Lincoln morning report 06/16/05 (now with pics!!!)

[svpdgcar]

[#505000]Well I started the morning at Lincoln Beach at 0330 hours. That's 3:30am for you non-military time folks. I took my brother in Law Mikey with me. That was my first mistake. Although I love the kid he is BAD BAD LUCK ( this was pointed out by my wife who is Mikey's sister). We stayed until 10:30 and decided to call it a day.[/#505000]

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This may be Mikey's Baby Picture there is definately a strong resemblance!

[#505000]I threw my pole in the water and after about 20 minutes I got my first hit. I let the fish run an then began to reel. I had 'em for a second but he got off. We then sat there for 2 hours enjoying the silence and lack of action. As I as contemplating the meaning of life (trying to figure out how much I could pawn my gear for ect...[]) and how quiet, and unproductive the morning was I realized I should have not only worn the lucky hat but I should have spent more time looking for my lucky Punisher t-shirt which I didn't wear because I was too lazy to really look for it this morning at 2am when I woke up. Obviously my second mistake.[/#505000]
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I spotted this guy climbing out of my tackle box.

[#505000]The rest of the morning I would get bites but they were really timid, pathetic, sorry bites which I couldn't do much with. I managed to hook into two more fish but also lost them quickly. I couldn't get any fishkies to take my bait seriously.[crazy] I felt better that I didn't seem like I was alone in the doing poorly department. I moved over to the guy next to me who was really friendly and telling me how great he had been doing the night before. I took his advice and set up shop right next to him. About an hour later after talking to this gentleman I realized this guy was into day three of of his first fishing trip in over 10 years. [] He wasn't catching either and the more he talked the more I realized I needed to MOVE and in a hurry (72 hours and only 3 fish)!! I think I would have been better off to toss my bait in the road and wait. So there was my third mistake!![/#505000]
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[#000000]This gaggle started hanging around the car.[/#000000]

[#505000]I the decided to fish inside the harbor area. I tossed my bait (carp for those wondering) and proceeded to run back and forth between my chair and Mikey to un-snag his pole repeatedly, followed by tying on new hooks and leader. That kid has a talent for snagging and losing hooks!! If I could only find a way to turn that talent into a money maker.... [/#505000]

[#505000]After about the sixth time un-snagging Mikey I settled back into my chair and started to say naughty four letter words under my breath because a boat was approaching and just starting to hug the south wall right over my bait [mad] when the whole damn harbor is open and I'm the only guy fishing it. Suddenly with boat motoring right over my bait.... WHAMO!!!!!! A strike worthy of really fishing!!!!! I let 'er run........ started to reel........ the fight was on!!!!!!! FISH ON BABY!!!!!! FISH ON!!!!!! She was a fighter!!!! [/#505000] [#505000]I saw a large channel cat, the mother of all channel cats even, come to the surface and roll about 20 feet from me then.... slack...... The $%#@ [/#505000][#505000]fish threw the hook!!!!!![/#505000]

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Actual photo line-up used to pick out the culprit.

[#505000]I don't mind telling ya'll it was one poor day of fishing. It seemed those on boats were doing ok. Those fishing from shore came home with a funny odor about them. I needed to take Mikey fishing or I would have used the tube (he is tubeless). I think I would have done better in the tube. [/#505000]
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[#505000]To top off my day, and I swear I am not making this up......[/#505000]
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[#505000]Right after I dropped Mikey off at home I really did smell a skunk. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!!! [unsure][/#505000]
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[#505000]To prove there is a silver lining to every cloud, I did take home my full bag limit of June Sucker. ZERO!!!!! [][/#505000]
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[cat_man]

Something smells funny round here....I can't quite put my finger on it -- nor do I want to!!!

Hey Gary I think your second mistake was throwing your pole in the water when you first got there. Usually when I'm fishing I do better by casting the bait out and keeping the pole on the shore. [][cool]
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[FlyingFish]

I clearly do NOT want to try to steal your "lucky" hat anymore!
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[mustbblind]

[cool] ++++++++++++++++ stay back dont want it rubbin off!!!!lol.......
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[svpdgcar]

[#505000]Hey you never know Matt this whole skunking report could just be a ploy to throw you off the trail of the lucky hat. I may have really limited out on every species I could keep in the lake INCLUDING white bass!!!![/#505000]
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[#505000]What was that??? An unmarked black helicopter?!?!?!? [][/#505000] [#505000]I sense a story about an unexplained carp mutilation to crop up in the news, followed by crop circles!!![/#505000]
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[ocean]

Hey have you tried other spots at lincoln? The high water has moved the fish out of their usual spots . The boat harbor is always a good place because its like a grocery store for predators.I am gonna be hitting lincoln a lot next week. Thinking about going this saturday morning before hitting e-lake.
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, Gary, that is the funniest skunk report I have ever heard! You truely have a way with words when describing your fishing outings! That really sucks that the monster in the harbor got off. How big would you estimate her to be? Sounds like next time the bro in law can take himself fishing, eh? Either that, or make him use a bobber! I hope that mikecromaine and I do better tomorrow night than that. If the "w" stays at bay, that is, since we'll be fishing out of a boat. I'm going to get my shrimp tonight. Had great luck with that last year in June for the spawn. Good luck next trip.
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[UTBASS]

