08-27-2006, 09:19 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I joined Frozenover on the west side of Utah Lake this morning. We hit the water about 6:30. No bugs in the 52 degree air. Water temp was a chilly 67 which warmed up to 72 by the time we left at noon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I launched my tube first, followed quickly by Froze in his toon. With his oar powered mobility he headed NE toward a long point and I just plod-kicked straight out from our launch point. Had to fight through some bodacious weed beds to get into open water. The water was ugly, with lots of heavy green algae bloom. Also kinda murky from the thunderstorms.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Didn't have a lot of expectation of finding fish too shallow and did not want to be tugging on weeds so I did not start fishing until I had passed the 4.5 foot depth area and was no longer seeing weed growth.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There was a south breeze which built the ripples into some bumpy water by the time it reached us on the windward side. We had our ups and downs until almost ten o'clock, when it finally settled down, warmed up and got downright comfy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I started throwing large plastics, trying for a silly walleye. Downgraded to a tandem rig with two small tubes, opting for maybe a white bass or two. Nothing doing on plastics of any size and color in the nasty water. So, I rigged one rod with a minnow.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Shortly after 7 AM my line clip snapped and line peeled off the open-bailed reel. I put up the plastics rod, clicked the bail on the bigger rig, waited for the line to come tight and WHAM...crossed it's eyes. Turned out to be a hard-fighting 5 pound lady kitty. All right. Nice start to the day. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Took about another hour to find the next fish, but it was an inch longer and a pound bigger. I could live with that. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When the sun came out good and the water layed down a bit, around ten, both of us had more bites. Froze scored his first, just before I got towed around and abused by my third...a still bigger 7 pounder. Froze announced over the walkie talkie that he had a double going...fish on both of his rods at once. Utah Lake circus.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My fourth fish absolutely kicked my behind for about 10 minutes on a stout rod and 10 pound line. It turned out to be almost 27 inches and weighed just shy of 8 pounds. Mighty fine kitty anywhere. Especially on the end of my line.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Frozenover tied the score with another cat just as I announced that I was going to start kicking back toward the vehicles. I had to get home to go pick up TubeBabe from the airport. Of course I dragged a bait on the way in and scored my smallest kitty of the day...just under three pounds...19". I had managed 5 again, just like last Friday at Lincoln Beach.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hey cat fans, take some bait and drag it slowly on the bottom between 4.5 and 5.5 feet deep, right out on the open flats. The cats are cruising out away from the weeds as the water level and water temperature both drop. They are there and they are active. It takes some lookin' but once you get in the zone you can catch some decent fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I did hang quite a few small white bass later in the morning. When they started pestering my bait I would pick up the tandem jig rod and drag a couple of the little tykes in, just to convince them to quit messin' with me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Great to fish with you again James. A lot better than the north wind blowout on the Tribune kitty floatilla.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I launched my tube first, followed quickly by Froze in his toon. With his oar powered mobility he headed NE toward a long point and I just plod-kicked straight out from our launch point. Had to fight through some bodacious weed beds to get into open water. The water was ugly, with lots of heavy green algae bloom. Also kinda murky from the thunderstorms.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Didn't have a lot of expectation of finding fish too shallow and did not want to be tugging on weeds so I did not start fishing until I had passed the 4.5 foot depth area and was no longer seeing weed growth.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There was a south breeze which built the ripples into some bumpy water by the time it reached us on the windward side. We had our ups and downs until almost ten o'clock, when it finally settled down, warmed up and got downright comfy.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I started throwing large plastics, trying for a silly walleye. Downgraded to a tandem rig with two small tubes, opting for maybe a white bass or two. Nothing doing on plastics of any size and color in the nasty water. So, I rigged one rod with a minnow.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Shortly after 7 AM my line clip snapped and line peeled off the open-bailed reel. I put up the plastics rod, clicked the bail on the bigger rig, waited for the line to come tight and WHAM...crossed it's eyes. Turned out to be a hard-fighting 5 pound lady kitty. All right. Nice start to the day. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Took about another hour to find the next fish, but it was an inch longer and a pound bigger. I could live with that. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]When the sun came out good and the water layed down a bit, around ten, both of us had more bites. Froze scored his first, just before I got towed around and abused by my third...a still bigger 7 pounder. Froze announced over the walkie talkie that he had a double going...fish on both of his rods at once. Utah Lake circus.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My fourth fish absolutely kicked my behind for about 10 minutes on a stout rod and 10 pound line. It turned out to be almost 27 inches and weighed just shy of 8 pounds. Mighty fine kitty anywhere. Especially on the end of my line.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Frozenover tied the score with another cat just as I announced that I was going to start kicking back toward the vehicles. I had to get home to go pick up TubeBabe from the airport. Of course I dragged a bait on the way in and scored my smallest kitty of the day...just under three pounds...19". I had managed 5 again, just like last Friday at Lincoln Beach.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Hey cat fans, take some bait and drag it slowly on the bottom between 4.5 and 5.5 feet deep, right out on the open flats. The cats are cruising out away from the weeds as the water level and water temperature both drop. They are there and they are active. It takes some lookin' but once you get in the zone you can catch some decent fish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I did hang quite a few small white bass later in the morning. When they started pestering my bait I would pick up the tandem jig rod and drag a couple of the little tykes in, just to convince them to quit messin' with me.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Great to fish with you again James. A lot better than the north wind blowout on the Tribune kitty floatilla.[/#0000ff]
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vantage but you can still be in the game. Take a couple of small marker buoys and just move straight out from the launch area. You will be a couple of hundred yards from the launch site before you are deep enough. Use a weight on the end of some line to take depth readings and when you get to about 5 feet, toss out a marker. Now just drag a bait around in that general area...in and out...until you get bit. Throw over a second marker buoy and keep fishing in the zone. You can see the marker buoys from a long ways if it is calm and they will keep you on track. The bottom is fairly flat with little structure or variation so it takes a lot of movement to go much deeper or shallower.[/#0000ff]