Catfight at the South Marina

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Figured it was about time for me to try the south marina at Willard. Just not into competing with a bajillion other fish-crazed bozos...boats and bank tanglers...like I expected to find at the north marina. Might as well have gone north a ways. Plenty of company out of the south marina.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched just after 6...along with about a dozen boats. Three of them tried to back down over me and my tube while I was trying to get launched. Bad driving, bad manners and stupidity. Three great big ramps and everybody has to launch on top of the tuber at the far end. And one guy leaves his trailer in the water for a long time while he finishes prepping his boat at the dock. At least that cut down on the number of other guys trying to join me at the ramp.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Air temp a mild 62 at launch. Water temp 71. Warmed to almost 75 by the time I left at noon. Light south breezes almost all morning. A bit of calm for an hour or so about 9ish. Never did see any boils...except for some silly carp trying to pretend they were wipers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Saw lots of shad and a few larger fish on sonar going out the channel...and off and on all the way down to the feed lot. Saw a lot more than I caught. Dragged a minnow on one rod and threw plastics and cranks on the second rod. Snakebit today. Lost a nice wiper just before netting and lost both a big crappie and about a 20 inch walleye within a few feet of the tube. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I can usually count on the kitties to come out and play even if the other guys are sulking. Today they kept me busy for a while. Had two "zones" with plenty of pops on the bait rigs and got a couple on plastic and even one on my new no name lure. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]All the kitties were nice little good-eatin' size "cookie cutters". Smallest about 17 inches and the biggest just under 20 inches. I guess I caught around 15 or so and kept 8 to be ate. Can't beat those little rascals on the table.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lots of entertainment. One troller came between me and the bank...where I was casting only about 30 feet away. When I asked if he was lonely his response was "You don't own the lake". I wonder if that is something boaters have to learn to get their boats licensed. I sure hear it a lot. I was too burned to think about taking his picture.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At one point I was the only angler anywhere near my area. In the far distance I spied a big boat towing a water skier. Yep, you guessed it. They made a big wide turn and headed right for me. When they got within shouting distance they dumped their skier...three times in a row...all the time yelling and screaming like everybody on the boat was deaf. I was not impressed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Watched a lot of boats but did not see much action. Hope the guys at the north marina did better. I was happy playing with my everlovin kitties but it would have been nice to add some variety to my basket.[/#0000ff]
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[12inchlunker]

[fishon]
You are a fishing machine TubeDude! I don't remember the last time I caught more then 5 fish on one trip...then again I can't remember the last time I fished....LOL DAMN LIFE!
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[mattpeace]

I was thinking about heading there this am but couldn't bring myself to want to deal with the nightmare that i was sure willard would be. I don't fish there often due to too many idiot recreators that feel the need to run rite along the bank.
Good on ya for braving that place and actually getting to do some catching, I will stick to the areas I know recreators can't go for now.
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[lavaman]

Way to go, TD! I'm glad you survived the power crowd...we all know the kids love their daddies toys, and they want the whole world to know about it in the process.

Maybe come autumn-time the boaters won't have to worry about us fishermen 'owning the lake'. Go figure.
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[SkunkedAgain]

TD where do you put your battery on that machine? What size do you use and how long does it last? I have a kick boat I started to trick out and got to the battery and found 60 lbs of lead doesn't help my floatation well I actually didn't try it because I was afraid it might sink me. Do you have any advice? From the sounds of this last trip maybe I better stay in the boat. Thanks. J
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Truth to tell, I have more problems and "interactions" with fishermen than hormonal youngsters who mix alcohol, gasoline and sunscreen and then go racing around the lake. I can't count the times I have had fellow anglers all but run right over me in my tube and then get mad at me for getting mad at them. Seems like the rule is BIGGEST BOAT RULES.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There was one old guy..."The Colonel"...retired military who fished Willard almost every day in his little red boat. No matter where he had been fishing he always had to maneuver his boat so that he "grazed" me going by...completely ignoring me of course. I contemplated giving him a blast on my air horn but then I would have had to do mouth to mouth on him and I just couldn't hack that.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[quote SkunkedAgain]TD where do you put your battery on that machine? What size do you use and how long does it last? I have a kick boat I started to trick out and got to the battery and found 60 lbs of lead doesn't help my floatation well I actually didn't try it because I was afraid it might sink me. Do you have any advice? From the sounds of this last trip maybe I better stay in the boat. Thanks. J[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]I am attaching one of the chapters from my book that deals with motorizing a float tube. Should provide pics and info to answer most of your questions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The quick answers are that I use a series 27 AGM battery...65#. I had to add floatation with a couple of boat bumpers to handle the motor and battery,but it rides just fine. See pics in the writeup. The battery rides perfectly in the pocket behind the seat on my Fat Cat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]How long the battery lasts depends on what size motor and battery you have, how you use it and at what speed settings. As a rule, you will not get the same life from a battery on a float tube as you would from a pontoon or small boat. The motor on the tube drags you THROUGH the water...rather than on top of it. More drag makes the motor work harder to move you the same distance.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But TubeBabe and I really like having the motor for quicker moves, some bottom bouncing and getting back to the vehicle more quickly after a long day, or when the weather gets hinky. It will not let you troll on Flaming Gorge all day or get you up on plane. And forget trying to tow a water skier.[/#0000ff]
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[mike4cobra]

