Fat Cats at Lincoln Beach 3/14/09

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Took TubeBabe down to Lincoln Beach for her first tubin' trip of the year. She loves those kitties at LB and they love her.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We got launched off the shallow beach in front of the "facilities" at about 8 AM. Air temp 24 and water temp 39. I started off throwing plastics, hoping for a marble-eye. 8:15 missed a couple of bumps and then stuck a small white bass. No more hits on plastics so I sent out a minnow on one rod and went back to throwing plastics some more.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Heard a boat throttle down back behind us and looked around. Stupid boat was heading right for me. I figured either he was a typical power squadron idiot that figures that float tubes make good slalom markers...or maybe he knew me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Turned out to be transplanted Idahoan WET1. He had seen my post about hitting LB and wanted to meet us. I put up my Uzi and tried to be pleasant. We had some good chitchat goin'. Just about the time he got close enough to touch his boat with my rod, my rod went bendo on a biggun. A big nasty kitty grabbed my bait and headed under the nearby boat. Todd had to lift the trolling motor to keep us from becoming all wrapped up in each other. Always happens that way. Whenever anybody gets close, I get a fish and end up fighting the other person instead of the fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A good ending. I scooped the fish and lifted it on board. Todd's fishing buddy Sam offered to use my camera to take a couple of pics. Don't get many pictures of me so I was happy he offered.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Those guys must have been good luck. I got my first and biggest fish while they were there. And just as I landed my first, TubeBabe scored her first kitty a few yards out. It was a "baby" 3 pounder. My toad was 28" and 9.8 pounds at weighin at the end of the day. When they left we went a long time without any more action.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I was fishing shallower than TubeBabe...4 to 5 feet. She was out in 5 to 5.5 feet. I was catching quite a few white bass on my plastic rigs. She was dragging two baits...one carp meat and one minnow. About an hour after her first fish, she went bendo again. I could tell by the "high C" coming across the water. No mistaking that sound. She was havin' some enjoys. I kicked a bit closer and got a couple of longrange pics. Her second and biggest cat was 27" and 9.4#. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My second cat came just after noon, after the north wind had been blowing for a long time...seemingly shutting off the action...as usual. It hit hard and fought hard for a winter fish. Taped out at 25" and weighed 6.2#. Other than a few more white bass, 1 big carp and 1 silly bullhead that ate a pink plastic, that was it for me. Of course I released the carp unharmed (see pic).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe scored one more fish to beat be for most cats honor...as usual. Her third fish was a respectable 24" and a lean 4.8#. She also got a "tail taker" carp we kept to cut up for bait.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Weatherman blew it again. We planned our trip to take advantage of the light SOUTHERLY breezes forecast. It started out calm and then the wind blew from the north all day...except when we got off the water to go home about 2.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Normally we don't keep the larger cats but we agreed before going out that we would keep 3 or 4 for the smoker. First batch of smoked kitty for 2009 will be done by Monday evening.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Didn't get a sniff from a walleye. Threw several kinds of plastic and cranks. Nada, zip, zilch. Did have a lot of hits on larger stuff but suspect they were the fiesty little whities. They were pesky today. But, I invited a few home for bait for big kitties next time. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Oh yeah, you wouldn't believe the stomach contents in those pigs we brought home. All of the 3 larger fish had at least one or two WHOLE bluegills in them, and my biggest fish also had a 10 inch freshly eaten white bass...and some "remnants" that were NOT SO FRESH. Whooooeeee.[/#0000ff]
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[mactuna]

Nice report and fish. They sure are hungry.
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[Weekend_Warrior]

Toads man. Nice fish.
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[Theekillerbee]

Great report Pat. As always, I like to see the poor little carp get released....unharmed[cool]
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[ocean]

I knew i shoulda went to LB instead of yuba!! [mad] Thanks a lot for the great report once again. [:p] I had a feeling the cats were gonna be biting today i sholuda trusted my instinct. I see as usual TB outfished you again.[]
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[jplacquay]

Thanks for the report. I am head down that way from Roy on Monday Morning. I hope I have half the luck you did.
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[Out4aFloat]

Great report TD! That really makes me want to get out there now. Good to hear some of those cats had shoulders on them. Did they care for one meat over another?
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[WET1]

Tube Dude and Babe, it as really an honour to meet you both today. I'm glad we snuck in that last couple hundred yards on the electric motor. We only had time to fish until about 11. Hooked up one pretty heavy fish in the area you told to go but he wasn't trained very ell at all and didn't end up getting a look at him. Water was 37 so they may still be a bit sluggish, we'll give 'em a shot next week.
Hope to "run into you again" somwhere. I've had the same thing happen to me many times...

