BFT Cat contestants all over UL today

[Tin-Can]

Son and I went out of Lindon today. Was really wanting to put him on some cats. The weather was great, the bugs were so-so, but not bad. I boated the first fish. A white bass, and the second fish, another WB, and the 3rd fish a big, bad attitude male Cat, (but not a contest bumper) and then 7 more whites through out the day. I had several hard hits and run drag strippers, then nothing but stretched out white bass meat. [laugh]
I get home and check the forum, and Jim, and Ben, have done posted cat score bumpers. [mad]

My son...........? a couple half -hearted tug and runs with no hook ups [] but happy to have gotten out of the house.........sorry D, was hoping you would have as good a day as your mom and I did 2 weeks ago.
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[Mooseman75]

My friend and I went out a few days ago, Thursday I guess it was and we only boated 3 cats the whole day. Our worst day ever. Fish would run with the bait so hard it was hard to get the poles out of the holders and then it was slack. Happened a dozen or more times, I couldn’t figure it out. I tried smaller hooks, I tried bigger hooks, I tried flags,, I tried hiding the hook I tried exposing the hook, but every bite was the same they were just like you explained. It’s like their getting smarter and grabbing it with their fins....
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[fish_fanatic]

I used to have that happen and Pat gave me the idea of taping a paper clip to my pole and leaving the bale open. I take my line and pinch it between the paper clip and my pole. I also do not set the hook until the fish stops running, this gives me more hookups a lot of the time.
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[Tin-Can]

Randy, sounds like a good tactic if you want to be messing with a paper clip and tape. I try to hook my bait at least 2 times, with the hook exposed past the barb and only a very small amount hanging off the hook. At UL where there isn't a strong current like at the river, I don't even have a weight on the line (unless I'm using a flig). I cast out away from the boat, put the rod in a rod holder, and loosen up the drag with the bail closed so the slightest movement on the line (even just a little boat swing or drift on the anchor) causes the drag to "click". Since most of the time, especially when I have another angler on the boat, at least one of my poles is in a rod holder behind me. I rely on hearing the drag cuz I can't watch that pole. I never even touch the pole until the fish seems to be making a determined run. Then I usually just lift the pole slightly and start tightening up the drag slowly. Most of the time if the fish has a good bite on the bait, it sets the hook itself. That's when I know it's hooked up and I start reeling in and tightening drag at the same time. A good solid hook up usually notifies itself by head shake, head for the bottom, roll over, and sometimes a reverse course coming back toward me that makes me reel even faster. [cool]
I think Saturday most of our pop-run-drops may have been white bass hitting the bait but not getting the 6/0 hook in it's mouth.
The one cat I did catch had a perfect hook in the corner of it's mouth, just behind the jaw bone.

But that's why it's called "fishin" cuz Gambling was already take.........[laugh]
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