Rocky's Reef and the cat house

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]PMed RockyRaab over the weekend, asking if he would like to hit Willard Tuesday. He replied that he was winding down from a 3 week long cold but would try to make it. He did and I did.

Launched at the N. marina about 6:30. Rocky showed up a little later. Water temp 70...warming to 73 when I left at noon.

Wanted to try some new innovations with my hot-head weightless tube jig "hanger-shot" rig. Basically I'm fishing tube jigs on a weightless head (hot melt glue) and rigging them dropshot style. Only the drop shot weight is a 3" piece of clothes hanger wire. Been using something similar at Starvation and elsewhere for a couple of years.

Willard fishies voted for it. Got 3 crappies within the first 15 minutes. One on white with a red eye and two on the blue/clear sparkle. Figured the fish were in and I would have no problem getting a limit for my sis-in-law. Figured wrong...as usual. Got one more crappie later...a long ways away from "Rocky's Reef".

Shortly before Rocky showed up with his yuppie kayak I had a boink straight down while vertical jigging with my tandem jig rig. Took off on a drag singer and I was thinking WIPER. Thunk wrong. It was a big golden pucker lips wiper. Fun to fight and needed for Utah Lake kitty chow.

Within a few minutes of Rocky getting started I put the hook into my first of about 14 catfish for the day. Even got it to for him so he could take a picture.

Neither of us had any other inquiries for a while and then I got bit at the end of a long cast. Fought it all the way in, brought it to the top and saw a lovely 3 poundish walleye. But it saw me too and gave me back my jig and the upraised fin.

That would have made five species for the day. I also got one lonely little smallie on my hanger shot rig. And I had what I suspect was a wiper that hit my jigs after a cast before I had the bail closed. The thin Nanofil line nearly sliced the end off my finger as the fish boogies toward the light pole. I know. I can't prove nuttin' but I'm holdin' out for a lost wiper.

There is a depression well out off Eagle Beach that often holds a few cats. I call it the cat house. Duh. Today it gave up 4 cookie cutters as fast as I could cast, hook and battle them in...on my first pass...all on jigs. I did not bring cat tackle, minnows, etc.

Later, after working over another large area that showed a lot of fish on TV but nothing on the reality show of my line, I went back through the cat house. They were ready for me. Bang, Pow, Zing. I was using two rods...both with two jigs. At one point both rods were bendo (see pic). One rod actually had two cats on it. One of those broke off while battling the other...and the single cat on the first rod got loose. I landed one of the three.

Spent about a half hour at the cat house and released over a half dozen while keeping a total of seven for the day. No telling how many I could have caught if I got serious. But I needed to get back by early afternoon so I brung in the lines and hit the ramp about noonish.

Rocky stayed after I left. Not sure how he finished but he was not doing as well as I before I left.

Made good use of the new fillet station.

And I did not forget my knives.
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[Flounder70]

Awesome! Good story. Lol. [fishon]
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[fish_fear_me2]

Looks like once again one of your new ideas is a hit with the fish. Their vote is the ones that matter. I haven't caught a cat at willard this year which is unusual. Good report, glad ya found a few in the cathouse[angelic]
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[Flounder70]

I was up there last Friday (6-20) and couldn't buy one with the blue/silver rattletraps that I used for about a month now. They have usually worked great. Finally, I switched to my favorite spinner of all time--a Mepps red,gold, and white aglia #2. Caught a fish every fifteen minutes with that baby! Caught all the species in the lake, but the elusive walleye. We fished from 9 am to 6 pm. The power squadron was in full force that day. We had to keep running from them.
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Those whaskaly walleyes are weally wiley with you awen't they!?
Me thinks you've been watching too much late night HBO young man! Cathouse indeed! Hope you tipped well or Mr Hof will have atchya! Wouldn't the Bunny-ranch be more of your Starvation Wabbit Gulch wanderings?

Nice that they hit ya hard and frequent enough to get a rise out of ya. Grillin or smokin? Some folks enjoy a smoke after a roll around the cathouse!

Rocky - dig the Shark-Teeth. Did it come that way, or your own amendment? Should make the Powersquad think twice! Or not...

[gofish435]

Great report, as usual, Pat.
I don't know how you do it with all your poles, jigs, lures, and flies. When I saw your fishing vessel for the first time I thought it was rigged for ham radio operation, then I realized those were just extra poles. I have a hard enough time staying out of trouble with only one pole and one fly.
Sounds like a great day on the water and it looked pretty calm too.
Thanks for sharing.
Tom
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[fish_fear_me2]

I agree with you. I have a hard time managing a pole and a net but Pat has spent years perfecting his system. It is amazing to watch
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[TubeDude]

[quote fish_fear_me2]Looks like once again one of your new ideas is a hit with the fish. Their vote is the ones that matter. I haven't caught a cat at willard this year which is unusual. Good report, glad ya found a few in the cathouse[angelic][/quote]

[#0000FF]Thanks. I have been messing around with that system long enough that I am confident that it is sometimes the best way to go...especially for fish like crappies that tend to float a bit up off the bottom. I will be playing with it on Utah Lake soon...slightly modified for the shallower depth.