Geez, you're startin to make me feel bad the few times I see you and come over and say hi[]. You must be thinking "here comes another idiot in a power boat"! That makes me glad Ive found most of my fish this year 300+ yards off shore[fishin].
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[fishjon]

I got in the habbit while shore fishing willard to keep a rod loaded with 30 # braid and a two once castmaster. As the boaters trolled by I would just cast it over the rods hanging out the back of the boat set the drag tight and reel in whatever I hooked. I actually have been fortunate enough to bust a few rods as well as a lot of line. One day I'll do it to someone bigger and meaner than me [] and then I'll get mine.
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[SatanLBZ801]

Looks like you had another great time on the water as the rest of us slaved away at work! Not catching anything even beats a day at work so!

I honestly can't believe people are that inconsiderate of "OTHERS" on the water. Whether it be tubers, guys fishing from a boat, or the recreation. I used to be one of the regulars at willard that would be Wakeboarding. We were out there from March to November in drysuits if we had to. But always very mindful of everyone around us and always kept our distant. At times there was nothing we could do but just go between two guys fishing. I see it from both stand points. Everyone pays the same amount to go through the gates. No one owns the lake and everyone needs to be mindful of everyone else. Fisherman don't own the lakes, wakeobarders/waterskiers don't either! Nor does either of them take priority over the other. I can honestly say I never did pass by 1 single tuber on any lake we ever went to. When we were just cruising around and say a small tiny aluminum boat coming through as we were completely loaded down in the boat to make a monster wake, we would slow down almost to a complete stop because I know, I've been there. Hitting big wakes like that can easy Flip or come over the bow of one. From what I've heard and seen, to me it seems like the people fishing from boats are the worst! On a mission or something out there. Makes no sense. At the end of the day, everyone on the water has to be respectful of what everyone else is doing. Usually after going wakeboarding (i always kept a rod in the boat) we'd go fishing for the rest of the day.
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[SkunkedAgain]

TD you are amazing how can someone who likes fishing as much as you do have enough time to write an excellent text book on every subject? I need to learn how to be as productive as you are. Hats off to you and my sincere thanks once again. If you ever publish your book please let me know I'd love to pick up a copy. Thank you J
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[toadly]

Great post! Been fishing the feed lot from shore a couple time per week and was doing very well till wensday when Joe and I were SKUNKED. Cats were some where else I guess. Been catching Wiper till then too. Think they are looking for shad further out than I can cast.
Like your pic of the Rock Chucks. Been seeing alot more this year. Racoons are every where, very bold and curious. I have been giving a family of coons a catfish to feed the little one on the mornings I see them. Very cute.
Till one goes crazy I guess and tryies to bite me. Hasnt even come that close yet.
Maybe we should get our toons out and join ya one evening. Safety in numbers. People tend to have more respect if they see more than one guy.
Poor quality pics (old phone)
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[Marathonman]

You never cease to amaze me. I've tried hitting cats and got about 5 there once on my toon. From my boat, maybe 1 a trip. I think a slow kick on the toon may do improve my success with a bottom bouncer.
I better revert back to my toon.

