Fair to Midlin' at LB today

[Boatloadakids]

Nice today but fishing is still slow for me. Caught two that were about 26-27 incher, a few white bass and an arrowed carp. Water temp was 66 in the channel, 59 in the open sea at 7:00 arrival. Warmed to 63-4 when I left around noon. Goshen Bay temp was 66-67. The carp were a major nuisance thumping into my boat and thrashing everywhere near shore. Couple of guys catching wb in the channel. Only one other boat on the lake today.



 
The cats I caught today had football sized bellies and they fought hard. Would like to know what they were eating to be so big and fat -- maybe wb or a pelican?? Could be eggs I guess. All were released so will never know for sure.

Enyhow, had fun and got at least a start for the contest.
Bigger ones to come.
BLK

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Lynn thanks for the report and nice start to the season... Thought for a second you had the catfish eating pelican eggs, then I reread the post... would be good if they did though... Later J

[Therapist]

What was the water depth in the channel??

[Fritzfishin]

I cut a cat open Saturday, had a whole crappie in it. Never seen a crappie in one before!

[Boatloadakids]

Water depth in channel shows about 2 feet on sonar so probably about 2 1/2 feet deep. No trouble launching....yet.

[Piscophilic]

Hey Lynn,

Glad you had some fun! Since the WB die-off early this spring I have caught a bunch with large bellies. One day a buddy wanted to keep some so I did a little abdominal exploring. They were full of WB skeletons, but nothing with much meat left on it. Smelled really bad! I think that is still the case with many of them, becasue they seem to be feeding about normal for the current water temps and I suspect it takes a lot longer to get rid of undigested bones from larger WB.

I think it is going to be a good year for cats!

[Boatloadakids]

Thanks Jim, only my third time out this year and I haven't caught very many cats but all of them were in dire need of weight loss program. I can kinda relate to the fat cats cuz I've been through some routine maintenance health issues that dropped my weight from 250 pound to 185 pounds. Sweet wife says I look like an old man now and I am quick to remind her that I am an old man. Fishing again will help.

Those Lincoln area cats have been eating well and likely as not they have done well on dead or dying wb. Couild be a cat version of Prader 
Willie syndrome: they don't know when they are full. I caught one a couple of years ago while dragging a big chunk of wb and somehow hooked him with a half-eaten wb in his mouth.






I'm with ya on this being a good year. It is just going to take a little time for them to get in the heavy feading mode.

[Piscophilic]

Those are great pictures Lynn! Thanks for sharing and I look forward to many big cats from you this year. I always love the pictures.

[TubeDude]

I caught one a couple of years ago while dragging a big chunk of wb and somehow hooked him with a half-eaten wb in his mouth.

Cats ain't knowed for bein' dainty eaters...or ever turning down a free meal.  Kinda like some people I know.  But it is surprising that there are a lot of fish...catfish among them...that smack a small bait or lure after just chowing down on a big meal. 

Ya think they might be using our silly hooks to "floss" after a meal?  My best story along those lines was a big 12# walleye I caught from my tube in American Fork Harbor many years ago.  I was jigging a small spoon for white bass in November  when I got a major munch and brought that big girl in on 6# line and a light rod.  It was my biggest walleye to date and I had a resin cast mount made.  The rest of the story?  The guy who made the mount for me said that after making the mold he cleaned and ate the fish (okay by me)...and the fish had 3 whole white bass in its innards.

[Piscophilic]

Great story and pictures Pat! thanks for sharing.