The cats have been less evident on Willard this year. My first two trips...in May and early June...each produced only two cats...while I was fishing for them. Guess they are like walleyes and they hit better if you are ignoring them. I was rigged totally for "the other guys" yesterday and couldn't keep the cats away.

I know from past experience that location is a biggie with the cats. I have spots outside both the north and south marinas that almost always produce...almost always. That was the case yesterday. Only one isolated kitty besides the ones at the cathouse. Willard is a big pond and all the species tend to concentrate in very specific areas.
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[TubeDude]

[quote CoyoteSpinner]Those whaskaly walleyes are weally wiley with you awen't they!?
Me thinks you've been watching too much late night HBO young man! Cathouse indeed! Hope you tipped well or Mr Hof will have atchya! Wouldn't the Bunny-ranch be more of your Starvation Wabbit Gulch wanderings?

Nice that they hit ya hard and frequent enough to get a rise out of ya. Grillin or smokin? Some folks enjoy a smoke after a roll around the cathouse!

Rocky - dig the Shark-Teeth. Did it come that way, or your own amendment? Should make the Powersquad think twice! Or not...[/quote]

[#0000FF]Most folks who have hooked a few walleyes become very familiar with their ability to arrange their own early releases. They are adept at opening their mouths and shaking their heads to dislodge those pesky perforations. That's why the more learned amongst wallieholics try to keep them swimming with their heads down before they bring them to the net. Impatient or unknowing anglers lift them to the surface and then watch as they perform their Houdini routines.

The one I lost yesterday was probably just not well hooked to begin with. Unless you get them in a tough tissue around the outside of their mouths the hooks do not penetrate the bone inside. Small hooks only grab a bit of flimsy skin inside the mouth and tear loose on a headshake.

Tipping at the cathouse? Well, does tipping the jigs with worm or Gulp goodies count? Seemed to work okay with the resident cats.

The cats from Willard are some of the best I have eaten anywhere in the country. I prefer them deep fried but also "scampi-ize" them...slow saute in garlic butter. They come out so white, flaky and tasty that I would put them up against almost any other fish you wanta compare them with. Had a small batch last night. Yum.
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[TubeDude]

[quote gofish435]Great report, as usual, Pat.
I don't know how you do it with all your poles, jigs, lures, and flies. When I saw your fishing vessel for the first time I thought it was rigged for ham radio operation, then I realized those were just extra poles. I have a hard enough time staying out of trouble with only one pole and one fly.
Sounds like a great day on the water and it looked pretty calm too.
Thanks for sharing.
Tom[/quote]

[#0000FF]Thanks Tom. It was a great day with only a slight wind ripple a couple of times.

Most folks who see my array of rods question how I manage to manage them. All I can say is that my current system is the end result of a whole lotta trial and error. But thankfully the errors are few these days. As long as I remained focused and don't get wacko it all works well.

With my two rod system it is not uncommon for me to have double hookups. By keeping my drags set properly and using my fins to position my tube I can usually keep one rod in the holder and battle two fish...one rod at a time. I have landed double cats...each over ten pounds...and at Huntington (Mammoth) I have had doubles on tiger trout several times. One time I even had and landed a double on one of the rods...a trout on each of the the jigs.

That being said, If I hook up a large fish of any species I usually try to reel in the second rod to keep from tangling while fighting the fish. That requires a temporary placement of the first rod in the holder while I reel in the second. I'm sure some of my antics would be good fodder for a funny videos program.

In times past I carried a fly rod in my assortment more often. As long as the wind was not blowing and I kept my casts short or sidearm I didn't have problems with tangling. But with all of the PVC stuff on my tube these days it is tough to even think about trying to manage the loops of line while fly fishing.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Pat nice trip, sounded like a great day! I found your wiper a few hours later, I had to drive to work so I took my new toon and stopped by Willard for an hour and 15 minutes on the way home. Wanted eyes and wiper since I just ran out. So I put out my poles cranked my motor on high, only 1.8 mph so I dipped the oars and paddled like a wild man and was able to hit 3.2 mph. Headed across the area you and I fished and as I turned around and headed back, big bendo, thought I snagged up so I was trying to shutoff motors as the snag started to circle me. Decided I better start paying attention and ended up with a mid range wiper. Love that kind of snags. Pulled across Rocky's reef on the way back and fish on. Found your eye too, but it shrunk a little from getting wet I guess. Ended up giving me a head shake and self releasing. Anyway had more things than time to do so had to run, but glad I stopped for a few. Water temp 76 later in the day. Thanks for your great stories. Later J
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[depthcharge]

Great report. Hey I bought your book about the fishing at utah lake and loved it. That thing is a gem. I also love the story part of your posts. You have a very unique voice and an enjoyable sense of humor. Have you thought about writing a book of straight up fishing stories? I would buy that sucker in an instant.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Glad you were able to get away from the farm for a short shot. Also glad I left a couple of fish for you to play with. Nice work.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Thanks fer the kindly comments. Glad you liked the Utah Lake book. I had lots of fun doing the research.

