Lindon Report 4/8/06

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Had a meetup date with road down at Lindon. TubeBabe and I cruised through the open gate at 6:15 and we were on the water before road drove up around 7. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]South wind was blowing about 10 mph, and we thought we might have to stay inside. Water temp was 49 and we did see quite a few fish on sonar along the banks and out in the open marina too. No biters. Had one good whack on plastic next to shore. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Looked like the breezes were going to let up so we left the harbor and headed north. WOW! The water is so high you can't even tell where the creek comes in. Couldn't find any whities or wallies that wanted to play with plastic so we started dragging bait.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I scored the first kitty, on minnow. About 2 pounds. TubeBabe got the next, a 24" 5.5# fish. Looked like she was gonna whack me again. So, I got another 2# eater. I'd show her. Nay...not so. She does the whooping and hollering fight on a 26" 8.2# fish. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was resigned to another "she whupped me" report when I hooked into a biggun. It ran out into deeper water and definitely had some weight. As I worked it closer, it started the round and round stuff. I got dizzy after having my tube spun around about six times. Finally slipped the net under a big ol daddy cat...27" and 8.7#. Top fish honors for the day. Most cats too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe did score one white bass on a piece of carp meat. I threw all kinds of plastics and spinners and did not have any whites today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Road had a couple of opportunities, but they were inexperienced fish and did not know how to hang on. He just didn't want to have to bother with cleaning them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fairwayphilly launched after TubeBabe and I were heading out of the harbor. He went south when we went north. But, we did get to meet up on the way back in. He got a walleye about 18" near the bubbleup. I'll leave his story to him if he wants to chime in.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There were quite a few folks fishing around the marina today, but nobody was catching anything. One young lad claimed he caught a small walleye on a worm but let it go. Sounds good to me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In light of the "blue cat vs. channel cat" discussion, I also shot a couple of "him and her" channel cats pics.[/#0000ff]
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[Utcatman]

ok... its settled.. im gettin irritated!! man..i gotta get downt there!! geez... oh well ... nice fish!!!
JOe
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[MrLipripper]

Ah, my idol!!! Those smoochin' catfish are appealing only to each other, that's for sure.
Question, TD - Can you take a photo of your tube and do a quick description of the layout? I have a Togiak tube that's rookie league compared to yours but I would like to tweek it some to make things more readily accessible. How do you play the big fishies with all those other rods on the sides - don't you knock into them?
Anyway, I'd like to be the apprentice and say to more fish as I'm tubing - "You're hooked!" ala Donald Trump, sort of.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I'd be happy to have you visit the "PVC Castle" (my garage) for a tricking out party. There are a variety of things we need to address, like how many rods, what size handles, where do they go, how to attach, where are the D rings, etc. Once you know the basics, the rest goes easy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In the meantime, visit the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?forum=130;"]FLOAT TUBE PICTURE BOARD[/url] and read some of the past posts (with pics) on the [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=184642;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]BEST OF THE BEST[/url] of the float tubing board. Once you have an idea of what is possible, and what you wanna do with your ride, we can get down to specifics.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A short answer to the question about rod placement and fighting fish: Obviously the rod rack is situated opposite my casting arm. The extra rods are never in the way. As big fish try to circle the tube, I use my fins for keeping the line and the fish in front of me. There is a lot to playing large fish from a float tube. You have to keep them from hog tieing you, and they seem to learn that when they travel in schools.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I know my fish was not as big as the one you posted, but it was fun. If you wanna come down and get a personal introduction to some of those bad boys...from a tube...just let me know what your schedule is and we can work something out.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Otherwise, we will probably have several informal "gorilla flotillas" this summer, for tubers and tooners to get together and gang up on some kitties. All are welcome. Had a night flotilla in late July last year that was a hoot. The skeeters fed well that night.[/#0000ff]
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[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Arial"][#ff4040][size 3]Man, I wish I would have gone now! You should have just told me that you were gonna get those fishies and I would have just bagged work. Sounds like you guys had a great day on the water. Well I guess I'll just have to wait til next time.[/size][/#ff4040][/font]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Skot, it was cool and windy a good part of the morning. Not a friendly situation for someone just getting back into tubing. You would have had to work very hard and the trip back can be murder when you are exhausted already. TubeBabe and I are older than you, but we are pretty tough in the tubes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The main thing I wanted to do on this trip was to check the water levels and to see if the fish were holding in the same areas as last year. I am satisfied that they will be there for several months. It only gets better from now on. There will be plenty of times when we can go down under better conditions with the expectation of rasslin' some kitties. I had several days last year there when I could have exceeded my limit if I had kept all I caught. And, there are some bigguns in there. Lots of walleyes post spawn too.[/#0000ff]
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[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Arial"][#ff4040][size 3]Sounds good to me. We'll definitely need to plan on something soon. I finally got my new fins so I need to give them a try, and give yours back. Thanks again, by the way, for letting me borrow those until I got mine. [/size][/#ff4040][/font]
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[font "Arial"][#ff4040][size 3]I also went out to Stansbury the other day and ringed up a bunch of carp with my uncle for bait. I think Carp Punisher would have been proud if he saw the carnage I did on those things. Pretty easy pickins out there, and my little cousin had a blast trying to reel those carp in.[/size][/#ff4040][/font]
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[smallmouthchaser]

