03-06-2003, 10:54 PM
[cool]The GOB's (Good Ol' Boys) would have you believe that you need to fish for cats at night, during the summer. FACT: Utah cats can be caught all year...even below the ice. Been there, done that on Yuba, Utah Lake and Willard.
I started fishing crawlers, mackerel slabs and dead minnows for cats on Willard about mid February...as soon as some water started coming in at the south marina. Fishing off the bank, on the north side of the channel, I caught some of my biggest cats of the year before the walleyes ever thought about getting serious.
In the low water year of '82, I was kicking mud all the way out of the channel in my float tube, but found a large area holding channel cats about a hundred yards from the mouth of the inlet. There was actually still a cover of ice on some parts of the lake. The rangers motored out in a small kicker to see what I was doing and were amazed when they watched me catching decent sized channels. I also took home a seven pound roe-laden mama walleye on that memorable trip. It took a lengthy tubers' stomp dance to return the feeling to my frozen feet when I hit the shore.
The key was to fish with no sinker, a small to medium sized piece of bait and a sharp hook. The fish would often pick up and drop the bait a couple of times before running with it. But, the point is that they were there and they were actively feeding, in water almost too cold for walleyes.
The river below cutler also produces some big fish early. And, they will hit lures and jigs, if the water warms a couple of degrees and gets them active. Again, a piece of bait on an unweighted line will usually get better results.
I think it would be safe to say that you can leave your size 22's and 6X in your trout vest.
HERE'S A PIC OF SOME COLD WEATHER CATS AT WILLARD'S SOUTH MARINA. Largest 14#. Three over 10. Notice the higher water.
![[Image: SCOU1712CustomImage1055593.jpg]](http://web.ecomplanet.com/SCOU1712/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/SCOU1712CustomImage1055593.jpg)
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I started fishing crawlers, mackerel slabs and dead minnows for cats on Willard about mid February...as soon as some water started coming in at the south marina. Fishing off the bank, on the north side of the channel, I caught some of my biggest cats of the year before the walleyes ever thought about getting serious.
In the low water year of '82, I was kicking mud all the way out of the channel in my float tube, but found a large area holding channel cats about a hundred yards from the mouth of the inlet. There was actually still a cover of ice on some parts of the lake. The rangers motored out in a small kicker to see what I was doing and were amazed when they watched me catching decent sized channels. I also took home a seven pound roe-laden mama walleye on that memorable trip. It took a lengthy tubers' stomp dance to return the feeling to my frozen feet when I hit the shore.
The key was to fish with no sinker, a small to medium sized piece of bait and a sharp hook. The fish would often pick up and drop the bait a couple of times before running with it. But, the point is that they were there and they were actively feeding, in water almost too cold for walleyes.
The river below cutler also produces some big fish early. And, they will hit lures and jigs, if the water warms a couple of degrees and gets them active. Again, a piece of bait on an unweighted line will usually get better results.
I think it would be safe to say that you can leave your size 22's and 6X in your trout vest.
HERE'S A PIC OF SOME COLD WEATHER CATS AT WILLARD'S SOUTH MARINA. Largest 14#. Three over 10. Notice the higher water.
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