Take care, Todd...
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[ratstar]

The title of RELEASED UNHARMED is perfect TD. Very suiting!
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[catfish-logic]

I imagine when you released that 'ol carp "unharmed" the June Suckers were swimming underneath your tube in a circle chanting:

"Garble garble gurgle gurgle gurgle.
Gurgle gurgle swirgle swirgle swirgle,
Brigalre brilagre vriggle vriggle,"

June Sucker language to english Translation:

"TubeDude he's our man!
If he can do it anyone can!
All dem carp is gonna die!
And now we can multiply!"

On a serious note, did the cats put up a nice "winter time" fight like the Willard kitties?
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[TubeDude]

[quote ocean]I knew i shoulda went to LB instead of yuba!! [mad] Thanks a lot for the great report once again. [:p] I had a feeling the cats were gonna be biting today i sholuda trusted my instinct. I see as usual TB outfished you again.[][/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]Not saying you would not have caught a few at Lincoln Beach, but it was NOT easy fishing. We covered a WHOLE LOT of water very thoroughly to get the few bites we got. There was a steady procession of folks going out to the end of the dikes, fishing for awhile and then leaving. My guess is that they didn't get much.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe often catches one or two more cats at Lincoln Beach than I do. That is because A. she is pretty good at it. B. She is hardcore. She keeps two baits in the water at all times. No messin' around with plastics or other lures for other fishies. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I spend a lot of my time in shallower water, throwing plastics and cranks for walleyes...or white bass. That puts me out of the "zone" for catfish for much of the trip. At least that is my story...and I'm stickin' to it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have also found that it helps with family harmony if I let her get top rod honors once in awhile. But, it is kinda tough fishing without a hook sometimes, to avoid catching too many fish. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just for the record, I caught first fish, most fish, 4 species of fish and last 3 or 4 fish yesterday. And, my second biggest cat was also bigger than her second biggest cat. But...she DID catch ONE MORE cat than I did. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not sayin' I mighta released a couple that I didn't tell her about. Not sayin' anything. I been married long enough to know not to say nuthin' sometimes. I just hate it when I sit down to the table and a meal of "cold shoulder".[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[quote Out4aFloat]Great report TD! That really makes me want to get out there now. Good to hear some of those cats had shoulders on them. Did they care for one meat over another?[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]I keep tellin' folks that this is the time of year the big kitties go on the prowl. They are really chowin' down right now and it is a good time to hook into some of the larger fish that feed mostly at night later in the year.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We only used two kinds of bait yesterday...carp meat and carp minnows. I usually bring some large chub minnows and some white bass meat too. And, those things all work. Of the two cats I got yesterday, my first and biggest slurped a 4" carp minnow...to top off a bellyful of 6" bluegills and a 10" white bass. Go figure. My second fish ate a 2" strip of carp meat...as dessert on top of 3 bluegills.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe caught 3 cats...all on carp meat. She fished minnows and carp meat side by side all day and only got bit on the carp cutlets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My next trip down there will include some heavier gear and some bigger baits. I have some whole frozen small white bass, from last year, and some big chubs. I'm gonna try to hit my 20 pounder early this year. I lost one last year about that big, when the small hook I was using pulled out as I tried to bring it close enough to net. The bigger fish will hit smaller stuff, but you have a better shot with bigger baits and heavier tackle...and bigger hooks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Let me know when you can make it and we will gang up on them.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Todd, good to meet you and Sam too. Always good to meet another BFTer...and an old Idaho boy (like me) to boot.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sorry you guys didn't score. Yes, the water is cold, but there are some walleyes cruising out there, mostly along the edges of the rock shelves, out off the point and down to the orchard. You don't have much time on Utah Lake yet and it can take a few years...and a lot of luck...to get them wascally wallies.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I appreciate your consideration in coming in from behind, with the trolling motor only. The fish on those shallow flats are spooky and too many times we have had our fishing ruined by an overeager BFTer motoring right up on top of us to say howdy. And when the power squadron starts running all over the area we just go home. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I also appreciate you bringing us both some luck with your visit, and you raising that bow mount to keep me connected to the fish. How do fish always seem to know the WRONG place for them to go? And, I also appreciate Sam taking the pics. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Stay in touch and let me know when you are going out, and we might "run into" each other again. Maybe if you ask nice, I might get out of my tube and join you in the boat...for some "show and tell" on some of the traditional honey holes.[/#0000ff]
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[Muleskinner222]