When do you guys think the largemouth will start turning on down there? Is the water in the 50s yet?
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[ironworker]

great report tubedude
i just got finished putting the toon back together and putting some finishing touches on it.
i will be ready next weekend for some kitty chasing.
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[Theekillerbee]

Those are some good kitties Pat! Seems like you are having some decent luck down there. I need to get down there again soon....dang work.
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[doggonefishin]

Good job on the cats!, (especially the "blue" one[]) way to show us how it is done. I went down to Lindon this afternoon after work to test my FC seat modifications and to try out my new waders. I just kicked around in the harbor. I only had a couple of inquiries and no hookups, fishing with crappie jigs and roadrunners. I stayed a couple of hours and had to leave. Most of the shore tanglers were getting skunked too, but a couple of small mudcats were showing up.

Smallmouthchaser, I was getting water temps (in the harbor) of 53 degrees this afternoon.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]There are some largemouth in there just about all the time. The key is to find them and get them to bite. They will hit "low and slow" stuff now, like chartreuse tubes flipped tight to cover. Black and chartreuse jig and trailer also work.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]With the water temps just rising above 50 again, it will be a while before the bass start cruising the shorelines in prespawn mode. But, my past records show that by the end of April, in most years, largies start showing up not only for those actually fishing for them, but for guys fishing spinners and plastics along the shoreline for whities and wallies too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I suspect that inside the harbor (at Lindon) the fishing will be different this year. The water is DEEP, in spite of all they are letting out into the Jordan. The usual shallow structure is either gone or flooded. There are still a few spots that have visible stickups and look good for flipping, but the fish are going to get hammered and may move.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also, the increase in structure (flooded reeds and tamarisk) outside the harbor has created a lot more habitat for the bass and they do not have to rely on the manmade cover as much. I think the fish are going to be spread out and much tougher to find in all those new bass condominiums. The upside of that is that they should pull off a good spawn, with good cover for the fry, so that future bassin' will be better.[/#0000ff]
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[clebreto]

Ivy and I ran down to Lindon for some afternoon fishing 2:30-6:00. It was a perfect day sun shinning, not to hot/cold, with a little breeze. We fished the north dike, lakeside. Ivy flipped jigs and spinners. She long released one white bass. I fished bait the whole time shrimp with worm, caught two Bullhead "Mud" Cats. After the second fish Ivy decided to switch, she caught one mud cat before we left.

Ivy setting up her pole




My second Mud


Ivy's Mud




Ivy's fish was 13", my first was about the same but he slipped out of my hand before we could measure him, the second one was 12".
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Glad you got some quality time with Ivy and that you got a few fish for your efforts.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Man, those mudders look skinny. They must have had a hard winter. The channels I have been getting are fat and sassy, with belly fat inside. And, they all have food remnants in their gut. They must shop at a better grocery store than the mudders.[/#0000ff]
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[WalleyeWiper]

Wat to go TD. As you can see, most of us who wnet North got skunked again. Willard has not been so nice yet.[]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I guess I am going to have to get up to Willard my own self. The temps and the weather fronts have combined to keep the fish unsettled and uncooperative. But, usually about the end of April the post spawn walleyes turn on, with the crappies right after and the wipers too. Get that water temp over 60 degrees with a few days of stable weather and look out.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have had years in the past when I did very well around the South Marina on walleyes and cats from the middle of April on. Then, about the first or second week of May, the crappies start massing for their spring fling. You can catch them along the rocks or inside the marina, near sunken brush, etc. After the middle of May, and water temps over 65, the cats hit the rocks for their spawning ritual and you can catch some of the biggest cats of the year. Wipers get more active after the water hits about 70 degrees.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yep, I hear Willard a'callin' my name. [/#0000ff]
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[fairwayphilly]

Sorry I'm late chiming in, we got a new computer and it's been a struggle to get the internet hooked to the new toy. Like TD said I headed south as they headed north. My battery wasn't showing a full charge so I figured I had better head into the wind in case I lost my motor it wouldn't be so much work to get back in. I tossed a wide variety of plastics and even a few stick baits all morning and the only fish I hooked up with was on a night crawler I was dragging to try and catch a carp for bait. Turned out to be a male walleye right at 18", post spawn (no milt) and surprisingly fat for having just gone through the spawn. He definately had the feed bags on though; he caughed up two minnows that were around 4" long in my basket. I couldn 't determine species of the stomach contents (too far degested).
I had one other pickup and drop on a minnow under a bobber and oen good whack on plastics and that's it for the day. Never could get the cats going like TD and TB.
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