Final Countdown 1 Week to go

[SkunkedAgain]

The switching of the contest seasons is underway... Not only will daylight savings time return next weekend, but on Monday the Ice Challenge will end and the Cat contest will begin for 2021... Really enjoyed the ice challenge once again this year, been a lot of fun and I got a few firsts for me this year, some fun, some not so much... Got my first Tiger Musky but also got my first year of not being able to find a fish through the ice on Cutler... that one wasn't a good mark, I tried a lot of trips 23 with only one bite and I couldn't land it... Anyway looking forward to the cat contest now... can't get here soon enough, since every trip I've went out on the open water, the fish keep getting smaller... Last Friday my only cat was a baby kitten, 15", not even big enough to be a cookie cutter, but it did save the pole cat, so I was grateful..  Also pretty happy that the cats are consistent this early in the year... I usually do a lot of blank trips this time of year... only had one blank so far and it was on a really cold windy night, not good early cat weather in my book... Anyway everyone get ready it's almost here... later Jeff

[Jig-fisher]

Im looking forward to the start as well.  I have purposefully not fished the big river in fear of catching a monster before the contest opens.  (Not likely that it will happen this early). I guess I need to ride out and take a look and see how it is flowing.

[SkunkedAgain]

Im looking forward to the start as well.  I have purposefully not fished the big river in fear of catching a monster before the contest opens.  (Not likely that it will happen this early). I guess I need to ride out and take a look and see how it is flowing.

Seems like the better fish like to bite just before or just after the contest, but I want to catch'em even if they don't count...  I'd love to find a true champion fish.  However, started doing the motor switch over on my boat and it's going to be a bigger job than I figured... So I probably won't be fishing in the boat to start the contest out... Kept me off the river last night too...

Hey what are your secrets for getting carp and suckers to bite this time of year?  Is it a location thing, or what can I do to catch some fresh bait?  My frozen carp minnows don't seem to excite the cats as much as the fresher cut bait I was using before I ran out...  Guess I need to find some worms and fish them, then I have the chance of getting a carp or catfish while I'm soaking bait...  Do you ever fish the eyes up around the dam?  Guess it's getting that time of year again... I haven't tried since I was young and didn't have a clue what I was doing, still don't much, but I think I do, so I'm dangerous now days...  Anyway good luck and six days... Later Jeff

[Jig-fisher]

Im looking forward to the start as well.  I have purposefully not fished the big river in fear of catching a monster before the contest opens.  (Not likely that it will happen this early). I guess I need to ride out and take a look and see how it is flowing.

Seems like the better fish like to bite just before or just after the contest, but I want to catch'em even if they don't count...  I'd love to find a true champion fish.  However, started doing the motor switch over on my boat and it's going to be a bigger job than I figured... So I probably won't be fishing in the boat to start the contest out... Kept me off the river last night too...

Hey what are your secrets for getting carp and suckers to bite this time of year?  Is it a location thing, or what can I do to catch some fresh bait?  My frozen carp minnows don't seem to excite the cats as much as the fresher cut bait I was using before I ran out...  Guess I need to find some worms and fish them, then I have the chance of getting a carp or catfish while I'm soaking bait...  Do you ever fish the eyes up around the dam?  Guess it's getting that time of year again... I haven't tried since I was young and didn't have a clue what I was doing, still don't much, but I think I do, so I'm dangerous now days...  Anyway good luck and six days... Later Jeff

Tugs are tugs and if the big ones bite early, then you have to after them.  As far ss carp and suckers go, I think it is a location thing.  I have a few sweet spots on the Malad river that seem to always produce something, even when the water is really cold.  I catch them all on pieces of crawler.  I've noticed that just enough worm to cover the hook works best, especially for suckers.  I caught 2 suckers last week in one of the places so I already have several trips worth of bait saved up.

As for the eyes, I have tried up and down the river and have yet to catch one on purpose.  The only ones I've caught have been while soaking bait for cats. I know there is a healthy population in the river, but access to good spots is very limited.

[SkunkedAgain]

[quote pid='1113690' dateline='1615302144']
Tugs are tugs and if the big ones bite early, then you have to after them.  As far ss carp and suckers go, I think it is a location thing.  I have a few sweet spots on the Malad river that seem to always produce something, even when the water is really cold.  I catch them all on pieces of crawler.  I've noticed that just enough worm to cover the hook works best, especially for suckers.  I caught 2 suckers last week in one of the places so I already have several trips worth of bait saved up.

As for the eyes, I have tried up and down the river and have yet to catch one on purpose.  The only ones I've caught have been while soaking bait for cats. I know there is a healthy population in the river, but access to good spots is very limited.
[/quote]
Sounds like we have similar success on eyes on the river... I've always caught them while after something else..  The last two have been while I was fishing for smallies and they took my jig like a bass would... Thanks for the bait catching tips... I'll try down sizing the worms and see if that will help... I know it did on cut bait for the cats...  Guess I should get all my catfish rods in this week and retie the hooks and such so they are ready to go for this season.... I hate it when my knots gets weak or the line just breaks, and I know if I'd pay attention and retie more often that wouldn't happen... So good time to do that...Have a good one... Jeff

[Tin-Can]

I took a couple trips up to the BRBR last week when the weather was quite nice.  The river was flowing slowly all the way to the bridges at the bottom. The further down river you get, the higher the water level,  but I would guess that the overall river level is about 60%. Most of the irrigation feed gates off the main river were still closed. 

