07-24-2005, 04:41 PM
Went to get some bait on Friday night at a little spot in Springville. I planned on fishing Utah Lake either later that night or in the morning after I got a little shuteye. ANyway, caught about ten five to seven inch minnows on a worm and hook and took them out to the lake. Crashed in my truck. I was going to sleep in the back but the helicopter size swarms of mosquitos quickly changed my mind. I wound up curled up on my front seat which was not the most comfortable arrangement. Oh well. Woke up at about four thirty and got up to cut bait and get myself ready. Started fishing at about six when all was done and ready to go. I caught a mudcat that came in at about fourteen inches. Really nice one actually. I fished only that cut bait all day Saturday. Then I got into the channels. I caught about eight channel cats over a four hour period with the biggest going maybe seven or eight pounds. He or she was a hefty brute. Kinda hard to handle those big ones when you are up to your chest in water... gives the arms and shoulders a good workout too.... [cool] Anyway, most were three or four pounds with only a couple bigger ones. I did get busted off by a weed patch and one bigger fish that never came up for me. Pulled drag, shook his head and schooled me and my light tackle setup. Learning experience I suppose. Fished cut bait on 4/0 circle hooks with an egg sinker. Let the sinker go right down to the hook and the cats didn't complain any. The bite stopped at about eleven or so and my patch job on my float tube had not sealed completely so I went to Sportsmans to get some of the Cotol accelerant to do a two hour patch job on it. Well, got talking to Mike, there (old fishing friend and manager of the fishing department). He was talking to me about tubes and stuff and thanks to him, I walked out with the Aquaseal, the Cotol and a new round boat float tube for under fifty bucks. Thanks for the deal amigo.... (if you read this). He had to go back to work so I didnt get a chance to properly thank him. I also ran into Fsh4Fun and his two daughters. Good to see you again John. Anyway, the tube is a bit small for me so now the girlfriend has herself a new and first tube and I'll start saving for the FC4 that I want. But it worked ok for the short time I was in it. I went back to the lake and started fishing again but it was a little windy so I had a hard time telling if I was getting pickups on my bait or if the wind drift was taking line on me.... no idea. I guess I need to get an anchor system worked out.... Pat... Suggestions?? So I kicked back in and there were these hispanic gentlemen way out in the lake in shorts and shoes.... thats it. CRAZY!!! those are some hardcore dudes right there. But anyway, as I was kicking in, one needed some pliers so I lent him mine. Took the tube back to the truck and then crashed out in it in the shade for a couple hours. Started fishing again, just wading at about eight o clock. Around nine when the sun went down, the skeeters came out again. Between hand to skeeter combat, I got a nice run and take on my bait and set the hook on the second fish I lost this weekend, another big one that actually swam to me and then tossed his head and parted my line. Can I just say its kinda freaky when you can feel the big swirl from a big cat taking off next to you??? I felt it through my waders and was pretty bummed because i knew I'd lost ANOTHER big one. Time to go get some fireline I think. Anyway, went back to the truck, got repellant and found out I was out so I just came home.... tried to talk myself into stopping at Wally World to get some more repellant and get back out on the water so the big cat didn't get the best of me but I thought about the black Biblical plague like clouds of mosquitos and thought that a soft bed and air conditioning were much better evening companions. Fun weekend though and the girlfriend knows I have a surprise for her when she gets home from Vegas, she just doesn't know what. Hope she likes the tube... she's said she wants to go out with me sometime..... Now she will have a chance. Hope you guys down at Lincoln did as well as I did. I'm sorry I didn't make it down that way on Friday or Saturday although the thought did cross my mind. Leaky, if you showed on Sunday, sorry I left but I wasn't down with getting the life siphoned out of me all night long.
[signature]
[signature]
] I would like to think I'm a pretty hardcore anywhere any time kind of fisherman. Just need to make it to a flotilla or two to hang out with some other diehards.... so far its been meet one at a time for me. Leaky, Fsh4Fun, Tincanfish. But I'd like to meet the rest of the folks. Just gotta get a next best thing float tube to join with. Leaky, the Stukas are definitely out in force as soon as the sun goes down. Heat of the day keeps them pretty mellow. I read your heaven post and I'd agree with your perceptions..... Heaven is a sixteen on the end of your line.... feels like a thirty inch when you're dealing with light tackle.... [
] Anyway, we gotta hook up one of these weekends and fish for the kitties.... I'm sure that Sparky would have no effect whatsoever on the cat bite so it would be a good place for him. Dude, thanks for the suggestion on the rocks.... as usual with answers to questions like this, it was right in front of me and I missed it. I'll have to get an old bag or something to drop off the side. Maybe my landlady will work... get it?? Old bag... ok, nevermind. [pirate] I'm only teasing, she's a great lady. Anyway, hope to see some of you out there sometime so we can get on fish and maybe show each other a thing or two. Gosh knows I can use all the secrets I can get. If anyone comes out on the airport side fishing, I'll be the guy in the red or green tube with the huge repellant oil slick around me.... or is it just bait juices??.... depends on the time of day I think.