10-03-2009, 12:00 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Just after a weather front, falling water temps and a full moon to boot. We had our list of excuses all ready, just in case it was a bad day. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched at the Knolls on Utah Lake about 7:20 AM. Sun not quite up over the mountains yet. Water was murky from all the wind. Another potential excuse. Water temps only 56 degrees...down from 66 degrees a week ago Friday. Not looking good.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]But, somebody forgot to tell the fish they weren't supposed to bite. I barely got a minnow out behind the tube and started casting plastic with the other rod when POW...ZING...FISH ON. First fish jinx was mine...with a healthy little cookie cutter. I told TubeBabe over the walkie talkie that she could get started since I got the first fish out of the way.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Second cast had barely settled near the bottom when the line took off again. Man. Couldn't even fish the plastics without an interruption. But this time when I set the hook there was some weight on the other end. A hefty 28 inch mama cat bent my stick and stretched my string...taking line off the drag a couple of times. My arched rod made a good picture against the impending sunrise. (see pic) We had planned to keep a couple of larger fish for the smoker so the 8# plus kitty joined the smaller eater fish in the basket.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Surprisingly, the cats were shallow early. I got several in less than 5 feet of water. Then it slowed down and I headed west to the area out from the rocky cliffs, where the bottom drops off faster. That area usually treats us well, and today was no exception. I finished off my limit and released a couple before TubeBabe could reach me and take over the honey hole. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I moved shallower and tossed plastics and hardbaits, trying to find wallies or whities. Non of the former but quite a few of the later. They did not hit hardbaits but did mess with the minnows on our bait rods and hit my small plastics pretty good.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]TubeBabe had been keeping a count of the fish in her basket and when she was only one or two from limit she counted to make sure. What the hey? Only 4 fish. Shoulda been six or seven. We guessed there was a hole in the basket somewhere but she could not see it to fix it. So, she kept putting fish in one hole and they would squirm out another spot. Only had 4 left when we hit shore, after putting many more in the basket.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I ended up with a couple of 20 inchers, the 28 incher from early and a 26 incher I got to finish my limit. The two biggest weighed 8 and 7 lbs. The rest were 16-18 inch cookie cutters. Released a few cookies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also got three chunky mud cats (bullheads). First time I have caught more than one on a trip for quite a while. Some of the white bass were young-of-the-year 4 inchers. One went on the line (dead) as bait. All I got on it was a big white bass, and it let go at the tube. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Only light breezes most of the day and it was calming to glass as we got off the lake. Water temps had risen 3 degrees up to 59. Yee haww.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched at the Knolls on Utah Lake about 7:20 AM. Sun not quite up over the mountains yet. Water was murky from all the wind. Another potential excuse. Water temps only 56 degrees...down from 66 degrees a week ago Friday. Not looking good.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]But, somebody forgot to tell the fish they weren't supposed to bite. I barely got a minnow out behind the tube and started casting plastic with the other rod when POW...ZING...FISH ON. First fish jinx was mine...with a healthy little cookie cutter. I told TubeBabe over the walkie talkie that she could get started since I got the first fish out of the way.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Second cast had barely settled near the bottom when the line took off again. Man. Couldn't even fish the plastics without an interruption. But this time when I set the hook there was some weight on the other end. A hefty 28 inch mama cat bent my stick and stretched my string...taking line off the drag a couple of times. My arched rod made a good picture against the impending sunrise. (see pic) We had planned to keep a couple of larger fish for the smoker so the 8# plus kitty joined the smaller eater fish in the basket.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Surprisingly, the cats were shallow early. I got several in less than 5 feet of water. Then it slowed down and I headed west to the area out from the rocky cliffs, where the bottom drops off faster. That area usually treats us well, and today was no exception. I finished off my limit and released a couple before TubeBabe could reach me and take over the honey hole. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I moved shallower and tossed plastics and hardbaits, trying to find wallies or whities. Non of the former but quite a few of the later. They did not hit hardbaits but did mess with the minnows on our bait rods and hit my small plastics pretty good.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]TubeBabe had been keeping a count of the fish in her basket and when she was only one or two from limit she counted to make sure. What the hey? Only 4 fish. Shoulda been six or seven. We guessed there was a hole in the basket somewhere but she could not see it to fix it. So, she kept putting fish in one hole and they would squirm out another spot. Only had 4 left when we hit shore, after putting many more in the basket.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I ended up with a couple of 20 inchers, the 28 incher from early and a 26 incher I got to finish my limit. The two biggest weighed 8 and 7 lbs. The rest were 16-18 inch cookie cutters. Released a few cookies.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Also got three chunky mud cats (bullheads). First time I have caught more than one on a trip for quite a while. Some of the white bass were young-of-the-year 4 inchers. One went on the line (dead) as bait. All I got on it was a big white bass, and it let go at the tube. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Only light breezes most of the day and it was calming to glass as we got off the lake. Water temps had risen 3 degrees up to 59. Yee haww.[/#0000ff]
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]Cool Post n pics TD. Thanks for taking care of the kiddies for us!!