Nice report as usual. Do you think Bird Island would be any good right now? My dad and I are thinking of hitting it tomm.
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[TubeDude]

[quote Muleskinner222]Nice report as usual. Do you think Bird Island would be any good right now? My dad and I are thinking of hitting it tomm.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]This is about the time that Bird Island starts seeing some walleye staging for the spawn. But, right now the fishing for cats is better over flat hard bottom near the rocks and reeds. They raid the cover at night for food and then cruise over the flat bottom in between meals. The trouble with fishing the rocks is that you get more snags than fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The best time to hit Bird Island for cats is starting in May. They look for holes in the rocks to spawn, and some big old daddy cats show up for the festivities. The cats stay around the island most of the summer, and it is a great spot for fishing shallow, with a bobber to keep the hook out of the rocks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you spend a lot of time around the island, you will learn the shallow spots that eat propellers. You will also find some channels and holes where fish sometimes school up thick and attack everything you throw at them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, it is easy to find the island from Lincoln Beach right now. Just look due north for the big white iceberg...stacked up with windblown ice.[/#0000ff]
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[waljustia]

looks like fun! That is a great pic that wet1 got of you and your new kitty friend!
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[ocean]

So thats your secret to a succesful marriage man i have a lot to learn! I think we would have had a better shot at Lincoln than yuba. The perch were hiding the pike had lockjaw and the wind was howling on most of the water. But a beautiful day on the water . I fished the utah lake state park the other day and the water was still very cold so i figured i give it another few days or so and try evening fishing it this coming week after work.
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[WET1]

TD you're welcome in my boat anytime you want!!! [][fishin] I would be more than grateful for any info you would care to share. Like I said yesterday I have your posts to thank for giving my son and I the walleye bug 2 winters ago.
Some of my moments of greatest satisfaction have come from putting in the research homework and then going somewhere and figuring it out on my own. Having spent most of my life in Idaho there wasn't a whole lot of water I or my father or grandfather had not fished there. The experience last year of figuring out where to go and how to catch fish at Yuba and Starvation was a fantastic opportunity for me to teach my 14 year old son that you don't need Grandpa to hold your hand everytime, although it is usually easier. I'm trying to instill in my boy that the learning and studying doesn't stop when you finish school. Learning to fish in Utah has been a great opportunity for that.
In the mid 90's I was stationed in Pensacola, Florida and when I wasn't on the road doing air shows I was trying to figure out the poor man's fishing in the intercoastal water ways. I think my son likes to fish so much now because all he ate for protein the first year and a half of his life was redfish, flounder, speckled trout, mackeral, and chicken.
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[TubeDude]

"So thats your secret to a succesful marriage man i have a lot to learn! "

[cool][#0000ff]Hey, you don't fool me. I know that you let Lisa catch the big ones sometimes. [/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Glad to hear you have your son well positioned on the right path. Hope he is "hooked" well enough to put fishing before some of the other pastimes available to our youth today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]From the lofty position of my advanced years, I am properly grateful for all the opportunities I have had and for all the help I have been given throughout my lifetime as a fisherman I enjoy passing on what I think I have learned and seeing others lighting up when they recognize the new steps they have taken.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Whenever somebody says that they wish they knew more about fishing...or any part of it...I try to remind them not to be in too big of a hurry. Fishing is a lifetime learning experience and the journey is its own reward. Enjoy each new tidbit as it is put on your plate.[/#0000ff]
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