I'm always afraid of sitting on my tube that I'd be a sitting duck. Thought about sticking a flourescent flag up my back.
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[TubeDude]

[quote mike4cobra]Geez, you're startin to make me feel bad the few times I see you and come over and say hi[]. You must be thinking "here comes another idiot in a power boat"! That makes me glad Ive found most of my fish this year 300+ yards off shore[fishin].[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]No worries Mike. I consider you a good sportsman and a super angler. I welcome a visit from you and your craft anytime. Always a pleasure to see you either on the water or back at the ramp. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a few regulars on some lakes...BFT and otherwise...who recognize my "stealth" craft and slide in quietly and respectfully for a chit chat. I enjoy the exchange of info with knowledgeable fellow anglers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My beef is with the guys who seemingly take direct aim at me and see how close they can get before I react. Then they get all huffy when I broadside them with my rapierlike wit and "special" language. And I love to freak them out by taking pictures of them. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Still can't understand the magnetism exuded by my float tube for boats and people with low IQ's, poor sportsmanship and blatant disregard for either ethics or legalities. I can understand curious, but as my old friend Ron White says..."You can't fix stupid."[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I had to work to find the kitties yesterday...after I decided I wasn't going to score on anything else. Sounds like yesterday was a bad day for just about everybody. I should be happy with my cat-catchin'.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I did my usual big S turn routine...from 8 feet out to 18'. Saw most fish in the 14 or 15 foot zone, with some shallower and some deeper. However, most of the kitties seemed to be locked into the 13 to 14 foot depths...way too far out for a shore cast.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]This was a wet spring so the marmot population has done well. More greenery means better feeding for the parents and higher survival rate for the young. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The raccoons have been proliferating for the last two or three years. I see quite a few of them foraging down near the waterline at daybreak. The attached pic was a lucky shot to get the glowing eyes in the flash.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I'll be fishing up north next week but check in with me when I get back. Got a couple of other spots to show you for launching and fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]All false modesty aside, I have been effectively fishing that area since the mid '70s and I feel like I know it pretty well. I have caught countless numbers of kitties in that time and almost always catch at least SOME when I target them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When the fish are thick and active, it is a great area for almost anybody...using almost any bait and technique. I have referred lots of folks there and they almost always catch fish. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]However, even the prolific Willard Bay cookies can get temperamental and they might move around during periods of unsettled weather or changes in the water conditions or food resources. It is helpful to have a mental database built up over the years that can suggest a Plan B, C or D when Plan A ain't working. When you have been there and done that enough you have more options and more confidence.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I think you suspect that the slow and methodical approach from a tube or toon might help. It does. You can easily speed up, slow down or stay in place for a few seconds simply by using your fins. Harder to do in a boat...especially in any kind of breeze. Sometimes the fish like the bait skipping along over the bottom with a little speed. Other times they will follow the scent trail but will not pick up the bait until you stop and let it sit a few seconds. Other times they pounce on it only when you lift it a bit up off the bottom with your rod tip, after letting it sit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The depth can be really critical in that area too. I have seen them change their preferred depth radically from day to day...or even on the same day. So one of the things to try when you are not getting bites is to move in and out from shallow to deeper and back again...and keep track of the depth where you get bites. Then use your sonar to stay in the zone...moving only when you have gone a while without action...finding out if they have moved in or out.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The bottom of Willard Bay is mostly flat and featureless. But, there are some slight humps and depressions that don't show up much on sonar but seem to have great appeal to the fish. I don't question them. I just take advantage of it when I find an area they like to hang out. And some of those areas seem to produce in almost all water levels and general conditions. There are almost always fish within a reasonable distance of those "honey holes". Why? I not knowing...or caring. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In short, lots of little tricks and techniques. It is really a SYSTEM...not just "chuck and chance it". Chuck is not a very good fisherman sometimes.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[quote SkunkedAgain]TD you are amazing how can someone who likes fishing as much as you do have enough time to write an excellent text book on every subject? I need to learn how to be as productive as you are. Hats off to you and my sincere thanks once again. If you ever publish your book please let me know I'd love to pick up a copy. Thank you J[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Happy to help when I can. And I do give out a lot of "freebies".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I do already have the float tubing book for sale.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=500774;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]LINK TO DETAILS[/url][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the end of the year I hope to finish my writings on Utah Lake, Willard Bay and Starvation. Also rewriting a book I put together about 30 years ago on fish handling, preparation and cooking.[/#0000ff]
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