Got a few on Willard

[TubeDude]

[#0000ff][cool]I prefer celebrating Cinco De Mayo with some good spicy food and an appropriate libation. That will have to come later. Started off at the north marina with TubeBabe Thursday a little after 7. Saw a couple other BFTers launching their boats as we were prepping our tubes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp was 41 and water temp inside the marina at launch was 48. It was 51 in the open lake. TubeBabe felt the inside of the marina calling her so she headed back to the far corner while I started outside the channel. She reported seeing lots of fishies on the sonar screen...but they all had their little mouths closed and their middle fins upraised. All I saw inside the marina was a big mad beaver crossing the channel right behind me. Gave the water a big tail slap and disappeared.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was seeing almost nothing outside the marina and moved around fairly quickly...dragging a minnow and tossing plastics. Both were ignored with equal opportunity. I covered A LOT of water and did not get my first bite for well over an hour. Missed that one. Inexperienced fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I had a heakin' snunch about a spot I have found fish before both early and late in the year...with cool water and transitional stuff going on. Worked into a depression that was about 13 feet deep...but surrounded by shallower water and gravel bars. My sonar screen began to show a lot of fish, but they were all suspended and nothing seemed to be very active. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Around 9 am...two hours after launch...I finally put the hook in my first fish. Good start. It was a 21" wiper that snorted a minnow into his left nostril. Pulled hard. Much fun. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I traded the small plastics for a rod rigged with my "wiper bling" pattern RatLTrap. Was still dragging a minnow but the suspended fish were getting thicker. One of them liked my Bling Trap. Another wiper. Not a big one, but big enough to fill out a dinner for two. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No more wipers. Covered a lot more area but the fish marks on the screen went away...to who knows where. But, I did find a couple of Willard's finest...a couple of cookie cutter kitties. Invited them home for dinner too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]PoorTubeBabe. Her Cinco was "stinko"...as in the smell of skunk. She had a couple of bites but that was it. Didn't help that I offered to make some good fish tacos with the wipers. I think that only made it worse...judging by the squinty eyes and gritted teeth all the way home.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Talked to several boaters out on the water and none of them had caught anything. Ditto for the guys coming back in when we did at noon or so. One boat had caught a "nice walleye". The water temp had warmed up to about 54 and I suspect the fish might turn on later in the day. Hope so for those who stuck it out.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Saw a procession of "tank banglers" working the north dike. They came and went...but I did not see anybody catch anything or carry anything off when they left[/#0000ff]
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[bonginator]

Nice report and nice tube setup. What do you use the two front most knotted PVC holders for (the small ones underneath your front rod holders?)

Sandy
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[TubeDude]

[inline "FRONT DECK.jpg"]

[cool][#0000ff]I am assuming you are referring to #4 in the picture above. That is a "replacement" loop for the D rings that are no longer a part of the Fat Cats on the front end. They used to have a D ring in front and I used that to attach some custom bungee cords that I made to stretch across the seats...to hold on my fins, net, basket, etc. when transporting the tube. The original D rings were supplied for attaching their old style aprons...as in the pic below. But they have a new style now that does not require them.[/#0000ff]

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[flygoddess]

I thought Sandy was asking about #3 in your diagram, and maybe "KNOTED" instead of "KNOTTED". But maybe I am wrong and have no idea what knotted PVC is.[cool]
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[bonginator]

Yes - I was responding to item #3. Curious what you use that for. I want to build a similar rig but need to get ideas for what key uses are before building it. This looked intriguing.
Sandy
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I recently designed the "front deck" both to make a base for add-ons...like the apron catch...and to add support for the "baitrigger" rod holders. These things sometimes have to hold up under some pretty big fish. This PVC contrivance is screwed into a piece of 2"X2" wood inside the pocket and is super sturdy. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here are some pics that show the apron...with the stretch cord used both as a support beneath the apron and a quick-fasten attachment...to the upright PVC connectors. The height on the connector is cut to meet the height needed by the angler between legs and apron.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also attaching a PDF file on PVC Construction. I love to use all those acronyms.[/#0000ff]
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[RiverRat77]

Hey Pat, nice haul. Glad to see somebody catching something out there. Sent you an email about tonight... if you'll be home. Just would like to come by and talk Utah Lake for a minute and possibly purchase some bait/lures. Will you give me a holler if you've got time? Thanks sir.
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