Catfish contest

[gmwahl]

I know this may be lame, but now that the 2014 catfish contest is over I just want to send a big thanks out to coyotespinner for putting it together and the others that participated in the contest. I really had a blast trying for the big ones and the sparring and good natured jabs and especially the competition. I would sure like to see it happen again and maybe have a catfish tournament some time just for the fun of it.

Though I wasn't able to get back out and try to raise my score, I thought I could at least post a pic of a little girl that I took fishing for her biggest fish of her life. 33" baby cat. Caught in August.
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[wiperhunter2]

Wow, what a hog, that might be the biggest fish that gal will ever catch but I bet it will keep her going out again in the hope of catching a bigger fish.
I want to second your thanks to coyotespinner and for all participates.
Thanks John for putting on this years cat contest and hope you do it again next year.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Good call Mike I'll second your thoughts as well, thanks John for all the book work and sorry for all the half inch advancements. Congrats Mike, I haven't seen any last minute entries so I guess your the man. Nice job and thanks everyone for the fun of the chase even if I couldn't ever start to catch up. BLK your a trooper never letting up, great competition. Later J
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[TyeDyeTwins]

[quote SkunkedAgain].......sorry for all the half inch advancements..... [/quote]
Ugh, there's always one guy like that in every comp![:p] Just messing with you.[]

CYS you the man!!! Thanks for putting the time into the cat contest!
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[SkunkedAgain]

Need to teach the big ones to bite for me early next year. Lot of stops between 6.5" and 27.5" sorry Yote. Later J
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[gmwahl]

Hey thanks Jeff. I guess I'm still sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for someone to come forward with the winning entries that they've been holding from our view. I guess I'm a little skeptical of my being able to win a fishing contest with all of the top notch competition out there, but who knows.

I think it would really be fun next season to set up a cutler kitty tournament and a Utah lake tournament open to all entrants, north and south, so that we can fish on each others waters against one another and get to know our competitors a bit better. I would really like to fish against BLK just for fun on his home field to see if I can even come close to his score for a day. Just for bragging rights, no prizes. Just a thought.
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[Boatloadakids]

What gmwahl and others said +++

Just good fun and great competition with great catters. Yote always does a bang up job getting this together.

That said.... aaaahhh, the agony of defeat! I gave it my best and finally wimped off to look for excuses for not connecting with that big one.... okay, here it is: the water was too low in Ut. Lake... yep, that's my excuse. Now, next year ....... yeah, yeah, yeah.

I tip my greasy carp-stained hat to gmwahl for his apparent 1st place finish and to all the other competitors too. Good bunch of cataholics. I caught hundreds of cats this year but just never could push past that big 3 0 mark. Tomorrow for sure...

Hey, I think I can claim a 1st in the carp category!! Okay, I feel better.

Let's do it again!

BLK
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[gmwahl]

You are blaming it wrong. It was the crappy weather that shut you down this last week (roll with this[]) I was BETTING that you woul whoop me this week. []

You've been a real hoot to play against you, I can't believe that you worked that hard and barely missed it. Truth be told, I just got plain lucky and nothing more. Everyone of us in the contest are probably better catters as a result of this contest. I vote it goes on!
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[Boatloadakids]

Hey I like that... I can also blame the weather.Truth is, the weather this summer has been great and the low water levels have probably made the cattin' even better.

Just by virtue of time spent on the water and the law of averages I should be way out in front of everyone. I'll bet I have averaged at least four days a week all summer fishing for catfish at UL Can't really call it "work" though cuz I have enjoyed every minute of it...especially when I have my full crew onboard. I even have my own designated parking space at Lincoln Beach. If you do a Lincoln Beach search on Google Earth you will see my truck in the parking lot and my boat parked at the end of the launch. Check it out.

