, right-handed/left-handed - is that a matter of twist while freezing? Give's 'em a little spin?

Planning to hit the S. end tomorrow. No minnows but strips to pitch. Sure I won't do so well, but darn it - if I don't gotta try anyway! Thanks for the post.

[Marathonman]

Question: Do most of your cats hit the minnow with the beads? Are you bouncing them or using a sinker? I also don't see any spinner blades.
Chub minnows I presume. Also, do you use the crawdad scent on them?

I have a hard time even getting the cats on that lake!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]So...ya liked pulchritude didja? Try "incondelibatious". (my own made-up word to drop on pseudo-erudites who delite in sprinkling their conversations with words like pulchritude...and micturate.) Enough to stimulate a case of reversed peristalsis.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I dunno if the young Jedi was blessed with the vision of exposed epidermis that I was. I think he got away a few minutes before I did.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That entire channel often holds good numbers of both kitties and wipers. I have also scored more than a few walleyes...from the buoy to the main lake. They move in and out...with the groceries and temp changes...and depth diversity. Some days you get 'em...other days you get nada, zip, zilch, zero. But there is always the moon to blame. As long as it is not coming from the back end of a pickup fulla rednecks. That is not a good example of pulchritude. More like puke-itude.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The left handed minnows are a trade secret. You can get them only with left handed cast nets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Strip baits work very well for kitties in there. I have done well with both carp meat and perch meat strips. But, you will do better with small bite-size pieces than with big hawg-choker chunks.[/#0000ff]
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[TyeDyeTwins]

I had to go to the dictionary as well to get that one too. Nice work Tube Dude and MarineSpear. Thanks a ton for making me jealous MarineSpear by texting me this morning about your fishing day and limit question on cats. That is how I knew you had a good day with Tube Dude!

I doubt TD's rep was on the line. If MarineSpear couldn't get a fish with TubeDude than he is a "true skunk" or something![laugh]

Naw just playing with ya MarineSpear, I can only hope the next time we go out with you some of that "Tube Dude's Magic" wears off on my twin and I! Hopefully he gave you a few pointers that you can teach us on the next adventure with you.

With all the fish I eat I should get a smoker soon. Sounds dee-lish!
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[Wildcat94]

Thanks TD! i hope i can make em half as good as urs
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[wagdog]

I'm not going to steal Pat's thunder but I have used his "Bling-Bead" technique for bait fishing for the past year. He once told me he had two rods rigged once with the same bait but one had beads and the other didn't. I think he said he caught 2 or 3 to 1 with the beads vs no beads. Since it works in Utah, I figured I would test it in Texas. The rig with beads caught more fish (blue cats on this trip but also some spotted bass and big sunfish) than the rig without. It was at least 2 to 1.
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[TubeDude]

[quote Marathonman]Question: Do most of your cats hit the minnow with the beads? Are you bouncing them or using a sinker? I also don't see any spinner blades.
Chub minnows I presume. Also, do you use the crawdad scent on them?

I have a hard time even getting the cats on that lake![/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Don't jump off your tackle box. There have been seemingly fewer cats this year than the two previous years...and they have been more difficult for most folks to harvest. My success is based largely on a 35 year learning curve on that lake. I know a few "money" spots that almost always produce. But I also know the variables and how to adjust to varying conditions. Ain't no pills or shots that can replace that experience.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The plus side of that situation is that it ain't rocket surgery...or however that goes. If you can locate an area with active cats you can usually catch them on a wide variety of baits and presentations. All the standards...worms, shrimp, hot dogs, carp meat and perch meat work well. But I have refined my minnow-fishing approach to the point that it virtually always produces SOMETHING. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I use chubs unless I have access to carp minnows. They are the absolute best for cats...and walleyes too. Even wipers like them. But chubs are close relatives to carp and exude a similar scent. I do not add ANY scent to minnows. However, I fish them "natural" for a while and if they do not get bit I bring them in and poke a few holes in them with my knife point to release more scent...and to deflate the air bladder if it is floating the minnow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I prefer minnows in the 3-4 inch size for most species on most waters. I do go both bigger and smaller for different situations. I use either a size 4 or size 2 hook...unless using a very large minnow or cut bait. Then I may go as large as 1/0. In the pic below you will see a red Eagle Claw ring eye hook. I like the lazer sharp ones...with bait holder barbs...the #186 I think. [/#0000ff]
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[inline "CHUB HOOKING.jpg"]
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[#0000ff]I hook the minnows several different ways. Sometimes I hook them through the head if I am moving fast and want a more natural swimming action. Other times I hook them through the gill collar...but not good for soft minnows. Mostly I hook them forward from the tail. Sometimes I just run the hook under the skin but if the minnow is getting soft I wrap the hook around the spine for a better hold while casting or letting the fish swim with the bait.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The last couple of years I have been using the bling beads more often. The extra colors seem to get more strikes on some days...less on others. If I am dragging bait on two rods at the same time, I will often have one rigged with beads and one more natural...for spooky fish. Again, there is no well defined pattern. But beads are well worth having and using.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some days the fish want the bait lying on the bottom with little or no action. Other days like like it best when I am kicking fairly fast in my tube, bouncing the bait over the bottom. I use no weight other than a #10 crane swivel that I use to attach the 2' of heavier leader to my 8# line...and the beads. But they are just about neutral buoyancy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I do not add a spinner blade to my bait rigs. But I have caught a lot of kitties on my Roadrunner style jigs. Kitties like vibration and flash with their meals.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I think I have addressed most of your questions. I will also PM a copy of a recently completed writeup on Willard Bay Cats.[/#0000ff]

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[LloydE]

Great report and pictures...as usual! It was just as I expected, the fishing was great. I regret not being there. While you are sending out your write-up on Willard Bay Cats, send me a copy.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Do I know you?[/#0000ff]
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[toadly]

Sounds like another great trip. More cats for the smoker/deep fry. I am also happy to see another tooner has been introduced to the fun of S. Marina.
I was wondering what the water temp has been. KSL hasn't updated there lake water temp page in three weeks, so I knew it had to be lower than 81 deg.
I have been spending my fishing time chasing the Wiper
along the southern banks. I was surprised to hear you didn't see any boils. The shad are in tight in the rocks, so most of the boils are tight to shore as well. They are quick slash and dash boils lasting only a minuet or two.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Since I did not see much evidence of shad in the open water...either on the calm surface or on sonar...I suspected they were closer to the rocks. But when I paddled in closer I did not see any along the east dike. Nor did I see any splashes other than the occasional carp. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Ya cain't ketch 'em where they ain't.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glad you are still getting a few. [/#0000ff]
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