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Fished on the pond this am. BLK was at his normal roost in front of the first spring. Kept watching the Lake level in case he pulled out to many 36"ers. I was expecting a drop in water level! I fished my normal starting location in front of the Orchards. Picked up a couple cookie cutters and decided to take a ride to a location I had recently discovered. Game on! I only caught 1 bump up kitty at 26". Total for the day was 31 cats in the 24-25" range. All caught on cut Scofield Chubs. Tried white bass and carp but they wanted chubs. Some of the ugliest cats I have ever caught. Covered in cuts and punctures. Fun day on the pond.
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Wow that's a ton of fun if you're getting into numbers like that... Bet your arms are sore... they are good sized fish too... Thanks for sharing the report... J
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Your right about the sore arms. Figured out that my recent shoulder surgery has taken its toll. But was great therapy! Better than a doctor.
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Same results for me. Lots of big cats but cannot find the one I can stretch to the 30 inch mark. I fished with three poles so I could always have one ready when I had to cut off a deep hooked fish. There were times when I had two fish on at the same time.
Very few purty green females. Most were beat up, thick lipped, males with cuts and scratches from frolicking in the rocks and fighting over pretty lady cats. I think we will have a better chance of finding bigger fish when the spawn is over. I'm also looking forward to some night shifts with the next full moon.
You mentioned the lack of lighting in the parking lot at Lincoln... I registered a complaint via email yesterday. Can't understand why they will not light up the parking area. I feel a lot safer leaving my truck there at night when the parking lot lights are on. The camp hosts at Lincoln do a great job but somebody needs to find the light switch for the parking area.
The search continues.
BLK
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Now that's some PT I can get into... Keep working on reconditioning that shoulder.. Later J
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I'll be there, probably in the same spot. If the seas are calm I may head out to the island. Will watch for ya.
BLK
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Do save any for the table? If so how do you prepare them? This question is not aimed only at ice__sled but all.
Thanks...
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Being a southern boy I like mine rolled in a seasoned cornmeal and flour mixture. Battered fish is also fine but I think more fish oils are trapped under the batter that leaves that fishey taste that some folks find offensive. Did I mention that deep fried catfish is best?
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[quote fishgiver]Do save any for the table? If so how do you prepare them? This question is not aimed only at ice__sled but all.
Thanks...[/quote]
[#0000FF]Catfish are great eating. Many former troutaholics have discovered their new favorite fish...catfish.
Just a few things to consider:
1. Smaller (under 24") cats are best on the table. But larger ones can be good too if you cut the fillets into strips to enable complete cooking.
2. Catfish have a firm but oily flesh. They take more time over the heat than many other species...to turn the flesh white, flaky and completely cooked.
3. Catfish should ALWAYS be skinned.
4. Many larger fish have a dark strip of sensory tissue that runs along their lateral line...under the skin. Slicing most or all of that out before cooking or smoking will reduce strong tastes.
5. Bleeding out your cats before processing will also help improve both texture and flavor.
Here are some pictorial how-to pages that might help.
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