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Had a great day at Lincoln today with 2 of my friends. Got on the water about 6 and had the first fish in the boat by 6 15. It was cloudy all day but warm and comfortable. We used chub minnows and white bass for bait but the chub was the fish getter. We averaged about 9 fish per hour for a total of 58. Most were 25-26 inches and hard fighting. We also lost 10 or more in the rushes. We stopped in 3 ft. of water and never moved more than 20 yards. Most fish were caught on the bottom with no weight, just hook and minnow. Good day to be on the water. No contest bumps though. I figure that the fish we caught today weighed about 290 pounds. My arms are tired.
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Sounds like a great workout. You guys rocked it. I hope to copy your success tomorrow if Mother Nature allows at the island.
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Wow, that's an amazing morning, way to go! I'm not surprised your arms are tired. I have never seen chubs outperform white bass, but I know others have from time to time. Were both baits frozen then thawed, or were they fresh?
BTW, are the warning/closure signs still up at the boat ramp? The last update I got said the launch was still "closed."
Thanks for the report. There are some bigger ones out there somewhere, I hope you find some.
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Man that sounds like a great day, thanks for sharing it with us.... sure wish I could find a day like that.... I can't hardly find a fish on Cutler lately... congrats... Jeff
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Another great day at Lincoln, well done!
I have had several very similar days during the past week or so. The cats are on the feed and catch rates have been some of the best in recent years. My catch numbers for the past week would rival the catch rate of the carp seiners... almost like fishing in a school of white bass. I have fished all of the south end of UL, from the Knolls on the west to Provo Bay on the east, Bird Island on the north and Goshen Bay on the south. Pretty much non-stop action from 6 a.m. until the sun wins out at around 10 or 11:00 every day the weather permits.
Here is the rub for me: no bigguns, I just can't find them. Caught several in the 28 inch range and probably over a hundred in the 24 to 28 inch range. Where are they hiding? I've fished with carp meat, carplettes, minnows, and chub meat, but mostly with white bass. White bass fresh, whole, pieces, frozen, even ripened and they all catch cats consistently. Fun but bummed cuz the bigguns evade me.
I've used J hooks, circle hooks from 6/0 to 10/0, fligs, and santee cooper rigs. I have fished several night shifts... nothing big except skeeters.
I have considered the possibility that the problem might be on the other end of the line but, naaa, I know how to catch catfish... little ones.
Depression is setting in. May have to seek professional help... or maybe take up golf or bowling.
Ennyhow, great time for catching some nice cats, food fighters and good sized for eating.
Will press on.
BLK
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The signs are still up but there's zero scum anywhere.
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The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.
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Same here Lynn. Caught tons of cats this year but the bigger ones elude me. They seem to have my number! And won't let me progress. Frustrating as it is having lots of fun. My better half keeps telling me to chill out and have fun. I agree with her somewhat. I like to have fun and catch big fish. Sooner or later someone is going to put one in the boat. Tight lines.
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Both of the bait were fresh. The chub was about 3 inches long and we used them whole. The white bass were fresh and only got one fish. We also did not get any over 27 inches. Next time......
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Good going Clint. They sure are fun to catch. Hopefully next time we meet ; we can have a real conversation.
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Hey Lynn,
With all your travels around the southern lake this year, I'm curious about midges. In prior years I ran into clouds of them at the boat launches, in the bushes around the shore, even out by the island. I'm talking about huge clouds so dense you could hardly see through them, or breathe without a head net.
This year it see half a dozen on my boat and one or two on the car, but nothing even to the annoying level. Are you seeing reduced numbers where you are fishing as well?
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Hi Jim,
I have not given it much thought but now that you mention it I do think there are fewer midge swarms this year... so far. They are not candidates for endangered species classification yet but it is nice to have fewer of them. I have encountered a few midge masses while fishing at night. I have been in a few of those swarms that made breathing difficult and also satisfied hunger pangs. The only defense I have found for them is avoidance or a head net or a good wind. Mosquito spay does not discourage them at all.
I do not miss the shortage of midges but I sure do miss the shortage of big cats. Hopefully the best is yet to come.[:/]
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Thanks for the reply and info. I don't miss them either, but for two things.
1. I haven't seen whites slurping them in any numbers since early June and that makes it harder to make bait in the mornings.
2. My understanding is those little buggers are a significant part of the food chain at UL. If their numbers are way down then everything has to hunt a bit harder to find enough groceries. That may be why the cats are feeding so much right now.
I remember times in other years in August when you had to hunt a lot to find cats in the daytime and this year they seem to be going crazy most of the day (and night from what you said)
On a similar note, I haven't seen a white over 8" since about the first of June either.
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