I have put together a half vast collection of fishing writeups and short stories over the years. Don't have any plans to publish. Probably never make Oprah's fave list anyhow.

Here's a freebie I have posted before.
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[RockyRaab]

My turn.

For those of you who have never seen TD on the water, here's a view of his radio shack, and the first of yesterday's kitty litter.



As for my day, that shot of my "stringer" says it all. I avoided a skunk only on a technicality. I hooked what I thought was a walleye or wiper while trolling a crankbait, only to have it transmogrify into a nice crappie at boatside. I foolishly tried to lip it, wherupon it magically made my lure disappear from its mouth and reappear in my hand. Luckily, nothing went barb deep. Lesson re-re-re-learned: never stick fingers where treble hooks dance.

The shark mouth is a recent addition, and I'm beginning to think it does nothing to scare water skiers away, but works like a charm on fish. Maybe there's something in fish genes about 14-foot great whites...
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[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Pat, I did need those left over fish....didn't have time to scare up any of my own... Yup by the time I got home I had half a days work hauling hay waiting for me, but got lucky and the guy that was coming to get it was late so I made it just in time... Little dark by the time I got in the house, but it's all good.... Still want that clone that I can leave home to do my work while I go play, but with my luck he would end up going fishing and leave me home to do the work... Anyway Rocky I like the ole fighter teeth design as well.... Always had a soft spot for them ever since I read the "Flying Tigers" as a kid... Later J
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Glad you were able to make it but sorry the fish didn't show more love.

Ya shoulda asked me about the shark thing. I tried it on one of my tubes a few years ago. Only seemed to attract more boaters who wanted to look at the funny old man in a shark tube. But...ahem...it didn't seem to adversely affect my catch rate.

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[RockyRaab]

Clearly not. Guess I gotta learn to hold my own mouth right. Or sumthin'

Funny that the lures that worked three weeks ago have now gone doggo. Of course, we did have that really weird cold spell betwixt my two trips. And we're now definitely post-spawn so fish have moved. But it's humbling to sit there getting only a few half-hearted (auricles, I think) nibbles while TubeDude sits there in plain sight reeling them in.

In my defense, I've only had a boat for two years now, so I've only learned Willard superfishially. Have that reef in my pocket, but haven't found the kitty condo on my own yet. [#008000][size 3]It CAN'T be that TD is just a better fisherman than I am. [/size][/#008000]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I have fished Willard long enough to have a fair knowledge of the cycles it goes through in an average year. Howsomever, there really ain't anything like "average" since every year seems to be different in terms of water levels, fish populations, feeding patterns, etc. But, there are a very few things that I have sorta established as "constants"...like rigs, colors and favored hangouts...even during fluctuations in water levels. Usually my first trip on Willard each year...and maybe one later in the summer...I experience the "straight rod syndrome"...with no stretched string. Pain.

If it is any consolation, I talked to an old timer (another one) at the ramp. He was just coming back in after a no-fish morning and he was fuming. Claimed that he had fished Willard for 55 years and he had never been skunked before...but has had two such trips in the last week. I listened but didn't offer any refutes to his claims of mismanagement by DWR, pelicans eating all the shad, etc.

Bottom line is that yes, the front coming through last week ushered in a change. But that change seems to happen every year about this time. The predators are suddenly surrounded by clouds of baby shad (as we saw on sonar) and while they are not productively feeding on them it seems to mess up their dining activity.

Very shortly the shad will grow to over an inch in length and wipers and walleyes will start to include them in their menus...and the boils MAY get underway. Never a guarantee.

But longtime savvy anglers on Willard begin downsizing their lures...trolling the smallest versions of the Rattlin' Raps and other tiny lures that more closely match the size of the shadlets. And that is when my small plastics get a lot more attention too. I have lots of pics in my files of smiling wipers wearing those little plastic lip ornaments.

By September the shad have usually grown to a size that is closer to the regular Rattlin' Rap or other similar lipless cranks. I do well on them then by throwing 3" pearl holo Maniac Minnows or shad bodies on 1/8 oz. heads.

The last couple of years there has not been nearly the topwater "boil" action of years past. It is a predator/prey population equation. More food and fewer predators makes the living easy for the wipers and they don't have to herd the shad into meat balls and blast them on the surface. All they have to do is swim around with their mouths open. That kinda cuts down on the success rate of trollers too. And it can really be a timing thing. Sometimes the active bite is early. Other times it is right before dark. And still other times it can be wide open in the middle of the day. Fish operate on their schedule...not ours.
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[RockyRaab]

Yup. Leaving humor aside for once, I did downsize my lures after seeing those clouds of bait - so thick they consistently registered as "bottom" on my finder. But I also realized that with that soup available to them, the predators must be almost literally stuffed to the gills.

(You're still better at this than I am.)
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