I bagged a surprise male Carp last Friday, that is a good start to the bait box. 

[Mooseman75]

That's one of my weaknesses is getting fresh bait. I don't do well at catching carp or WB so I rely on the surf and turf meal of shrimp and worm combo and I use shrimp 3 ways, plain, with vanilla extract, or garlic. And then I also use CBMIGP or chicken breast marinated in garlic powder or strawberry jello chicken breast..I know it's not their natural food and I may not do as well I don't know. All I know is for the time I do fish I do all right on the bait I have.

[Ahi1953]

[/url][url=https://imgbb.com/]upload images to internetCarp are biting at the refuge. Like Forest I'm catching some bait.

[Jig-fisher]

Nice John and Forest.  Hope they translate into some big cats.

[SkunkedAgain]

Wow, looks like I need to follow your lead on that bait catching... Thanks that helps my confidence, so maybe I'll be able to catch one... Now if the snow will just melt away... Guess we need to get a weather station out here... We had almost a foot of snow yesterday morning in Benson, I didn't measure, but it was more than my step tread height and I seen the highest amount on the weather was 4" in Hyrum so I'm sure we beat 7" out here... at least on the shady side of things... Anyway give me a couple days and things will hopefully get back to spring and I'll try to catch some bait... Later J

[SkunkedAgain]

Wow, looks like I need to follow your lead on that bait catching... Thanks that helps my confidence, so maybe I'll be able to catch one...  Now if the snow will just melt away...  Guess we need to get a weather station out here... We had almost a foot of snow yesterday morning in Benson, I didn't measure, but it was more than my step tread height and I seen the highest amount on the weather was 4" in Hyrum so I'm sure we beat 7" out here... at least on the shady side of things... Anyway give me a couple days and things will hopefully get back to spring and I'll try to catch some bait... Later J

Speaking of bait, anyone finding worms in their yard yet.?  It was too wet to dig tonight but I’ll bet if I dig deep I can find them soon. Anyone know the soil temps that crawlers like?  Still freezing hard at night up here so the crawlers aren’t coming out at night yet. Bet it won’t be too much longer though. Later J

[catchinon]

Nothing doing down this way. The tulip and daffodil shoots are up a few inches so spring really is here. I don't think we'll see any worms on top until we get a good soaking rain in April. Isn't there a saying that goes April showers bring April worms or something like that?

[TubeDude]

Nothing doing down this way. The tulip and daffodil shoots are up a few inches so spring really is here. I don't think we'll see any worms on top until we get a good soaking rain in April. Isn't there a saying that goes April showers bring April worms or something like that?

The good soaking rain is the key.  In years past, the first soaker/worm producer has happened even before the end of February.  But almost always before the end of March.

A couple of years ago I put on my rain gear and went out to scoop up the crawlers washing down the gutters.  But I only got a few yards until a flock of seagulls came swooping up from the opposite direction...snarfing down every crawler in sight.  Stupid gulls didn't study their history.  They are supposed to eat crickets...not crawlers.

It is a good idea to prepare your worm beds or large containers in advance...with some good worm bedding material and properly moisturized.  Every crawler fan has their own special formula for the bedding...like coffee grounds, etc.  Wonder if that helps keep them awake for night fishing.

[SkunkedAgain]

Wish I could figure out how to make a good worm bed that would last for me... I have a problem with too hot or cold and losing my worms to that or too dry... Any good ideas for someone that has room to do a good outside bed, but not the know how on how to get them to survive very long.. Had too many die in my shed fridge too, they really stink and ruined the pop storage in that fridge... Thanks Jeff

[EyLayo]

Wish I could figure out how to make a good worm bed that would last for me... I have a problem with too hot or cold and losing my worms to that or too dry...  Any good ideas for someone that has room to do a good outside bed, but not the know how on how to get them to survive very long..  Had too many die in my shed fridge too, they really stink and ruined the pop storage in that fridge... Thanks Jeff

My kids and I collected a bunch last spring. I put them in an old cooler with some soil, twigs, etc. Kept them in the basement in the concrete cold storage room under the porch. They throw paper shreds and dry leaves in there on occasion for food. I sprinkle in some water and stir up the bedding every couple times I pull some crawlers out. They’ve lasted almost a full year. I’m down to my last dozen or so, hopefully the rain comes soon.

[SkunkedAgain]

Sounds like a great system... wish I had one of those ground cool storage spots... Maybe that's another reason to build a root cellar... Hey I dug some worms in my garden Saturday, first dig had four night crawlers, so I kept digging, ten spades later I finally found my next worm... It wasn't too productive, but I got the garden dug up and ended up with a dozen or so to try carp with tonight... Thanks for the tips and congrats on a spectacular ice challenge this year, you really rocked it... Must say that was a champion effort this year, I am way impressed and concede my defeat... Way to rock it!!!! Jeff