I don't care who you are ... That's Funny Right There!
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]I ain't sold on 'em, either, TD, but they sure make for some funny stories from Gary though[][]. Got me some 2/0 sharp hooks for tomorrow. Hope they do the trick, but I get skunked at that damn lake more times than Gary (especially when targeting walleye), I'd have to say. I hope you nail that big K on your next trip out.
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[svpdgcar]

[#505000]I do far worse without them at Utah Lake than I do with them. I have increased my kitty catching ability by some 400% on them crazy circle hooks. I figure if a split ring is good enough to keep my car keys stuck on it it's dynamite to fish with!!! [/#505000]
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[#505000][] Seriously though when I can get them fishkies to run I can hook 'em up. All the times I lose them on the circle hooks it seems I am getting pansy bites. I use a 4/0 circle hook just hooked through the edge of the bait so it won't get in the way. It looks funny but it works (except today that is. I would have done better minus Mikey the skunk).[/#505000]
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[#505000]As far as "the mother of all channel cats" goes I was just trying to make myself feel better about being skunked. [cool] I'm guessing she/it was between 3.5-4.5 lbs. She ran like a mother!!! If I didn't have to reel her in for 150 yards I would have had her. I cheated for some distance so I was out about 3-4 times what I can cast.[/#505000]
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[Kent]

I just purchased 400 circle hooks (from size 8 to size 4/0). I am sold on them for catfish. I have greatly increased my hook rate with them (without having to let the catfish first swallow the hook), and about 90% of the cats are hooked in the corner of their mouths. They also work great for children and beginners because there is no guessing as to when to jerk to set the hook, and for some beginners getting them trained to set a hook at all is a challenge. I make sure I rig them with lots of hook exposed. I plan on giving them a try slow fishing minnows at Strawberry.
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[cat_man]

I got a tiny 2-pack of circle hooks as a sample in the mail, but I've never used them. I gave one to my little brother who used it for cats last year -- I don't know how he did with it he never said. The other one I still got. I haven't brought myself to try it out yet. I don't know, there's something about giving a running kitty a bit of slack, just a little more, wait, not quite yet, then NOW.....WHAM!!! Jerking back and setting the hook with a mighty lift on the pole. I think it adds to the experience for some reason. If ya just gotta reel it in and no hook set it's not as dramatic. I think I'm with the 'Dude I'll stick with regular baitholder hooks. They're cheaper anyway, right?
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[PDS]

Circle hooks are the way to go at Strawberry while fishing minnows. You don't have to worry about deep hooking anything. I usually go with a 3/0 or 4/0 circle while fishing the chub minnows. I also like to use big chubs when I can find them. 5-7 inchers are my favorite. The bigger the bait...you know the rest. Most of the fish you catch are in the slot though and must be released, even with these bigger minnows. It's hard to believe that a 15 inch fish will gobble a 6 inch chub, but they do. Good luck.
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[svpdgcar]

[#505000]I've not had much luck with the smaller circle hooks, the bigger the better. When it comes to price, I'm a bit of a hook snob. I would rather spend more for a better hook. Even with a "regular"[/#505000] [#505000]hook I'll usually spring for the Lazer Sharps or another brand of "high end" hook.[/#505000]
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[cat_man]

Not me. I've never had a problem with the quality of my hooks -- except for the South Bend brand. They are like the king of generic brand fishing equipment, from fly rods to hooks to lures. Anything I have bought that was South bend brand (fly reel, swivels, hooks, a creel) have all been royal pieces of sh#$%. Besides that, just regular old 50 cent packs of snelled hooks have performed well for me, sometimes catching multiple large cats and/or dozens of bullheads off the same hook - and often the same piece of bait too!
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[road]

Hi Kent, FB2 and I did that last year. Mixed results for me, a bang up job for FB2. I guess it is all in the no hook set. I just can't sit there and watch my pole bounce and do nothing. It's grab and jerk, old habits die hard. Might I suggest that you sharpen the hook tips. Most of mine were not near as sharp as a regular ole eagle claw #2 bait hook. I still have then with my tackle but I don't think they will be getting much use. Maybe when I'm lazy fishing or eating LOL
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[Fishhound]

I use circle hooks as well - although not exclusively - it depends on the fishing situation. I also tend to use smaller hooks. For channels, I have used sizes 1 and 2 with great results. I have also use the larger ones like 1/0,2/0,3/0,4/0, but I have not seen any real advantage to going to the larger sizes yet(I think the fish mouth size factor is kind of an absurd consideration to rely on - I've caught 10 pound browns and bass on a size 22 nymph and some hugh catfish on a size 8 thin wire crappie hook)- but then I am not really fishing for 20 - 50 pound fish. I have not had any of the smaller hooks straighten out yet either unless it was in really heavy cover and I was trying to horse the fish out of it.

Circle hooks are not for every situation. They don't respond well in some applications - float fishing, drop shotting, bottom bouncing and most recently I found they don't work with the MOJO system. In my experience so far, they don't work when the hook can have tension applied by the rigging in more than one direction. I.E. if the hook is being pulled by more than just the fish, the hook does not set properly. Disclaimer - my experience is still somewhat limited in regards to the circle hook - I've only been using them since last summer - so I'm not an expert on them. These are just some of my observations.
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