Willard Tubing 3-22-08

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Fellow tuber Majja and I launched from the north marina about 7:30 AM. The full moon just setting in the west seemed to be saying "Gonna git ya". Almost did. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp 30...ice in the guides for awhile. Water temp 40 at launch, warming to 43 by the time we beached at 1. The light north breeze was chilly but not unfishable. Intermittent periods of glassy calm and light breezes...from all points of the compass before the morning was over.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]WvBassChaser and a friend launched their float tubes right behind us and followed us out into the lake. But, they stayed closer to shore and went in a couple of times. Not sure if it was cold or "convenience" related. They finally got out and walked all the way back in after WV lost his rod over the side. Bummer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Majja and I stuck it out. We dragged bait (minnows) on one rod while offering a buffet of all the different lures in our tackle boxes with the other rod. A couple of bumps that could have been carp, rocks or tuna. Couldn't prove it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked from shallow to deep (12 feet) and back. Saw more fish on sonar than we caught. I brought in my first kitty about 9:15...my biggest of the day at 18". Nothing else for another hour or so. Then, I reached the area where TubeBabe and I usually do well on cats and wipers in warmer months. I caught three or four more kitties in quick succession as Majja came kicking closer to see what I was using in my "chum bag". I chased him away since he still smelled like skunk.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We stayed in that area for another hour or so before kicking back into the ramp. I finished up with 9 kitties caught but two were "culled". The rest were all "cookie cutters" at about 15 to 16 inches. Great eating size. I would rather have those than bigger ones. So, I DID keep a few. Sadly, Majja got in some hook setting practice but no reeling fish in practice.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Nary a wiper or walleye to be seed today. Only one boat trolled by, and they hadn't caught anything either. Nethier had the two bank tanglers fishing off the point of the north marina channel on the way back in.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Actually a pretty day. The wind was never a big problem. We did better than Mr. Moon said we would. Too bad about WV losing his rod.[/#0000ff]
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[ironworker]

great report and pictures as usually TD. thanks for sharing.
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[fishfinder462]

Good to see there are still fish in there after yesterday I was having my doubts. Sorry I didnt make it out, I was stuck on standby for work and had a high probablilty (sp.) of being call in.....never was though[mad]. There were alot of pelicans flying in yesterday too, quit a show the way they stay in formation about 6in off the water.[shocked]

FF462
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[WvBassChaser]

No didn't get cold for got something in the truck that was important aka my license lol. But my buddy wanted me to show him how to hook up a minnow and i told him to let me get away first before he cast. Welp he didn't listen so i lost my Berkely cherry wood to Willard by takin an inexperenced guy with me which is no biggy. I ran home and grabe my light action out of the closet with 8lb test on it. We got back as you were rollin out.
Went back up along the bank and i started slaughtering whipers with a chartuse grub with pink jig head. Got up to the north east corner and got ahold of a 3lbs small mouth bass. I also mistakenly hooked a big old 20 lbs carp in the tail now that was fun on that light action set up of mine. My buddy hooked into a stinkin old 8 or 9 lb carp with night crawler and a few cats. Total catch today was 8 carp 6 whiperers 1 large mouth and 5 cats. A crapy day turned good. Only one that got cold out of me and my buddy is my buddy who didn't dress apropratly and some how magicly ripped his waders. Other than that we fished till about 5:30 till he couldn't stand the cold any more if he didn't get cold we probably would have stayed till dark.
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[HaggardW]

Sounds like a great day TD, thanks for the report. Looks like quite the rig you have going on your tube... very impressive.
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[wiperhunter2]

Sounds like you did good for a early ice off trip. Those cats are growing, doesn't seem too long ago when they were 12 or 13 inches, the size you caught today should be some good eating[]. I went out for a while this afternoon, went over to the West dike and tried trolling but no luck. Did not see any ice on the water but it did look like there was a lot stacked up on the South shore and on the island.
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[Theekillerbee]

Nice work TD. Good to get into some cold water kitties. My new place in only 10 mins from the So Marina, so when I get done, I can abuse the mighy bay on a far more regular occasion.
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[Weekend_Warrior]

Good job again TD. You have the kitties whooped. I noticed your line on one and it was dark colored. What was it and do you like it?
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[lavaman]

Fantastic report and pics as usual!! you sure do take some great scenery pics. And it looked cold out there- I'm not quite ready to freeze my feet yet. But when the Wipers start playing that will be a different story
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[catfish-logic]

Thats the thing about 'ol Willard.

I never never never never never never never fish off the bank.

Yes I know, there are what you call bank tanglers; for me Willard has always and usually is always great when you are off shore a bit whether its 8 or 10 or 20 feet deep of water, but never near shore, nope, not me a boat or tube is the only way to go, period!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey, glad you guys got into some fish. I was wondering if they would turn on better after the water warmed a bit. This time of year the afternoon is often a better time to go.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Now we gotta get you into some of the bigger cats down at Utah Lake.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[size 1][black][size 2]"Good job again TD. You have the kitties whooped. I noticed your line on one and it was dark colored. What was it and do you like it?"[/size][/black][/size]

[#0000ff]That was a 3' leader made of 15# Maxima Chameleon. I use either it or 14# Excalibur for their abrasion resistance. My main line is 8# Silver Thread Excalibur and it holds up fine against most fishing hazards. But, those small cats have sharp spines and often roll in the line. A heavier tough leader helps reduce the nicks in the line.[/#0000ff]

[#0000ff]Strange you should notice that. I only made up that leader because I had left my spool of Excalibur on my desk at home. I usually prefer the clearer stuff. But, the cats don't seem to mind.[/#0000ff]
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[Majja]

[size 1]It was an awsome day fishing with TD, even though I came home smellen o SKUNK, I learned some tricks to catching fish in cold cold water in early season. It was one of the most beautiful days I have had out fishing . Here are a few of the pics I managed to snap while not swinig for the fenceses. Goo on ya WV. IT was a bummer you donated some wood to the Willard, but hey go back in about a month and a half in a swim suit and I bet you could find her pretty easy.[/size]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good fishing with you again ol' buddy. Sorry the fish didn't wanna play with you too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We should point out to boaters that last pic is me showing off by standing on a shallow bar...hundreds of yards offshore. There is also a rocky reef to the south of that bar that barely breaks the surface but could severely break a boat if you hit it at any speed. No marker buoys on any of those hazards so keep it slow and watch your sonar if you go either north or south of the north marina within a 1/4 mile of shore.[/#0000ff]
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