I like your idea of having a tournament or some kind of get together just to compare notes and fish different waters. Lots of room where I fish and I'd welcome anybody any time. Just from the back and forth banter in this contest I'm sure I could spent time with anybody and enjoy it.... with the singular exception of Yote... he has sharper barbs than I do.[]

It's been fun and I hope we can talk Yote in to pulling it together for another go next year. Eventually, the south will come out on top.[laugh]

BLK
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Thanks to each and every one of you who participated, those who cheered, those who jeered. Far as I'm concerned, that's half the fun, and I must TRULY appreciate you all for being such good sports, making it a fun and enjoyable competition to oversea. I'd most happily put it on again. I still got some catching up to do! Ya'll set a high bar, and I love it.

I'd name names, but you already know yourselves. Jeff, quit the damned apologies already! You notch 'em anytime you want! I think we all know - there's bigger cats out there, both south and north. How many of you broke off that one that would have...
Ironically, just as the contest came to a close, an angler posts a cat to spank us all, and not even in the contest. (but of COURSE it came from the north!). Sharksugar - expect to see you signed up come spring!

Big thanks to Jeff for putting on the floatilla event, even if it wasn't a big catching day, them fish-tacos made for a class-act ending! A get together tournament, or even just a fish-fry gathering would be fun. Throw in an arm-wresting tournament, prove who's been fighting the biggest ones!

I won't start "closing ceremonies" until the end of the week, give any late entries a chance. I know there's a couple entries I haven't yet scored (was hoping to add my own 'beater' post first, wah...) Sadly - I never did make it back after cats after my spring run. Too many tomatoes, too many Kokes! But if anyone needs salsa for their fish tacos! Yo! Next year I really hope to get decked out enough to have my first mate join me on board.
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Hats off to Boatload and gang. The guy deserves an award for getting the most young anglers active and involved. Both catting and carping! Well done mate! your southern smacktalkers need to get on board though. Your crew was a wee shorthanded.

I'd be honored to fish with any of ya'll any day/night, any water. I do truly appreciate that this contest encourages folks to get out, give it a go, seek to improve their angling skills, techniques, and methods. If there's nothing else, we can work to beat our own best. I personally (finally) notched that 30 inch mark after so many close teases. So - time to raise the bar!

Night fishing is also on my agenda. I envy you who get out often, weeknights, on the water when the moon is still high. Definitely on the bucket list.

Life may have tossed me a few bumps recently, but the cat contest always leaves me with a , and a sense of satisfaction. Got work going in a good direction, and helps to be able to tell the chief, 'taking off early to go fishing' and get the nod - 'enjoy - you deserve it'.
You guys are the sugar in my lemonaide, and I sincerely thank you ALL for that!!!

Hook 'em and run!
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[Tin-Can]

CONGRATS Mike ! I know I was never even in the close running. But in the effort to add points for myself and the Northern Team, I benefited even more in getting to meet several of the BFT regulars. I greatly enjoyed the Flotilla event, and have begun to learn a new body of water that I wasn't even aware of before this year. It is nice to be able to put a face and a boat to many of the screen names here. Wiperhunter2, RockyRaab, gmwall, Shunkedagain, Coyotespinner, BLK, TubeDude, and others.
By the way BLK, did you ever have the chance to try that Catfish receipe we PM'd about?
I will add my agreement to all the comments for Yote. For an inexpensive, non-professional fishin contest, The BFT Catfish Contest was more fun than many of the local or regional touraments I attempted years ago down in Georgia.
TubeDude, we haven't fished together as yet, but I know we have been on the same water at same time in the past before I knew who you were. Probably one of the most widely experienced and knowledgeable fishermen I've ever learned anything from. And one of the best (most humerous) fishin report submitters ever.

Many others on this site who may not have been in the contest, WiperMac, and all the supporters of the Veterans Fishin Tournamnet at Strawberry, you all do a great service for the vets of this state. Sincere thanks.

