06-13-2006, 12:01 AM
[cool][#0000ff]It was supposed to get windy this morning. There was also a big full moon in the sky as TubeBabe and I headed south to meet up with Cat_Man at Lincoln Beach. We were already preparing our list of excuses, just in case we got sprayed by skunk.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We drove up to water's edge just after 6 AM. There were lots of carp rolling in just a few inches of water near shore. I hadn't brought my bow but I wanted a couple of carp to replenish my bait supply, so I got out my walleye rod with a plastic jig on it and let TubeBabe get her tube ready by herself. I quickly "force fed" two hefty buglemouths and left them in the cooler while I got my tube ready to launch too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Cat_Man was not supposed to show up for an hour or so, having taken the morning off work for our long delayed (over two years) meetup. I stayed near the launch area, fishing in close, while TubeBabe worked up toward the inlet of Benjamin Slough. She scored the first channel cat...a 3 pounder.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I finally got a couple of bites but they were "pop and drop". I guessed they were probably bullheads. When I landed one a few minutes later I was proven right. But, I couldn't get a good "runner".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Cat_Man showed up a few minutes after 7 and kicked on out for our first face-to-face howdy. I handed him some minnows and he moved off toward the area where TubeBabe was fishing. He was only about a hundred yards away when I set the hook on my first channel...a feisty 2.8 pounder. That was right at 8 AM.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I fished shallow and deep, flyline and bobber. I had a couple more light inquiries during the next hour, but finally got another channel, slightly smaller than the first, right at 9 AM. I missed the 10 AM fish because I was saying goodbye to Cat_Man, who had to leave early, and I was not paying attention.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just as his truck drove off, I had a good runner and set the hook in something with shoulders. Turned out to be a lean and mean spawned out female channel kitty that went 25 inches and weighed 6.5 pounds. That was one of the hardest battles I have ever had from a catfish. She took off on several drag burning runs and would not come off the bottom when I got her close to the tube. I was guessing over 10 pounds before I finally got my first look at her.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe had covered a lot of water and still only had the first fish she had caught. Seems to jinx her everytime she catches the first one. But, just as she was getting back to the area I was fishing she put the hook into a brawling 2.5 pounder. That was her last of the day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I got the last fish of the morning around 11 AM, just as the calm water started to get a ripple from a building north breeze. As is typical down there, the fish shut down when the north breeze comes up. We couldn't get another bite.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temps at launch were 68 and warmed to almost 73 when we got off the water about noon. Air temps went from 60 to 90 during the same period.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Love that fish cleaning station. Used my portable electric fillet knife to whip out the fillets from the cats and also to fillet the carp for bait. Really saves a lot of mess at home.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have the catfish fillets in the smoker right now. By morning, they will be just about right to take to the jig making party tomorrow night.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We drove up to water's edge just after 6 AM. There were lots of carp rolling in just a few inches of water near shore. I hadn't brought my bow but I wanted a couple of carp to replenish my bait supply, so I got out my walleye rod with a plastic jig on it and let TubeBabe get her tube ready by herself. I quickly "force fed" two hefty buglemouths and left them in the cooler while I got my tube ready to launch too.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Cat_Man was not supposed to show up for an hour or so, having taken the morning off work for our long delayed (over two years) meetup. I stayed near the launch area, fishing in close, while TubeBabe worked up toward the inlet of Benjamin Slough. She scored the first channel cat...a 3 pounder.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I finally got a couple of bites but they were "pop and drop". I guessed they were probably bullheads. When I landed one a few minutes later I was proven right. But, I couldn't get a good "runner".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Cat_Man showed up a few minutes after 7 and kicked on out for our first face-to-face howdy. I handed him some minnows and he moved off toward the area where TubeBabe was fishing. He was only about a hundred yards away when I set the hook on my first channel...a feisty 2.8 pounder. That was right at 8 AM.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I fished shallow and deep, flyline and bobber. I had a couple more light inquiries during the next hour, but finally got another channel, slightly smaller than the first, right at 9 AM. I missed the 10 AM fish because I was saying goodbye to Cat_Man, who had to leave early, and I was not paying attention.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Just as his truck drove off, I had a good runner and set the hook in something with shoulders. Turned out to be a lean and mean spawned out female channel kitty that went 25 inches and weighed 6.5 pounds. That was one of the hardest battles I have ever had from a catfish. She took off on several drag burning runs and would not come off the bottom when I got her close to the tube. I was guessing over 10 pounds before I finally got my first look at her.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]TubeBabe had covered a lot of water and still only had the first fish she had caught. Seems to jinx her everytime she catches the first one. But, just as she was getting back to the area I was fishing she put the hook into a brawling 2.5 pounder. That was her last of the day.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I got the last fish of the morning around 11 AM, just as the calm water started to get a ripple from a building north breeze. As is typical down there, the fish shut down when the north breeze comes up. We couldn't get another bite.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Water temps at launch were 68 and warmed to almost 73 when we got off the water about noon. Air temps went from 60 to 90 during the same period.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Love that fish cleaning station. Used my portable electric fillet knife to whip out the fillets from the cats and also to fillet the carp for bait. Really saves a lot of mess at home.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have the catfish fillets in the smoker right now. By morning, they will be just about right to take to the jig making party tomorrow night.[/#0000ff]
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