06-04-2022, 04:17 PM
A couple of thoughts here, Richard. One "Fish don't break lines...fishermen do." And big fish don't get big by being stupid. They learn how to deal with silly anglers that don't know about all of the rocks and snags in the area. And that area around the island has a whole lot of potential hangups.
That was a nice fish you brought to net. Sorry about the other one. The upside is that maybe it will grow even bigger for your next go-round and hopefully you can outfox it. I can guarantee you that there are still some 3 footers in Utah Lake. They just usually don't feed as often...or fall for the silly little offerings most anglers use. They eat less often but they eat big...big white bass...or crappies...or small carp or walleyes. I caught and kept one once with a full gut. And when I opened it up there was a whole small chicken inside. I was guessing that some farmer upstream tossed a dead one into the river and it found its way downstream to the lair of the catfish.
I have fished cats all over the country and you would be amazed at some of the baits...and the sizes...that some cataholics use to catch the bigguns. Back in the late 70s I fished with a couple of Utah Lake cat specialists. They always used whole white bass or small carp. They sometimes didn't get a bite in several hours of fishing. But when they did it was usually something of size. That's how I got my biggest cat...back about 1980. It was just under 36 inches and weighed right at 24#. Ate a 12 inch white bass with a double hook setup. Oh yeah, it was also on the west side of Bird Island. And we lost several big fish just as you did...getting "rocked". That volcanic stuff is sharp around the edges.
That was a nice fish you brought to net. Sorry about the other one. The upside is that maybe it will grow even bigger for your next go-round and hopefully you can outfox it. I can guarantee you that there are still some 3 footers in Utah Lake. They just usually don't feed as often...or fall for the silly little offerings most anglers use. They eat less often but they eat big...big white bass...or crappies...or small carp or walleyes. I caught and kept one once with a full gut. And when I opened it up there was a whole small chicken inside. I was guessing that some farmer upstream tossed a dead one into the river and it found its way downstream to the lair of the catfish.
I have fished cats all over the country and you would be amazed at some of the baits...and the sizes...that some cataholics use to catch the bigguns. Back in the late 70s I fished with a couple of Utah Lake cat specialists. They always used whole white bass or small carp. They sometimes didn't get a bite in several hours of fishing. But when they did it was usually something of size. That's how I got my biggest cat...back about 1980. It was just under 36 inches and weighed right at 24#. Ate a 12 inch white bass with a double hook setup. Oh yeah, it was also on the west side of Bird Island. And we lost several big fish just as you did...getting "rocked". That volcanic stuff is sharp around the edges.