I have had some recent setbacks of a personal nature, and not been able to get on the water in about 3 weeks. But the current wx forecast for the next several days looks promising. Will be trying to get on WB again tomorrow.

Thanks to all the BFT members I have met this summer for adding knowledge, enjoyment, and friendly banter to my summer season.

Again, congratulations and good on ya,Mike.
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[TubeDude]

"TubeDude, we haven't fished together as yet, but I know we have been on the same water at same time in the past before I knew who you were."

[#0000FF]Bad timing or poor communication. I think we share the propensity for preferring to fish alone but I also think we might be able to tolerate each other...on the same water, in the same place, at the same time.

We're gonna run out of excuses one of these times and get to meet each other up close and personal. Worse things have happened.
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[Boatloadakids]

Tin-Can-- Indeed I did get to try both of the recipes you suggested. Of the two I, or everybody, favored the one with corn meal. Good stuff. Brought home a half dozen smaller cats and fileted them, cut 'em into chunks, dried 'em good and let 'em set for a couple of hours. Oh, and I did cut the "red line" out of the filets before I chunked 'em... don't know if that helped or not.

The batter ones were okay but the corn meal ones were clearly the favorite. Even those in the family who "never eat ugly fish" were snarfing them down. Mixed a few different flavoring salts and other seasonings into the potion before I dipped the chunks. The batter dipped ones were moister, maybe too moist?? but okay. The corn meal ones were more crisp with dryer meat but they had a great flavor (Slobber here). I thought a little more of a kick (more pepper?) to the mixture would have made it even better (another slobber here). Much obliged to ya for taking the time to share.

I have an elk I need to take care of this weekend but I plan to get back out and pick up a few more cats next week. I went out and fished from the shore by the first spring at LB Tuesday night in a last ditch effort to catch something contest worthy... two cats and a 14 inch lmb. Returned all.

Agree with everything you said about the contest. Fun.

Thanks again for the recipes. (small slobber here)

BLK
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[Tin-Can]

The cornmeal version is the one I've known all my life. And it lends itself very well to almost any kind of experimenting. When I was in south Georgia we liked to mix equal parts of Louisiana Cajun flavored fish meal with cornmeal. Quite a nice flavor, a bit of a bite. But the past several years, my system won't take the spicier flavorings as well. So I cornmeal them, and eat with some salt an lemon. Sometimes a light shake of lemon -pepper.
Glad you were able to enjoy one of the recipes. Good luck on the Elk.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Mike that mini tourney sounds fun, might be good for the flotilla 5 next spring. Well don't know how to fish without looking for big cats, guess maybe I ought to try and find a walleye or come over your way and try a Mack. Sure been fun, must admit it got me night fishen and that was a hoot when they were in the shallows. Well catch ya later. J
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[gmwahl]

Hey Jeff, the macs will be picking up very soon. Within a week if history repeats itself, so might not be a bad idea to try bear lake. I know what you mean about not knowing how to fish for anything besides big cats, its almost all I fished for since may. Oh well, hunting seasons and lakers now. Need to try to see if I can find a bird farm also within the next few weeks to take my kids on their first pheasant hunt, so I guess I'll have a busy fall.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks for the Mac tip. Hey if you are looking for a pheasant club, my dad runs one just on the south side of where you got your big cat. He doesn't charge a membership its just by the bird. Let me know if you want to contact him? Maybe I'll see ya at the lake. Later J
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[gmwahl]

Hey Jeff, that is exactly what I'm looking for as far as bird shooting goes. I was considering rigby ranch, but I didn't know that your dad did that sort of thing. Could you PM me a little info on prices or contact numbers? Ill be elk hunting for a couple of days, but I'll get right on it I his rates are fair. We would have about 6 guys wanting to buy between 4-6 birds each....maybe more sometime in the next 2-3 weeks. Thanks again
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[SkunkedAgain]

That sounds like a fun time. Hope the elk hunt went well. PM sent let me know if you didn't get it. Later J
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