Tubing with an old friend

[TubeDude]

[#0000ff][cool]BFTer "road" and I found that the road is still closed at Lindon. I made it okay but he was a bit late for our meetup because I had heard that the closure would be over by May 1. It ain't and I didn't think to warn him.

First time we have fished together in over two years. His fault. If he hadn't rolled his truck in Idaho a couple of years ago...and if he had mended faster...oh well. It was good to "hook up" again.

Air temp at 6am was 45 and water temp 59. It has cooled down with the past few days cold snap but should jump back up again by the weekend.

I launched before road got there and promptly dinged a couple of crappie-ettes. Right next to shore inside the harbor. Then a couple of bluegills that were as big as the crappies. Third species was small white bass. The ardently desired walleyes failed to show at the points of the harbor channel entrance so I headed south to the bubbleup.

An early south breeze made the surface slightly bumpy, but no biggie. Got to the buoys and made a few pitches with large plastics...again searching for ol' wallie. Not home. Did get some tentative taps that I assumed were whities. I was righty. Switched to smaller plastics and got a few of those. Nothing big but did get one double. Not a lot of them showing up along the pipe yet.

I started dragging bait on one rod while pitching jigs in to the pipe. Silly kitties wouldn't let me focus on jig fishing. As soon as my minnow settled down the line would pop free from the clip and go streaming off the open bailed reel. Then I had to frantically reel in the jigs, put up that rod and deal with the kitty. Tough duty but somebody's gotta do it.

I had close to a limit of 8 cookie cutter (21") cats in my basket by 8:30 and began releasing them. By the time Marty and I finally got together I had kept 8 and release about that many more. I handed off some of my unused minnows. He had one nice cat and a big ugly carp he had kept for "dissection and distribution"...catfish bait. I motored back to the harbor for some more inside prospecting while Marty stayed outside to play with the kitties.

By the time we both got off the water...about noonish...I had caught a UL "grand slime"...5 species, including crappie, bluegills, white bass, channel cat and bullhead. If I hadn't of farmed off a couple of carp I would have had 6. And if I hadn't lost the one walleye I hooked it would have been 7. Woulda coulda shoulda.

Marty finished up strong his own self. He scored a limit of kitties for the smoker too.

Another good day on the water for the old fudds. Seems like old times. Been too long.

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[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=96241"]EARLY LAUNCH.jpg[/url] (344 KB)
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[cpierce]

A morning buffet of fish delights! Nice catches on the cats and panfish. It is good that you're able to get some time on the water before the wind does its thing.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Yeah, these days you need a minute by minute forecast and a stopwatch to time your tubing trips.

But...I'm sure it will be hot and calm before we know it. Then we will be moaning about the heat.

Been "airy" up there too I take it?
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[cpierce]

Decency and forum rules prevent me from saying what I think of the lovely wind we have been having for the last month! [shocked] [laugh] [laugh]

The wind has been picking up even before the sun is up.

I am thinking of changing my motor mount on my Fish Cat 4 into a sail and outrigger mount. [crazy] Think it will catch on?? [cool]
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[albinotrout]

Don't forget the keel.
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[cpierce]

And the keel. That way if I flip over I can pretend to be a giant shark! [laugh] [laugh]
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[TubeDude]

"I am thinking of changing my motor mount on my Fish Cat 4 into a sail and outrigger mount. [crazy] Think it will catch on??"

[#0000FF]I think before I went to that extreme I would simply rig up a set of wheels...so I could at least use my tube...on land if not water.

Might not be a bad idea this year in Utah. Our lakes are starting out low and poor runoff conditions. We might be fishing dry lakebeds before the end of the year. I hate chasing fish that are wearing track shoes. I'm getting too old for that.
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[Bronzbackhunter]

Look's like a good day on the water,The weather here in Va. isnt very reliable eather.I set at the lanch ramp yesterday for 45 min waiting to see what the weather is going to do,no fishing,20mph wind & thunder storm's. But while i was at work sunshine & no wind,
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Sorry you couldn't get on the water. Mama Nature can be a mean mama sometimes. Seems like whenever you plan a trip in advance, she gets "wind" of it and prepares a nasty welcome for you.

Almost an unwritten law of fishyology that the weather will be nice when you're not fishing and nasty when you are ready to hit the water. It used to be funny but it gets old after about twenty or thirty busted trips.
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[albinotrout]

Sounds very familiar. Also can add that even when off from work and unable to go fishing the weather is cooperative. I gotta wonder if Murphy and mama nature are in cahoots at times.[mad]
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