Catfishing fever

[CVfisher]

With the lack of any good ice to get on up here in Cache Valley, I am coming down with a bad case of catfish fever. I know its way early yet, but would like to get out and explore this weekend. Been thinking about the bird refuge or Corinne area but have little to no experience in that territory. Any good deep holes anyone can point me to? Any info or PM's would be fantastic.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Going to take my boat over to your neighbors, well Lees anyway and see if he can get me fixed up so it will do better in the flotilla this year. Still feel bad I didn't get ya on board last year. Good luck on your catfish ventures and let us know if they will take anything yet. Later J
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[gmwahl]

During this time of year hit the extreme shallows on warm days like we are having. Along valley view highway is a good spot as long as those shallows are adjacent to a channel,or deeper water. The cats will come out of the deeper water as the really shallow water warms up during the day and scrounge around for something to eat. As soon as it cools during either clouds or darkness setting in they will head back to the depths, but if you hit it right it can be surprisingly good during this time of year if you are willing to think warmer water than what they normally are in. Cut bait seems to work best. This is the pattern I have followed durin years past and it seems to work.
Also, if you have an unseasonably warm south wind blowing this time of year then fish the wind blown banks in the shallows. The baitfish and other food blow up close to the banks and the cats follow to feast on the smorgasbord. Wind blown points and humps out in the lake will work too.
Cutler is full of spots like this.
Good luck!
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[fish4life8]

so i'm from murray and was thinking of catting over by corrine.Does anyone have any idea?Was thinking of the bird refuge!
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[gmwahl]

Hmmm....
That's a little harder to fish this time of year, but the crossings off if forest street on a warm day might be your best bet. I haven't had much luck around there for colds water catting, but slack water adjacent to channels would be where I would try first.
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Pretty good south wind today. Clear sunny skies. Could be just what Dr Mike ordered.

Isn't too early for shallows? The water can't be very warm yet, don't know that any of the launches are even open (except the river). 60's in Feb - unreal!

we should be ice-fishing for cats!

[lavaman]

<we should be ice-fishing for cats!>

Except there is no longer any safe ice.

Yes, the water isn't very warm yet...remember, it's still February dude.

But the cats will still bite if you can find 'em. When you opening the tourney??
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[gmwahl]

Weird as it sounds, last year (before I thought about entering the contest) I did pretty decent during the first week of march fishing 1-1 1/2 feet of water during a day like today just fishing the wind blown shoreline out by Sam fellow road. My son and daughter both nailed a big cat each not long after fishing on a cold and windy day, again fishing the windblown shore, not more than a few days or week or two later.
I picked this wisdom up from an old fart down in Texas that preferred to fish in December and January for the big cats and he always fished the windblown humps and points and shorelines because that's where the wind pushed the groceries. Crazy how often he was successful at it compared to others and I don't recall the water temps being much above the high 30's to low 40's during those times.

Ya gotta fish while ya got the chance and make lemonaide from the lemon days![]
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[SkunkedAgain]

Got gear switched and heading out to try. J
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[Tin-Can]

Mike, funny you should mention all that wind blown stuff...and an old fart from Texas.....my dad was born in Hereford Tx. and that is exactly what he used to tell us kids. And it works well for Bass early in the season too. I caught 2 very nice LMB at Willard north marina early last year. I was on the marina north bank, east of the ramp. That's where I met RockyRaab. And I believe he actually witnessed the second catch

2 March 2014 LMB #1 WB North
[inline "(0163) 2 March 2014 LM Bass #1.jpg"]

2 March 2014 LMB #2 WB North

[inline "(0164) 2 March 2014 LM_Bass_no._2.jpg"]

And same for the first Cat I caught at WB last year. Same basic area, only further out the channel almost to the main body on the north bank rock pile, wind blowing up from the south east and curving around that edge. Not a huge cat, and before the contest started, but it did fillet out to a nice frying size...

[inline "(0185) Cat before fillet.jpg"]
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[gmwahl]

Nice pics! I lived in canton Texas out in the east piney woods. I fished lake Tawokoni and the Sabine River mostly.
Fishing the wind swept shores has always seemed to work for me on those days that the wind scares off the other fisherman. Utah lake is a good example. While fishing on the south jetty three different times during heavy south winds, I was the only one fishing on the south side of the jetty while everyone else fished the inside (north) side if the south jetty. I easily pulled a limit of cats and lots of white bass while the other fisherman fishing with the wind at their backs hardly caught a thing. Basic wisdom really, but without someone starting me down the right path I would never have tortured myself to keep the wind in my face![]
I have used this time and again on cutler to my advantage. So much so that I will sometimes intentionally pick windy spring days to go there fishing, but still, give me a calm warm summer day and that is my favorite.
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